Share Your Volunteer Experiences?

[alceria]

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Hi all. I called several local hospitals today to get information on volunteering next semester. I've decided to volunteer at the Detroit Medical Center, in Detroit Recieving Hospital. I was told that I would most likely take turns working the ER and OR. I will also be allowed to rotate to the other DMC hospitals. Most of the volunteers typically act as liasons between the doctors and patients, keeping the families updated on their loved one's condition. They also run errands, deliver lab materials, x-rays, etc. Anyway, I'm really curious to hear about everyone else's volunteer experiences. What did you do? How much clinical expeosure did you get? Which department did you work in? What's the craziest thing that happened while you were working? Did you find the staff to be approachable? I'm hoping I can befriend some doctors and get permission to shadow them for the day. Anyway, I'd just like to hear what other people's experiences have been like, so I have an idea about what to expect once I start. Thanks!

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^v^

 

[BigSkyDreams]

Howdy,

I have found that volunteering with physical therapy on the floor has opened up seeing a whole spectrum of patients. CVA, TKA, THA, cancer, ICU cases, kids, adults and elderly. Almost everybody that is in the hospital gets visited by a PT at some point.

Best of all is that you get to interact with both the physician, in person or through their orders, and patient. This is some intensive hands on stuff. Anyone that has had back surgery has a love/hat relationship with PT. Hate them for the pain, love for the encouragement.

Plus working with other members of the allied health field has given me a better perspective (I think) of how the entire healthcare industry operates. From the floor nurse to housekeeping, there are some complex relationships that I have been able to observe.

I also volunteer at a community clinic that I think has helped keep me grounded with the lack health coverage and money in this state. It's one thing to see stranges come in, and quite another to see friends and co-workers in need of medical care and limited access.

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BSD
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Work under the assumption that you will be happy one day

 

[FutureSurgical]

Volunteering in the ER at the moment at a smaller hospital that otherwise doesn't see much action. Well last week an elderly patient came in at around 4:45 a.m. Her stats were in the toilet. BP was 58/36, SpO2 was around 50% and she had a normal rhythm. She was so incoherent she couldn't tell you what year it was. I was standing there observing what was happening. The physician was charting all of her stats while the nurses were doing their work. They couldn't find any veins in her arm to draw blood so they had to tilt the table back and draw from a vein in the neck. The physician asked me to hold her head in certain positions while the nurses were drawing blood and placing an IV. I got to assist in other non-medical ways like holding small pieces of gauze on parts of the skin where they tried getting blood or plugging in equipment. I didn't do HUGE things but nonetheless, at the hospital I was in, you don't get to see this stuff every day. I really valued the experience.

 

[Aerus]

Holy necrobump...This thread is almost old enough to drive...

 

[NTheo91]

Hi all. I called several local hospitals today to get information on volunteering next semester. I've decided to volunteer at the Detroit Medical Center, in Detroit Recieving Hospital. I was told that I would most likely take turns working the ER and OR. I will also be allowed to rotate to the other DMC hospitals. Most of the volunteers typically act as liasons between the doctors and patients, keeping the families updated on their loved one's condition. They also run errands, deliver lab materials, x-rays, etc. Anyway, I'm really curious to hear about everyone else's volunteer experiences. What did you do? How much clinical expeosure did you get? Which department did you work in? What's the craziest thing that happened while you were working? Did you find the staff to be approachable? I'm hoping I can befriend some doctors and get permission to shadow them for the day. Anyway, I'd just like to hear what other people's experiences have been like, so I have an idea about what to expect once I start. Thanks!

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^v^

In my experience, you never really know what you are doing until you get there. I can't tell you the amount of times I was given a description of what I would be doing and it turned out either being 100x worse or better.

Like others have said, PT/OT was the best. You get direct patient contact and see a lot of interesting patients. I ended up being employed by a rehab dept in a major medical center so I was helping with PT and OT at the bedside for every type of patient under the sun. If you get to follow a PT around and help with rehab at the bedside, your going to be interacting with a bunch of physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, etc. I do have to warn you that it's a lot of patient contact...with emphasis on the contact (if they let you participate in the therapy, that is). If the hospital has a gym, you will likely be stuck transporting patients and wiping down equipment with alcohol wipes.

I ended up volunteering at the hospital doing the same thing I was doing when I worked, so I was always treated as a fellow employee than a volunteer. At the places I started as a volunteer, I found that people are mostly very appreciative. However, I always found that you fit in more as an employee than if you are just helping as a volunteer.

You may also want to look into volunteering in radiology. They may need help with patient transports, patient ID checks, and helping patients get into their examination gowns and to their specified waiting room.

Good luck!

 

[medicalmnt]

I was in kindergarten when this happened.

This thread was made just after bush "beat" gore...

 

[FutureSurgical]

I was in kindergarten when this happened.

This thread was made just after bush "beat" gore...

Same here man... kinda weird.

 

[Ismet]

Did I miss the memo about necrobump day? 😕

 

[Ace-Co-A]

Did I miss the memo about necrobump day? 😕

A new variety of trolling?