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Volunteer opportunities

Maintain your license and give back to your community.

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Why and how

Volun­teering your time and nursing knowl­edge not only helps you meet the active practice require­ments needed to maintain your nursing license, but also gives back to your local communities.

The Nursing Care Quality Assur­ance Commis­sion defines ​“active practice” as engage­ment in paid, unpaid or volun­teer activity performing acts requiring a nursing license. Active practice is not limited to the provi­sion of direct patient care; the Commis­sion recog­nizes that nurses use their nursing knowl­edge in a variety of positions and roles.

Below are just a few of many oppor­tu­ni­ties within the nursing profes­sion to provide volun­teer services throughout Washington state.

Featured volunteer opportunities

Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volun­teers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their commu­ni­ties. MRC volun­teers include medical and public health profes­sionals, as well as other commu­nity members without health care backgrounds. MRC units engage these volun­teers to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabil­i­ties and build commu­nity resiliency. They prepare for and respond to natural disas­ters, such as wildfires, hurri­canes, tornados, blizzards and floods, as well as other emergen­cies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. They frequently contribute to commu­nity health activ­i­ties that promote healthy habits.

To volun­teer with your local MRC, visit https://​mrc​.hhs​.gov/FindMRC to locate the unit nearest you.


Washington Healthcare Access Alliance

Access to health care continues to be a challenge for many Washing­to­nians. Hundreds of thousands of patients don’t have access to afford­able health care, and many are served exclu­sively through the work of free and chari­table clinics. Washington Health­care Access Alliance supports the free and chari­table health care organi­za­tions that provide care for people left out of the current system.

To join the more than 2,500 chari­table clinic volun­teers across Washington state who are providing much-needed health care to under­served patients, visit https://​www​.wahealth​careac​ces​sal​liance​.org.


Volunteer and Retired Providers Program

The Washington Healthcare Access Alliance's Volunteer and Retired Providers Program eliminates primary barriers to healthcare volunteerism by covering malpractice insurance for healthcare volunteers. License renewal is also covered for volunteers who only use their license for unpaid work. The program provides coverage for non-invasive care. Non-invasive medical care includes the administration of injections, suturing of minor lacerations, and the incision of boils and superficial abscesses. Obstetric care and procedures coded as surgery are not covered under non-invasive medical care. Professionally employed healthcare professionals with site-specific malpractice insurance coverage are eligible for this benefit. Healthcare volunteers credentialed with an active or retired active license also are eligible.

For more information, visit https://www.wahealthcareaccessalliance.org/vrp-program.


Seattle/​King County Clinic

Seattle/​King County Clinic brings together health care and nonprofit organi­za­tions, civic agencies, private businesses and volun­teers from across Washington state to produce a giant free health clinic at Seattle Center. The four-day, volun­teer-driven clinic provides a full range of free dental, vision and medical care to under­served and vulner­able popula­tions in the region.

Visit https://​seattle​center​.org/​skcclinic/ for more infor­ma­tion on how you can volunteer.

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