I just started volunteering at a hospital near my university in the surgery department. My primary function is to bring sterilized equipment into the OR. This is a far superior role to me than, say, bringing blankets and ice to people in the ER. I got to be in the OR for a few minutes on a few different surgeries today and I'm told they will assist me in getting shadowing with some of the surgeons. All of this sounds great to me but it's going to stink if it isn't considered clinical. I'm in somewhat close proximity to patients but the patients are under anesthesia.
Any way to count this as clinical?
- Thread starter lowkeyy
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deleted1144871
I would be very careful describing the role as "superior" to other hospital volunteering. That's just because the word superior when used to describe yourself vs other people just gives me a bad vibe.
To me, your volunteering is not clinical since you are primarily transporting equipment. The shadowing would be clinical since you are primarily observing patient interactions. If you want your volunteering to be undeniably clinical, you could ask if you can have a different role in the OR that is more clearly clinical. For example, bringing blankets and sitting with patients in preop.
To me, your volunteering is not clinical since you are primarily transporting equipment. The shadowing would be clinical since you are primarily observing patient interactions. If you want your volunteering to be undeniably clinical, you could ask if you can have a different role in the OR that is more clearly clinical. For example, bringing blankets and sitting with patients in preop.
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Are you close to patients? Yes, you are. It doesn't matter if they are conscious or unconscious. Volunteering in the hospital is clinical unless you are stuck in the gift shop.
Use your proximity to physician-providers to get some shadowing with surgeons and anesthesiologists and then use those connections to network with primary care providers.
Use your proximity to physician-providers to get some shadowing with surgeons and anesthesiologists and then use those connections to network with primary care providers.
You’re right, I should have said preferred instead as that is what I meant. I realize that no volunteer role is superior to another. Thank you for your reply.
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deleted1144871
You're all good! I just wanted to give you a heads up in case you write about this activity in your secondary essays or something.
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It's clinical, but perversely, it's also not patient contact. If anything, it's shadowing.
The bolded telegraphs that you don't wish to work with people, but rather, on them.
