Written by Ann Clancy-Klemme, RN

My father was my greatest hero and my biggest fan all wrapped up in one. What a deal! He passed along the usual dadisms such as “boys are dumb, school events trump work schedules, lemon drops cure car sickness, taking out the garbage is the man's job, and always keep a dime in your pocket for an emergency phone call" (only moms did the accident/clean underwear lecture). With the same conviction, he shared his belief that it is important to give back what you can…..when you can. A kind and generous man who was appreciative of whomever or whatever entered his space, it was my father who taught me the value of volunteering.

Dad cut a wide swath as a volunteer. He was a spaghetti fund-raiser, a political campaigner, a delinquent youth service coordinator and a fill in bailiff, to name a few. By his own admission, his favorite gig was his 25 year stint as a hospital volunteer. I was taught that the difficulties he saw people facing made him feel sad, but that it also served as a reminder to him of how fortunate he was in his own life (he never did make mention that the hospital volunteering also served as refuge from his “retired house-husband” duties).
At any rate, I am forever grateful for the example and bar he set for me and hope someday to be able to pass along his legacy as my own.
Over the years, I have spent time in a variety of volunteer venues big and small. Predictably, the degree of commitment has been dictated by the “real life” obligations, limitations, and responsibilities of the day. The good news is that volunteer nursing opportunities come in all shapes sizes and colors. There is sure to be one that fits each individual life picture.

Of late I have had the good fortune to take a few 3 week periods away from work and family responsibilities to do volunteer nursing in Africa. In 2005, I taught trauma at the Mulago hospital in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. It was an incredible trip that left me excited for the next. My most recent trip, this past February, led me to the Kokfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana of West Africa.

The main hospital was built in 1954 and shows the strain and fatigue expected of a facility that serves thousands of people daily. This government run hospital was recently awarded funds that allowed them to build a new Emergency/ Trauma, Burn, Intensive care, and Operating Theater facility. Our volunteer team, Cardiostart International, had the daunting task of getting their new (plastic still on the fl oors) Intensive care, and Operating Theater units up and running. We not only had to learn the new (never used) equipment and unit functionality ourselves, but we had to quickly become proficient experts teaching the local Doctors and nurses these same skills. The old adage “see one, do one, teach one” took on a whole new meaning! Fortunately, the local nurses and physicians were exceedingly dedicated, bright, and willing to put in the same long hours and exhaustive energy as we were to get the job done. Say, did I mention that we were also performing/teaching open heart surgery at the same time? We did several valve repair and pacer insertions……with a little trauma education thrown in for good measure. For myself there was an additional personal learning curve. My original role on the team was that of trauma instructor. I came prepared to teach all aspects of trauma care…....my comfort zone. As is often the case on medical missions, we found the need to improvise and make do with what we had. The intended circulating nurse for the mission was a last minute no show, and I took on an additional role of impersonating said circulating nurse.

There were by the way no lengthy posting, seniority, union, or interview issues. I simply drew the short straw. Perhaps in reality, after I was on board, it was the rest of the OR crew left holding the short straw…I had a blast! I remember during one particular case looking around the operating suite with such pleasure as I watched every one of our team members: anesthesia, nursing, perfusion, and the two surgeons each intently teaching their Ghanaian counterpart. Such a powerful and yet humbling picture. How cool it felt to play a small part in this history and to know that you were leaving a valuable footprint of yourself behind. There were of course many other memorable moments from the trip with lots of candid shots as supporting evidence (will share both for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine). It really is hard to articulate or quantify the rewards I’ve enjoyed before, during and long after these volunteer nursing adventures. I have found good friends in new colleagues, given comfort across language barriers, taught trauma from my comfort zone and flown by the seat of my pants with many new found skills. I have learned that “our neck of the woods” is but a speck of the big picture, ingenuity makes unmatched/discarded equipment purr, only drink bottled water, never joke with the customs official, and clearly candy and smiling are part of a universal language. Truly, each day there is something of meaning to discover about the new world in which you have chosen to immerse yourself. In my mind, one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteer nursing is the seemingly indistinguishable blurring of the line between giving and receiving. It becomes a dance of sorts that warms the heart and feeds the soul. In some ways, the hardest part of the mission is saying good bye.

So back to reality ……..to quote M. Scott Peck “life is difficult”. We are going through some pretty stressful times these days, and our workplace is not immune to pressure and change. At times, we feel as though we are being asked to do more with less, budgets are tightening, and regulations changing. Even positive changes in our practice bring about a certain degree of stress. I often find myself playing catch up with all the new changes to standards of care and the documentation that follows (just ask my colleagues I drive them crazy with questions). With that in mind, I can imagine and appreciate that for today some may say of volunteer nursing, “it’s not for me”, “when it is a better time”, or perhaps “are you crazy?” Respectfully, might I suggest that now may be the absolute best time to volunteer? Consider this: spending time volunteer nursing what you can…… when you can…… may provide the opportunity to step back, decompress a little and remember why you wanted to be a nurse in the first place. It offers the chance to “fill the tank” so to speak with that dance of generosity and appreciation and then venture back into the “day job” with perhaps a little greater sense of tolerance, compassion and energy.

So go for it……sign up for that event, give an educational talk for a community group, or embark on that overseas medical mission that you have always wanted to do……I am willing to bet (chocolate of course) that you may find it to be one of the greatest gifts you will ever have the pleasure to give or to receive.