I'm finding volunteering at my local hospital useless..

[nemzy]

I've been volunteering for over 80 hours now..and it seems like i havent gotten anything out of it.

For the first few months I've been deliving schedules and doing errands for the nurses and discharging patients.

I thought i was not getting enough patient exposure so i asked the volunteer coordinator if i could get something that involved more patient interaction.

She said sure and assigned me to one of the nurse's station. However, all I have been doing was going thru each room and asking if they are Ok and if there was anything that they need like water or blankets, etc....

I don't know if I should just go into a random room and converse with one of the patients, because I really do not want to annoy them...

How are your experiences volunteering at a hospital? What can I do to optimize my volunteering experience? How do you guys interact with patients?

Thanks

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[D-Rob]

how about mental health? I've spent time on that ward, it's quite interesting. some of the patients will talk to you for hours. They also like cards- a nice old lady with schizophrenia showed me how to play cribbage.

 

[disheveled_dave]

I volunteered for 8 mos. in a recovery room. It was exciting for the first month or two, but then things got really repetitive. All I really did was restock drawers and clean beds. I would have enjoyed talking with the patients but, this being the recovery room, they were usually still asleep or in no mood to talk. I eventually decided to switch volunteer jobs, and I'm now working in the ED of a level I trauma center.

Only after switching did I realize my mistake in the last job. I remember being pretty quiet with the nurses and doctors, keeping to myself and getting the work done. This was the first time I had worked in a hospital, so I remember being kind of nervous and wanting to stay out of the way and not screw anything up. What I should have done (and what I'm doing now in the ED) is talk to as much of the staff as possible, ask questions, and watch as many procedures as I can. I'm sure I border on annoying, but the main goal of volunteering is to learn more about what you may or may not want to do. The staff knows why you're there too, and you won't learn nearly as much by keeping quiet!

Good luck!

 

[Medikit]

I got tired of filing papers after about 40 hours and this was in the position that had the "most" patient content. I stopped volunteering at hospitals and started focusing on education and I think it hurt my application.

 

[Fed Meat]

Volunteer at a Children's Hospital. Your entire time will be spent playing with little kids. During that time, nurses will come in and out and fetch them. Sometimes you'll play games with them in their rooms, and docs will come in. Some will invite you to stay if you let them know you're going to med school.

Seriously. Somebody has to keep those kids from destroying the place. There's your patient contact. 😉

 

[riceman04]

I've been volunteering for over 80 hours now..and it seems like i havent gotten anything out of it.

For the first few months I've been deliving schedules and doing errands for the nurses and discharging patients.

I thought i was not getting enough patient exposure so i asked the volunteer coordinator if i could get something that involved more patient interaction.

She said sure and assigned me to one of the nurse's station. However, all I have been doing was going thru each room and asking if they are Ok and if there was anything that they need like water or blankets, etc....

I don't know if I should just go into a random room and converse with one of the patients, because I really do not want to annoy them...

How are your experiences volunteering at a hospital? What can I do to optimize my volunteering experience? How do you guys interact with patients?

Thanks

While volunteering at Shriners Hospital, I was able to get permission to shadow surgeons on specific days, and even go into the OR with them. But I had had experience in the OR through a summer program in which I participated. Use all of your options, and if you want to gain more direct patient interaction via shadowing, then ask! All they can do is tell you no.

g luck

 

[WOLFGANG]

I volunteered for 8 mos. in a recovery room. It was exciting for the first month or two, but then things got really repetitive. All I really did was restock drawers and clean beds. I would have enjoyed talking with the patients but, this being the recovery room, they were usually still asleep or in no mood to talk. I eventually decided to switch volunteer jobs, and I'm now working in the ED of a level I trauma center.

