hospital volunteering interview

[Fangfeng]

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A few weeks ago I had an interview for a volunteering position. For the most part, the conversation went well. However, the interviewer didn't seem to like one of my answers. I would appreciate if you could give me your opinion on this scenario:

Imagine that you are a volunteer at a hospital and one of the patients is an old lady who is very worried about her upcoming surgery. Your aunt has had the same surgery before. What would you do to help this patient?

I had no idea how to answer this question, so I started by saying what I wouldn't do. I explained that considering that I wasn't a doctor, it would be impossible for me to provide any opinions regarding a medical procedure. I also talked about why it was wrong to share a personal story that may affect the patient's decision. Finally, I concluded that the best thing I could do was to make sure that the patient was comfortable and that I would encourage her to talk to the doctors regarding her concerns about the surgery.

 

[deleted887473]

IMHO you overthought the question. Your goal would be to show her empathy/understanding. The patient can see that you are not a doctor and thus would not expect you to give her medical opinions or advice in the first place, and you don't have to stress over what personal story you share affecting how they perceive things. Obviously don't try to convince them of anything with anecdotal evidence or give false hopes, but telling personal stories is a good way to let the person know that you understand how they are feeling and that you stand by them. Show them understanding and support by sharing your aunt's story.

People can be worried regardless what their physicians tell them. Maybe she already expressed her concerns to her doctor and the doctor said she'll be fine but she is still worried. Only encouraging the patient to talk to the doctors, while practically helpful, does not address her immediate worries and might make her feel frustrated, as she might be telling you about her worries precisely because you are not her doctor.

 

[premeddestiny]

Imagine that you are a volunteer at a hospital and one of the patients is an old lady who is very worried about her upcoming surgery. Your aunt has had the same surgery before. What would you do to help this patient?

The way I would've approached this situation is to show empathy by listening to the patient's worries and using the personal anecdote to show that you understand aspects of the process of before and after the surgery. You don't need to fully ease the worry or even suggest a course of action; just a little reassurance and understanding goes a long way. Of course don't give medical advice or give false hope because you're not her doctor and it's ethically questionable to give a white lie.

 

[Fangfeng]

Thanks. I think doing CARS passages has turned me into a cynical person.

 

[deleted804295]

Tough Hospital Volunteer Interview. Mine consisted of me telling why I wanted to volunteer and then I wrote out my availability.

If you don't get this volunteer position don't worry about it. Apply to volunteer at other nearby hospitals and clinics! Hope all worked out!