Volunteering in the medical/surgical department at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center (PWFMC) was a rewarding and valuable experience. While volunteering, I had the opportunity to aid hospital staff in any way possible, which usually meant performing the more menial tasks that needed to be done. A few examples include stripping linens, cleaning rooms, and restocking nurse’s cabinets. Performing this type of work was gratifying for several reasons. Firstly, completing these tasks allows nurses and other staff to attend to more important duties, such as attending to patients. Lastly, it provides nurses and other staff the opportunity to take a break, if need be, during their exhausting shifts. Besides aiding hospital staff, I had the chance to regularly interact with and help patients. …show more content…
Still, more often than not, patients simply wanted someone to talk with to make the time pass in a more personable and enjoyable way. After all, most patients did not choose to be in the hospital and are generally, to some extent, afraid. They are scared because their wellbeing and happiness is at stake, and they may not fully understand their ailments; as physicians do with years of training and experience. Beyond being advised about their condition and treatment options, patients simply want to know that you sincerely care about their wellness and that they are not simply “patient #13” for the day. The most important thing I learned is that physicians need to exercise sympathy, empathy, and compassion when interacting with patients. Furthermore, I learned I possess the qualities and personality to do so if I become a
When there are volunteers in hospitals, there are certain tasks sand responsibilities that they must do in order to succeed in volunteering. Volunteers do a lot especially at Kaiser Permanente (KP) Hospital. There is certain rules and those rules must be abided by. As a volunteer at Kaiser Permanente we see what is being done and what really happens. As much as there are volunteers that volunteers there should be a limit to keeping the responsibilities to a minimum. The more responsibilities the more of abundance there will be in managing them and keeping track of who is doing position correctly and
“The contribution of volunteers results in an increase in the quality of perceived care in hospital settings (even with simple hand holding, information giving, and other non-medical services). These may be non-clinical and non-union tasks, but they provide a warm, human dimension during a difficult time for the patients and their families” (Handy, 2004, pp. 31-32). “Volunteers assist patients with prompt responses to their non-medical needs and reduce the anxieties of being vulnerable and alone-a common and significant occurrence. As hospitals grow larger and become more specialized and technologically sophisticated, the effective use of volunteers is vital in maintaining a human and personal touch” (Handy, 2004, p. 35).
Marcus Engel emphasized on communication and empathy when dealing with patients in his book, I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Patient Care. As he struggled to cope with his hospital stay, certain health care providers helped him improve his mental and physical health. He wrote about the doctors, nurses, and other health care providers he met. In his book he mentioned how the behavior and tone of health care providers impacted him. He touched on various topics such as patient privacy, care, and interaction.
As a recent graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and a new Research Technician at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, becoming more familiar with different healthcare settings and helping others in doing so have always been of my interest. From my experience of volunteering as a piano teacher for inner-city children in Baltimore, I have learnt that even a small commitment and emotional support can make a big difference in the daily lives and the happiness of those in need. I have briefly familiarized myself to the hospital environment by shadowing physicians and conducting biomedical research but have yet to translate my volunteering experiences and the lessons learnt from them to the healthcare setting. I am a friendly, optimistic,
If I were to give each of you $100 right now, wouldn’t you be happy? (Attention) Well I can’t do that. This is because even when something seems free, there is always a net financial investment. This is clearly seen through the volunteers of the hospital. Today I will show you the financial impact that a volunteer has on the hospital and patient experience. (General Purpose) We will look at the costs of running a volunteer program, the financial return volunteers provide, and the invaluable impact on the patient experience in a hospital. (Preview)
In my time volunteering at the hospital, I hope to gain many different experiences. However, there are a few main ones: adaptation through enrichment and dependability. First of all, I want to get to know and adapt to the environment of the hospital and learn how different processes work. This is a crucial part of being in the atmosphere of a clinic. Also, the experiences that I will have at the hospital will help me to understand the routines and entailments of the career I would like to pursue. I hope to become a Physician’s Assistant in the future and this will be the best way to know if it is the right position for me. This enrichment of my understanding will help guide my passion for this career path and hopefully strengthen it.