Only after switching did I realize my mistake in the last job. I remember being pretty quiet with the nurses and doctors, keeping to myself and getting the work done. This was the first time I had worked in a hospital, so I remember being kind of nervous and wanting to stay out of the way and not screw anything up. What I should have done (and what I'm doing now in the ED) is talk to as much of the staff as possible, ask questions, and watch as many procedures as I can. I'm sure I border on annoying, but the main goal of volunteering is to learn more about what you may or may not want to do. The staff knows why you're there too, and you won't learn nearly as much by keeping quiet!

Good luck!

Dave, I disagree. Volunteering should be more about giving to others selflessly and not necessarily about your goals and ambitions. If the two can mesh, great! I work in a hospital so I know the value of volunteers. My department would seriously hurt without them. I also know how much patients appreciate a little quality time with someone truly interested in making their experience a little more pleasant or at least a little less frightening. Try being there for the patients and the overworked staff...even if things do not go along at your clip. Just my viewpoint.

 

[g3pro]

If you're not satisfied with volunteering for clinical experience, consider shadowing physicians long-term.

 

[Brain]

Try the county health department. They are majorly understaffed so you'll get to go out and do interviews and give health education talks and materials.

 

[Quynh2007]

.

 

[el_chavo]

I found myself in the same boat as you volunteering in a county er. I found that a volunteer position that gave me unique responsibilities helped because then I had a specific job other than stocking drawers. I used my bilingual Spanish skills to work in a homeless clinic as an interpreter. It was a unique experience that gained big points with the adcoms. Look at what skills you have and find something unique. The lack of responsibility also led me to get my emt and now I work in a local er. that's another option.

 

[wendywellesley]

I found myself in the same boat as you volunteering in a county er. I found that a volunteer position that gave me unique responsibilities helped because then I had a specific job other than stocking drawers. I used my bilingual Spanish skills to work in a homeless clinic as an interpreter. It was a unique experience that gained big points with the adcoms. Look at what skills you have and find something unique. The lack of responsibility also led me to get my emt and now I work in a local er. that's another option.

that's sounds like what happened to me. i was in the ER for about a month, got shafted by the residents, no one seemed approachable and i felt like a burden to the staff. i did get to shadow some, which was cool but then the residents i followed ignored me the next time i was there. there were nice parts about it though. mostly i would walk around asking people if they needed anything. if someone needed something I was there to help, locating a family member, taking their used tray away, notifying the nurse that someone needed to be adjusted in his bed, even though all those things seem minimal to you, they let the patients know that there was someone around just for their basic needs and made their stay a little bit more comfortable. from the smiles i got from the patients, i think they appreciated that.

but i didn't feel as though i was making a huge difference or learning a whole lot so i went to this mobile peds clinic in a hispanic neighborhood where i got to do a lot of translating.
moral of the story- the things you are doing at the hospital DO help and i'm sure people appreciate it. but if you are miserable, do something else. look for a smaller enviroment where you can get to know the staff and the doctors.

 

[samenewme]

...

She said sure and assigned me to one of the nurse's station. However, all I have been doing was going thru each room and asking if they are Ok and if there was anything that they need like water or blankets, etc....

I don't know if I should just go into a random room and converse with one of the patients, because I really do not want to annoy them...
Thanks

Just change ONE thing about what you do now. If they don't need water or blankets, simply ask them if they'd like some company. Assure them you have nothing more "important" to do. I've gotten a few golden moments this way, such as holding hands with a little old lady who was in pain (and didn't want more pain meds). It's a little thing, but it can mean a lot both to you and to the patients.

 

[disheveled_dave]

Dave, I disagree. Volunteering should be more about giving to others selflessly and not necessarily about your goals and ambitions. If the two can mesh, great! I work in a hospital so I know the value of volunteers. My department would seriously hurt without them. I also know how much patients appreciate a little quality time with someone truly interested in making their experience a little more pleasant or at least a little less frightening. Try being there for the patients and the overworked staff...even if things do not go along at your clip. Just my viewpoint.

