Hands On Experience?

[Lostinthought]

What exactly counts as hands on? I am filling out a committee letter and I wasn't sure what exactly would be best to consider when counting hours.

I volunteer for a hospice and I visit them weekly - talking to them, feeding them, helping them with any tasks they might need like washing their face/brushing their hair or helping them get into bed, but nothing of the sort like taking their blood pressures or weight. I do report any issues or health conditions they might have back to my volunteer coordinator though just to let her know. I wasn't sure if this would be able to be counted since half of the time I'm talking to them as a friend and listening to them, and the other half I'm helping.

I'm also working in ER of a hospital near me, but most of the time I make beds and just get things for patients like coffee or another blanket (I assume this wouldn't be counted).

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[LizzyM]

Are you specifically asked about "hands on" on the form?
I'd say that feeding a dying person, washing and grooming them is certainly "hands on". The ER, not so much which is why my definition (see below) is a bit different.

 

[Lostinthought]

It asks me how many hours of hands on experience I have. And thank you! Now it's just a matter of me trying to figure out how many of those hours were just talking to them and how many where I actually took care of them.

 

[LizzyM]

No, no. They aren't being that literal. Count all your hours of hospice care. You might count the time in the ED that you spent serving the patients coffee and providing blankets but not the cleaning and bed-making time if there was no patient present. Don't short change yourself.

On the typical AMCAS application, an applicant will label hospital volunteering as "volunteer clinical" with out worrying whether the service was "hands on" or not.

 

[Lostinthought]

No, no. They aren't being that literal. Count all your hours of hospice care. You might count the time in the ED that you spent serving the patients coffee and providing blankets but not the cleaning and bed-making time if there was no patient present. Don't short change yourself.

On the typical AMCAS application, an applicant will label hospital volunteering as "volunteer clinical" with out worrying whether the service was "hands on" or not.

Ahhh thank you so much for the help!