Is this Clinical Volunteering?

[Tsukiyo]

Would any of these count as clinical volunteering? I won't be able to "smell" the patients in any of these cases.

I did call the volunteer office to ask about clinical volunteering. The woman probably confused it with shadowing, since she told me to call the medical school attached to the hospital to get in with a department for "clinical volunteering."

Flower and Mail Delivery:
Keeping patients and families in touch with loved ones near and far, our volunteers deliver e-mail greetings, cards and flowers daily to our patients.
Patient Way-finding and Escort Service:
Providing patients and families assistance with finding their way around the medical campus, our volunteers provide calm assurance during what can be a stressful time.
Gift Shop:
Whether providing comfort items or essentials, our gift shop volunteers serve patients, families and staff members. A cheerful outlook and an interest in learning about hospital retail is all that is needed to take part in this volunteer opportunity.
Family Waiting Rooms and Lounges:
This opportunity allows the volunteer to provide comfort and therapeutic distraction for the family waiting for a loved one while in surgery or when a patient in the intensive care unit or emergency department. Assisting with way-finding, including escorting family members into the treatment areas, communicating and collaborating with hospital staff members makes this volunteer opportunity ideal for someone who really wants to make an immediate impact on the patient and family experience.

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[GoZags]

I would say no to all of those. No direct patient interaction in the clinical setting. Sry :-/

You would have to ask admissions for specifics just to be sure though

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

Sorry OP but it doesn't really sound like any of those are.🙁

 

[Tsukiyo]

But what would count as clinical volunteering? Did any of you have to go through "departments" to find a spot?

 

[venomous11]

Being around patients, from what I understand, is clinical experience. Wheeling patients for discharge, stocking rooms with IVs and medical equipment (I know, but this is usually the most clinical it would get), bringing warm blankets to patients, running down and picking up blood from labs and blood bank, talking to the patients. So, you get the idea. Try to search for possible other hospitals in the area, I'm sure there's 2-3 atleast. Also, if you could volunteer at a medical school associated/teaching hospital, the administrators might be more lenient in handing you some responsibilites. Even better yet, try to look for a trauma center in the area and see if they'll take you as a volunteer. You get to be amidst the adrenaline-rushing atmosphere and observe the most unlikely cases in the region/state.

Hope this helps.

 

[LizzyM]

Some of you may be shocked, but if you are volunteering in a role that places you close enough to smell the patient (no need to touch them), that is a clinical experience. I'd count patient escort service under that umbrella.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Patient Way-finding and Escort Service:
Providing patients and families assistance with finding their way around the medical campus, our volunteers provide calm assurance during what can be a stressful time.

I'd consider this a clinical experience. If you're interacting with patients in a clinical setting, you are learning the skills that make clinical experience a necessity for med school. Basically, can you talk to people who are sick and scared? Can you learn to be a calming and friendly presence?

A lot of pre-meds tend to associate clinical experience with procedures, like taking vital signs or suturing or checking blood sugars. That's not the point of clinical experience. Showing patients around the hospital and providing helpful information, as long as you are trying to engage the person and are able to talk to them on what may be their worst day ever, is much better than taking a blood pressure on someone you never talk to.

 

[LizzyM]

Here's what I wrote about patient transport a few years ago

Would you believe that a volunteer wheeled me out of the hospital about a month ago? I asked & he said he was "pre-pharmacy" (I didn't really believe him.). Here's what I think you can practice when transporting patients:

Attention to detail. The volunteer didn't pay much attention to my limb that was injured and managed to run into things that caused me some big time hurt. If you can't operate a wheelchair, should we trust you with other medical equipment?

Small talk. Patients are often bored to tears. If you can make some small talk about the weather or whatever (the patient hasn't been outside in awhile and might like to know what its like outside).

A willing spirit. There is a lot of scut in the hospital. Someone needs to do it. A cheerful spirit of service goes a long way in making a patients hospital stay a pleasant one.