You're absolutely right; I think it is very important to put others' needs above your own as a volunteer, and any volunteer that is working just because it's something "they have to do" shouldn't be there. However, I think part of the attitude of any volunteer should be an eagerness to get something valuable out of it as well. I don't see this as selfish; the knowledge that I am making a patients' experience more pleasant is valuable to me.

One reason I volunteer is because it's one of the best ways to get experience in a particular hospital setting. I would say the majority of the hospital volunteers I know are premeds trying to a) find some direction for their future careers, b) learn about a particular field, c) boost their med school applications, or all of the above.

 

[stoic]

If you're not satisfied with volunteering for clinical experience, consider shadowing physicians long-term.

i absolutely second this. i volunteered at the hospital here for about a month and it was completely useless. they really didn't need me there or have anything for me to do, so i stood around until someone needed sheets changed.

my most meaningful experiences have come from long term shadowing. i started shadowing the ER docs in my hometown on weekends i was home and during holiday breaks. that was three years ago. i still look forward to getting back home b/c it means i can spend time shadowing. if you find some physicians that you "click" with, they'll teach you everything you can absorb. it's also great for letters of recommendation.... would you rather get a generic letter signed by some volunteer coordinator or a couple of letters from physicians you know well and who have had a chance see your passion for medicine?

so get on the phone and start calling physicians in your area. you will probably strike out and be told no at least a couple times, but eventually you will hookup with someone who enjoys having your around.

 

[45408]

see if you can get a job working in an ER. If they already know you, you've got a leg up.

 

[pjm]

I've been volunteering for over 80 hours now..and it seems like i havent gotten anything out of it.

...
I don't know if I should just go into a random room and converse with one of the patients, because I really do not want to annoy them...

Getting a volunteer position is easy. Getting a lot out of it requires a lot of work on your part.

I had exactly the same opportunity you did, and I got so many experiences out of it that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it to medical school otherwise. I believe that in every interview and essay I told a story about something I had felt or learned from hanging around sick people and their caretakers.

Risk annoying some people. This is a skill you'll need often to make it in the world, and the hospital is a great place to practice. As long as you aren't doing anything obnoxious or illegal, you should test your boundaries.

Talk to the patients. Trust me, they are bored beyond belief. I personally believe that the lack of hospital entertainment hurts their recovery. They want to know about you, and they'll ask you why you're here, and this is a great time to experiment with describing why you like medicine. See what they think. Ask about what they do, or their kids, or whatever. Let them tell you about their condition, if they like. (Usually you don't need to ask -- if they want to tell you, they will, if they want to keep it private they'll talk about their pets instead.)

Talk to the nurses and nursing assistants. At times, they will be bored also. There is almost always at least one who likes to teach about what the little syringes and drugs do. Make friends, learn a few things.

Don't talk to the physicians, but follow them. They are usually trying to get in and out of the ward at maximum speed, so just follow behind at a discreet distance because sometimes they do cool stuff. Watch how they deal with nurses and patients.

Watch what the staff does on the computer terminals. The machines are really in charge, after all, and hospital medicine is all about orders and labs and numbers and schedules. Ask them what they hate about the computers, or really love. Remember, they used to use paper for everything.

Read charts. Some hospitals frown on this, but you're HIPAA certified and everyone else gets to read them, so why not you? As a the Water Carrier for the Ward you are now Involved in the Patient's Care, so check out how those charts work. Try talking to a patient, and then reading the chart. I once got totally conned by a lady who insisted she had some sort of tumor. After talking for half an hour and sympathizing with her, I read the chart and found that she's totally making it up. Apparently the patient used to have a hospital roommate with a tumor, and she decided one day that she would have one too. I didn't feel angry or anything -- we did have a nice conversation, after all. I just thought it was funny, and how I never would have known without a peek in the big green binder.

Notice that "wait for someone to tell you to do something" isn't on the above list. Go out, have fun, and hospital volunteering will help teach you if you really want to be part of the crazy medicine business.

