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Why Linda Albertson Chooses To Be a Volunteer Nurse
 Linda Albertson’s inspiration for entering the field of nursing still makes her laugh.
“I liked the spiffy look of the white uniforms they wore,” she confesses. “Of course, I wanted to help people, too, and all that.”
Forty-four years later, she’s still at it.
After graduating from Columbia Union College in 1964, Linda served her community professionally as a nurse for many years. However, when she and her husband moved from Illinois to Florida in 2000, she decided it was time to retire.
“We moved to Florida, and I just never went back to work,” she says.
By the time Linda and her husband moved to Collegedale in 2005, Linda longed to make use of her talents through volunteering in some way. She was excited when she saw a call in her church newsletter for volunteer nurses at the Samaritan Center.
“I thought, ‘I’m retired. I’m a nurse. Why not?’” she remembers.
Linda didn’t regret her decision. At the Samaritan Center, she found a relaxing atmosphere where for two hours each week she could help people by taking blood pressures and answering the health questions of shoppers, clients, and bystanders.
Often her task is relaxing and routine.
“Then there are those other times when you discover that someone has a really high blood pressure,” she says, “times when you tell them they need to go to a doctor immediately, or they might have a stroke or something worse. It’s times like those you feel like you’re really making a difference.”
After Linda finishes manning her post, she always tries to browse the stores and snag a few bargains. “To help sustain the economy,” she says with a wink.
Though it doesn’t involve spiffy uniforms, Linda says that she would highly recommend the world of volunteer nursing to anyone.
“Go for it,” she urges. “The hours are good (since you choose your own), and since the pay is heavenly, it’s out of this world.”
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