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Where Can I Volunteer?
One third of nurses in the United States devote part of their “off” time as nurse volunteers. This is truly an amazing example of dedication and passion for helping others. There are many places to volunteer, both locally and abroad, like One Nurse At A Time (ONAAT), an organization we are proud to support. ER nurses Sue Averill and Staci Kelley who are based in Seattle, Washington, created ONAAT in response to a consistently growing number inquiries by other nurses about ways and places to volunteer.
ONAAT is a clearing house for nurses who wish to share their skills to help others around the world, and is committed to “lowering the entry barriers, and increasing public awareness of the role and contribution nurses make in the humanitarian world.” ONAAT provides a directory of organizations that offer volunteer opportunities for nurses and a listing of community networking opportunities on their Facebook page and blog.
In addition, ONAAT has created educational materials that are available at no charge to nurses wishing to prepare for and understand issues, which they may encounter in their volunteer travels that are not part of their daily work. These include topics like Cholera, Malaria, Malnutrition, and Measles. ONAAT also provides scholarships, many of which have been provided by Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, to help offset some of the costs of the trips for the nurses. For more information on ONAAT, visit One Nurse At A Time.