Also, 80 hours is a lot - I did this instead; three volunteer activities at once, spread like so:
1) 4 hours/wk monday evenings, hospital ward (what I discuss above)
2) sporadically I'd spend about 2-6 hours in a pathology lab. I'd do what the residents were doing, and sometimes do stuff with the attendings. Pathology is an interesting place to volunteer because you can touch and feel Real Patient Stuff even though you're not a medical student or MD. Also, everyone has plenty of time to talk & teach.
3) about two or three weekends a month I'd work in a free clinic for six hours.

Adding more hours didn't really enhance my decision to pursue medicine. Your mileage may vary.

I also highly recommend MD shadowing. It is also useful for informing your decision, but in a different way.

 

[kcnic]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this or not, but perhaps you can ask if you can get some shadowing time in exchange for volunteering at the hospital. I volunteer in a clinic, and the physicians will let me shadow them after I've put in my volunteer time.

 

[Fusion]

my faculty advisor actually told me that if I hadn't already dedicated my summer to helping disadvantaged/at-risk youths in Arkansas (i was raised there for a couple of years) that she recommended (since I really want to be double board certified in peds and psych, ambitious i know) the children life department of hospitals (i know syracuse has one. any place with a great nursing school should have one she says) and that you pretty much get to do a lot of the social worker/therapy deal with the children patients, so if you are really interested, just look into that.

Actually, your volunteer opportunity in Arkansas is probably more valuable and appealing to adcoms than you may think. It may not be clinically related, but it will be a great life experience, will give you more perspective, and demonstrates a willingness to help people. I have extensive clinical exposure and patient contact experience (I have worked in hospitals for several years), which definitely helped me to get interviews. But I think my experiences volunteering in underserved communities helped me to prove that I have a true desire to help people and contribute to society.

As far as hospital volunteering goes in general, you really have to be proactive as a volunteer and seek out your own opportunities. Shadowing doctors is usually a more valuable and efficient way to get some healthcare exposure. A combination of shadowing and volunteering in the community would provide balance in an applicant's profile in addition to some possible topics of conversation during interviews.

 

[LJoo83]

being in the hospital as a patient is a scary experience. you have no idea what's going on, you have people coming in and out doing labs, giving meds, taking x-rays, etc., and sometimes the medical staff can't sit around to comfort the patients because of time stressors. it is incredible how busy nurses are, and how the new school of nurses don't have time to sit around and chat as the old school did. as a volunteer, you have the opportunity to come into their room as a friendly face that doesn't need anything from them but are there to serve them.

definetly take the time out of your day to converse with the patients. the demographic of patients in hospitals are usually around the ages of 55-100--and I've found the older patients are so friendly and easy to talk to, joke around with, etc.

also, observe those patients that don't have visitors/cards/flowers--those are usually the patients whose kids live far away and/or their spouse has passed away recently. i'm sure they would love to have someone show that they care.

talking with patients is actually quite the educational experience. ask them about their medical history--patients in the technology age know a lot about their diagnosis. learn your communication skills--i have observed countless doctors that are horrible communicators that leave the patient and family more confused, worried, and distraught after a doctor has been in their room.

 

[mr962000]

For a long time I volunteered in the ER of a local hospital...As a volunteer I was not permitted in the actual unit. I sat outside and basically greated patients as they entered the ER. Often distressed, anxious, and quite sick, these patients needed guidance (to the waiting room, triage, etc.). Eventhough all I did was direct traffic, I learned quite a bit from my time in the ER.

However, after a few years of directing traffic and fetching ice, I decided to get my nursing assistant certification over a winter break (only a two week course classroom and clinical). It was best thing I could have done. While the pay is not great, I was able to get inside. I currently work in the ICU and love it. I now know all the ins and outs of hospital politics. I both participate in patient care as well as converse with infinite numbers of nurses, doctors, and the like. In addition, I have officially overcome any possible fears of blood, guts, excrements, other misc body fluids, and death. I strongly encourage getting some sort of clinical certification so you can begin to work within the system.