Through the many trips that my family has taken to the hospital due to various reasons, I have become fond of the hospital and its many wonders. After all the things that the medical field has done for me and my family, I decided to contribute to my local hospital to volunteer and help out those who pay visits to the hospital. Through my exposure to various clinical populations, I want to improve my ability to serve others in this capacity that can guide me towards the medical profession in the future.
In my community many people do not understand the struggles of kids with serious illnesses and the financial and mental toll it has in the parents. To have more understanding of the problem I encourage people to volunteer at hospitals to gain more knowledge about the problem.
Volunteering at Texas Health Presbyterian Plano is my way of giving back to the community while developing critical social skills, and gaining important medical field exposure along the way. It’s an opportunity to change a person’s life, including my own. I volunteered at two hospitals last summer and I’m well acquainted with what volunteering entails and would more than love to do it again. Through this hospital volunteer program, I hope to discover my own passions and talents, while also developing skills that I will utilize throughout my entire high school and college experience.
To explain briefly, spending the entire summer around the kids, staff, nurses, doctors, and hospital administration, I could see everyone there loved their jobs, appreciated their coworkers, and most importantly, valued the patients and their families. Volunteering this past summer was a life-changing experience that only motivated me to find more opportunities to grow and experience the medical
A 21-year-old female was brought in by the paramedics, briefing the team that she was found unconscious on the woman’s restroom floor. Upon arrival, she was confused and frightened as she stared at the uniformed strangers in an unfamiliar environment. As other paramedics were taking her vitals, I softly spoke to her and reassured her that she was in a safe place and she will be taken care of. By accompanying her and sharing each other’s stories, she was able to calm down as well as have her trust instilled in our team. As she went from a defensive to relaxed demeanor, I have realized that these bedside manners are what open a gateway to patient trust. Gaining patients trust was a challenging but crucial skill in order to provide strong patient care. Regardless of what she was doing at the event, our team’s focus was on her health. This mirrors the core mission statement of Rock Med, “setting the standards in non-judgemental medicine”. It is this approach that I want to apply into my career as a physician; taking the initiative by actively engaging with patient in order to bring comfort and trust in their most vulnerable time. I have seen many physicians disregard consoling patients during a time of need. It is not enough to simply treat the patient. A good physician will also bring comfort throughout the healing process, putting aside patient worries. This simple yet
I ambitiously decided that I would brighten the lives of the elderly by volunteering at a rest home, but discovered that the elderly were being neglected, shoved aside and forgotten. As I stepped into the home a pungent odor penetrated my nostrils, causing an instantaneous gagging reflex. The place was abounded with neglected and subdued inhabitants, yearning for attention. Anybody that passed them caused a sudden outburst of ranting. The negligence and disregard the home displayed appalled me, but helped me to realize that I wanted to make a difference and change the condition people live in.
Before beginning my volunteer work I faced quite a dilema. Where could I influence children, help them develop their leadership potential, educate them about agriculture, and have fun-all at the same time?
Hospitals are a great way for a medical student to serve the community as well as gain valuable experience in their future field. For this reason, I have spent around forty hours from the end of the summer up until now volunteering at HonorHealth hospital. I volunteered as a transporter, what this means is that I move equipment, medical documents and lab samples around the hospital. I also help discharge patients by pushing them in a wheelchair to their car. Through this experience I was able to make life easier on people who were vulnerable and trying to recover as well as the busy staff member who treated them. I had many interactions with people and by from this I have a better understanding of impact my service had. I will be discussing: How psychology can explain social interaction, how outside factors can influence a person 's sense of self, how behaviors and situations can help you understand a person, the importance of communication as well as focus, and the environment shapes the organization.
Whether the patient wants to discuss a tragedy in their life or their favorite television show, that conversation will be the most important thing I do during that shift. Giving of myself to others gives purpose and meaning to my job.