ED Volunteering

[jb23]

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I am going to begin volunteering in the Emergency Department on Saturday from 9pm-1am. I am just curious what to expect. I decided to take EMT-B next semester so I can do some clinical hours. I already know that it is going to be a lot of keeping out of the way, but what else to ED volunteers do?

Thanks for any input!

 

[sramati]

I am currently a volunteer at the ED on base (on weekend mornings, though) and I change beds in the bay and exam rooms, run labs, wheel patients to xray, ct, ultrasound, make sure the dirty linen bins are never full, and stand around looking pretty and hopefully out of the way (weekends are quite slow where I'm at). I've been told that at some point I may need to pick up medications from the pharmacy if the need ever arises; it hasn't yet (I haven't been able to volunteer very regularly). I've also been adopted by the medics who pull me into rooms to watch neat things also. o.o
Hope this helps~

 

[Clonazepam]

I haven't started my volunteering yet either but hopoefully it all goes good. I've just been accepted by an Oncologist and an Family doc to let me shadow them so that should be pretty interesting. The Oncologist was suppose to be this week but I guess the Human Resources lady said they are short staffed so I'll probably have to wait till Feb. 🙁 Oh well, more time for volunteer work I guess.

 

[Jlaw]

I am going to begin volunteering in the Emergency Department on Saturday from 9pm-1am. I am just curious what to expect. I decided to take EMT-B next semester so I can do some clinical hours. I already know that it is going to be a lot of keeping out of the way, but what else to ED volunteers do?

Thanks for any input!

Like the other guy said- you will change sheets, run things and patients back and forth, get patients food and drinks, etc.

Do your B class somewhere that has ED clinical rotation time in addition to ride time with the medics. As an EMT student you will be assigned a nurse or PA to shadow. Most things you will just observe but they might have you help with vitals, bagging, doing compressions, etc.

Either way you'll get a feel for the ER, the patients and the type of people who work there. Good luck and enjoy it.