Though you should continue to volunteer for misc. causes. While I do work for pay at the hospital, I volunteer for numerous charities with fundraising etc.

 

[VFTW]

She said sure and assigned me to one of the nurse's station. However, all I have been doing was going thru each room and asking if they are Ok and if there was anything that they need like water or blankets, etc...

I don't know if I should just go into a random room and converse with one of the patients, because I really do not want to annoy them...

How are your experiences volunteering at a hospital? What can I do to optimize my volunteering experience? How do you guys interact with patients?

Thanks

you're not in medical school so what do you expect? to be doing blood draws? beyond asking if the patient is comfortable or chatting with them, you really have no place doing anything further with the patient.

 

[VFTW]

I'm sure I border on annoying, but the main goal of volunteering is to learn more about what you may or may not want to do.

and imagine, i thought it was to help people 😕

shadow a doc if you want to figure out if you like medicine, don't "volunteer."

 

[afr0dite01]

Volunteering is not about you. Its about helping other people. Sometimes you help the patients and sometimes you help the nurses, who are amazing people. Theres not much you're going to be able to do but I bet if you talk to some of the aides, LPN and techs, they will be more than willing to let you help with at least some of the patient care. I work as an aide and although its not the most pleasant job, its one of the most rewarding because of talking to the patients. Also most of the nurses where I work know that Im going to med school and are willing to teach me things like about different breath sounds.

One last thought. I think the reason schools emphasize volunteering is that they want to see if you like helping people for no money before you start getting paid because really whats the difference. And also, I've always looked at it that you have to start somewhere in your career and I've started from one of the lowliest positions and I think it has helped me because I have a better understand of how things work in the hospital and a better appreciation for all the hard work the personel, especially the nurses, put in.

 

[45408]

they want to see if you like helping people for no money before you start getting paid because really whats the difference.

What's the difference? I wouldn't have been able to pay my tuition, that's the difference. I was just scraping by and working my ass off to make my last tuition payment this semester. The impression I got from the admissions director I talked to was that they're most interested in clinical experience - and he said it didn't matter if it was paid or volunteer.

 

[afr0dite01]

What's the difference? I wouldn't have been able to pay my tuition, that's the difference. I was just scraping by and working my ass off to make my last tuition payment this semester. The impression I got from the admissions director I talked to was that they're most interested in clinical experience - and he said it didn't matter if it was paid or volunteer.

Im sorry you have to worry so much about it. However, volunteering is one way to get experience. There are other avenues that give you different kinds of experience and get paid for it. I've had friends that even worked as pharmacy techs to get some sort of medically related experience. People should volunteer because they want to help not because itll look better on an application, even if that is a positive side of it. I think it teaches you more humility than clinical experience personally. You would def get more clinical experience through shadowing.

 

[DianaLynne]

Dave, I disagree. Volunteering should be more about giving to others selflessly and not necessarily about your goals and ambitions. If the two can mesh, great! I work in a hospital so I know the value of volunteers. My department would seriously hurt without them. I also know how much patients appreciate a little quality time with someone truly interested in making their experience a little more pleasant or at least a little less frightening. Try being there for the patients and the overworked staff...even if things do not go along at your clip. Just my viewpoint.

Nicely said! Volunteering is really about doing work that needs to be done, that frees up staff to do more of their job. But yes, you're right about making your presence known. Make sure they know that you're premed and want to learn while your there. When I started volunteering at our ICU, the nurses found out about my plans and often encouraged me to come watch them in action. However, usually there are some HIPAA restrictions about where you can be. The best thing about my volunteer experience was that it led to me being hired in the unit, so I got even more patient contact, helped on more procedures, and every now and then get to test blood sugar or DC an arterial line.

Hang in there, volunteering is good stuff. Certainly make sure you get an opportunity to have contact with patients, but you're going to learn a lot just by asking questions, eavesdropping, and watching.