5 places where nurses can volunteer over the holidays

Nurses have a special set of skills — including medical knowledge and building rapport with others — that make them ideal volunteers during the winter holiday season.

» RELATED: How volunteering can help your nurse career (and where to start)

If you're a nurse and are looking to volunteer in and around Atlanta, you'll find plenty of volunteer opportunities that are temporary and ideally suited to your abilities. And if you find one that's a great fit and you have the time to keep volunteering, you'll probably find that organizations are more than happy to have your help.

Here are five volunteer opportunities for nurses around the holidays:

Hands on Atlanta

Rather than providing volunteer opportunities for one organization, Hands on Atlanta serves as a portal that connects volunteers from various nonprofits.

You can choose an area of interest — such as health and wellness, seniors, and youth and family services — to see what opportunities are available. The list is also searchable by zip code, so you can look for something that's not too far from your home or workplace. Project information for each opportunity has all the details you'll need, including hours required, what your duties will be and a link to sign up.

Hospice Atlanta

When you think about volunteering with Hospice Atlanta, visiting with patients in their homes probably comes to mind. Volunteers are needed in this area, but the organization also has several other ways to help.

You can take care of a hospice patient's pet by providing tasks such as walking their dog, pet sitting, grooming or changing a litter box. You can also assist Hospice Atlanta's bereavement team by calling loved ones or helping with support services after a patient has died. And if you enjoy public speaking, you can give presentations about health care topics.

» RELATED: Where you and your family can volunteer in Atlanta for Thanksgiving

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross depends on volunteers — many of whom are nurses and other health care professionals — to fulfill its mission and provide services.

Volunteers help promote blood donations, assist with blood drives and deliver blood. Others help with disaster response, including house fires, and educate individuals and groups on how to prepare for a disaster before it strikes. Nurses can also teach community classes on CPR and first aid and staff special events throughout the year.

Bert's Big Adventure

Bert's Big Adventure provides ongoing support as well as a trip to Disney World for children with chronic and terminal illnesses and their families. The organization has several opportunities for volunteers, including becoming a Fairy Godparent and providing a daily visit to a child who's in a hospital that partners with Bert's Big Adventure. You'll need to commit to four visits a year.

You can also join the Magic Squad and help with events and fundraisers or share some of your skills with staff and/or families at your home.

» RELATED: To Disney and beyond: How Bert's Big Adventure helps families build lifelong connections

Atlanta Track Club

The Atlanta Track Club hosts many events throughout the year, and the holidays are no exception. For example, the Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5K, One Mile and 50m Dash needs over 1,200 volunteers. You can help at a hydration station, help runners in need of medical attention get to the medical tent and more.

In addition, many communities host 5Ks and other runs around the holidays, so they may also need volunteers.