ER Volunteering

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I need some help with my decision to volunteer at ER. Im at a desk in the ER waiting room, letting people into the back if they are called up or want to see a patient already in the back. I go to go to the back to get blankets for patients, but I was mostly in the front. Not much of the clinical experience I was hoping for. The job isnt bad, Im like a bouncer. I had to drag away the ER's portable oxygen supply from a lady trying to take it with her. Just want to know if thats "good clinical experience for adcoms" other than shadowing.

 

[TRUE]

I can't speak for ADCOM's, but I would definately try to get more access in the back. Are you absolutely limited to the front? Is there no way to say you don't want that and just volunteer in the back?

 

[cardsurgguy]

Volunteers often do this kind of useless work. If you want to get clinical experience, be a PCA or PCT (ie. patient care tech, or nursing assistant).
I've worked in many areas of my hospital due to being in the Float Pool, including the ER. Even if you get to be in the back, it's still not a good experience, since at least where I work, we use the volunteers to run labs to the lab area and bring papers places. Compare this to going up to the heliport to pick up a patient, doing CPR on somebody, or participating in traumas in various other ways. This is obviously a much better clinical experience.

 

[hamhamfan]

Originally posted by Abraham
I need some help with my decision to volunteer at ER. Im at a desk in the ER waiting room, letting people into the back if they are called up or want to see a patient already in the back. I go to go to the back to get blankets for patients, but I was mostly in the front. Not much of the clinical experience I was hoping for. The job isnt bad, Im like a bouncer. I had to drag away the ER's portable oxygen supply from a lady trying to take it with her. Just want to know if thats "good clinical experience for adcoms" other than shadowing.

Try dumping trash/linens and stocking all the time.

 

[ATPase]

You might have better luck at a Children's Hospital if you're looking for more patient interaction. If you want actual hands-on medical experience (as limited as it will be), you should look into being an EMT or a nursing assistant.

 

[jlee9531]

the er volunteers my childrens hospital got to do and see alot of stuff. but i guess in adult er volunteer you gotta do what they ask you and after a while see if you can get more access in the back by asking the volunteer coordinator.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Originally posted by Abraham
I need some help with my decision to volunteer at ER. Im at a desk in the ER waiting room, letting people into the back if they are called up or want to see a patient already in the back. I go to go to the back to get blankets for patients, but I was mostly in the front. Not much of the clinical experience I was hoping for. The job isnt bad, Im like a bouncer. I had to drag away the ER's portable oxygen supply from a lady trying to take it with her. Just want to know if thats "good clinical experience for adcoms" other than shadowing.

I too volunteered in this capacity for ~6months... I decided to persue talking to some of the nurses and physicians to spend an additional couple of hours out of my volunteer time to shadow them... because they knew I wasn't some wall flower or flaky premed (I had been there for 6months) they were more than willing to oblige... that's when all the cool surgeries and operations that I have witnessed started to roll in... 2 years later, my clinical experience has been extremely fulfilling, seeing everything from the chronic to the acute... just put in the time doing the slave labor, and eventually you will get a chance to see some of the 'cool stuff'... Oh... and don't be a 'wall-flower'... i.e. don't be afraid to ask to see a procedure.

 

[vtucci]

You should definitely become an EMT. It is great experience!!! Alos, you could try volunteering as a clincal research associate in an ER- you work with clinical studies and interview patients. It can be a great experience depending on who is running it. My experience at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx has been Phenomenal!!!