Weee - just finished my first volunteer shift!

[lainey234]

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I just had my first vounteer shift at the hospital. 6-10 pm at the ER. I wish I could say it was super exciting and that I'm totally pumped about my career plans, but unfortunately it was a slow night. Instead, I just felt like the worlds oldest candy striper 😛

 

[JourneyRn-MD]

lol your exciting nite will come. hospital work is like that- some days it is dead as can be, others you are running around like a chicken with your head cut off!!

I just had my first vounteer shift at the hospital. 6-10 pm at the ER. I wish I could say it was super exciting and that I'm totally pumped about my career plans, but unfortunately it was a slow night. Instead, I just felt like the worlds oldest candy striper 😛

 

[JohnnyOU]

I spent 1.5 yrs volunteering in a local ER and it was NOTHING like the tv show. 🙂

Mostly I was an errand boy.

Most exciting thing I did was hold up a 500 pd guy's fat flab while the urologist inserted the cathedor. Took 20 minutes... 🙁

 

[DrHuang]

I spent 1.5 yrs volunteering in a local ER and it was NOTHING like the tv show. 🙂

Mostly I was an errand boy.

Most exciting thing I did was hold up a 500 pd guy's fat flab while the urologist inserted the cathedor. Took 20 minutes... 🙁

haha same here...i was the errand boy...but I did get to see and do some pretty cool stuff (though it was rare)

 

[JourneyRn-MD]

be thankful it wasn't a cath insert on a woman with said flab with multiple holes down there and u putting it in!! <--- totally not the part of my job that i like : / lol

I spent 1.5 yrs volunteering in a local ER and it was NOTHING like the tv show. 🙂

Mostly I was an errand boy.

Most exciting thing I did was hold up a 500 pd guy's fat flab while the urologist inserted the cathedor. Took 20 minutes... 🙁

 

[FrkyBgStok]

holy crap. weird I just got done finishing my first day in PEDS. and i am def a candy striper.

 

[TacoStand]

I've spent >1.5 years at one ER and ~8 months at another ER. Many nights are slow, but I've also seen some really cool stuff.

Just work hard, smile, and look for opportunities to see things. On some slow nights, I make it a point to try something new - talk to a Hispanic patient or family member, observe a doctor take a history on a "non-emergent" patient, etc.

 

[mj1878]

I just had my first vounteer shift at the hospital. 6-10 pm at the ER. I wish I could say it was super exciting and that I'm totally pumped about my career plans, but unfortunately it was a slow night. Instead, I just felt like the worlds oldest candy striper 😛

I was an ER volunteer too, and yes, there's a lot of boring to be had. However, once I realized that you can make your own excitement, I had a lot more fun. For example, they usually don't mind you standing in the background and watching a code blue or a trauma if it comes in. Also, if you explain that you're premed to the physicians, they'll let you watch them do procedures, if you ask nicely. Also this is a great way to get to know physicians (you know, for the LORS). Start small, like asking if you can watch them do sutures, and then start trolling the board looking for more interesting stuff. Trust me, they'll let you watch a lot more than you ever thought possible!

 

[bubbleyum]

i spend my saturdays at a local er too. sometimes i get to see cool stuff. most of the times i am cleaning out beds and stocking supplies. which is fine too, i don't mind. i just don't like standing around doing absolutely nothing all day.

the one thing i really REALLY don't like, is feeling like i am "in the way" or nurses being rude to me. last saturday i asked a nurse who was just peeling off labels from the er clipboards(about 20 of them) if she would like for me to do that instead. instead of just saying "oh, that's all right. i can do them." she glances at me, looks down, and says "NO, i actually DON'T." in a totally rude way. i don't understand it. normally i would chalk it up to her just having a bad day and taking it out on me. unfortunately, i've noticed a lot of nurses being this way, it's not an isolated incident!

 

[zimmie256]

I've done some ER volunteering, and I'd agree, once the physicians get to know you, they'll let you watch a ton of things. I also did some volunteering doing escort, which was pretty cool cuz you got to go all over the hospital and see all sorts of things.

 

[lainey234]

Of course this was just my first night but I didn't notice any nurses being rude. Most were fairly friendly at first but then they just talked amongst themselves. The docs on the other hand pretended I didn't even exist - never even bothered to say hello or even look in my direction for that matter. I am hoping that will change as well, but not much of a first impression. By far the worst part was that not a single person, nurse doc or otherwise had a single solitary thing for me to do.

 

[mj1878]

Of course this was just my first night but I didn't notice any nurses being rude. Most were fairly friendly at first but then they just talked amongst themselves. The docs on the other hand pretended I didn't even exist - never even bothered to say hello or even look in my direction for that matter. I am hoping that will change as well, but not much of a first impression. By far the worst part was that not a single person, nurse doc or otherwise had a single solitary thing for me to do.

Well you can't expect a busy ER physician to seek out all the new faces and say "hello"; especially to a volunteer who really has little to do with the physician's day-to-day work load. Make first contact. Go up to them, introduce yourself as a premedical student, and tell them that you'd be thrilled if you could sit in on some procedures if it wouldn't be too much trouble. Take initiative; don't expect them to make all of the effort.

 

[lainey234]

Well you can't expect a busy ER physician to seek out all the new faces and say "hello"; especially to a volunteer who really has little to do with the physician's day-to-day work load. Make first contact. Go up to them, introduce yourself as a premedical student, and tell them that you'd be thrilled if you could sit in on some procedures if it wouldn't be too much trouble. Take initiative; don't expect them to make all of the effort.

Very good points, until you consider that it is a very small community hospital, a very slow night and the Dr was actually standing next to me as I was being introduced! 😍

 

[thirdunity]

How did you guys find this stuff? I'm looking into volunteering, but my local hospitals don't let volunteers actually do *anything* other than sit behind a desk.

 

[pokey83]

I remembered those days...i worked at an ER for about a year myself. ACtually i started as a volunteer and the same night they asked me if i wanted to work as an TECH....i was like hell yea....got very lucky.
I have done all those catheter things and holding flab....but there are days i didn't realize my 12 hr shift was over. Just running left and right....up to different floors for "codes" and outside for ambulances...just crazy.
I have admit i did get to see some crazy stuff and actually do some of it too....once you work there for some time...doctors seems to help you out and let you do more stuff. If you tell them you want to go into medicine they will really help you out....atleast that is what i got.
They taught me about suturing...sticking catheter with steel rods in lung cavity to release build up of fluid....just amazing stuff.
TOO BAD all that experience to waste....going to pharmacy school. Their comments about how much they work and they miss out on family....changed my mind. They actually said i should do dental....lots of money and 8 hr shifts or whatever you want.
I have to say though working in ER is amzing......it can go from being slow and smooth to just hectic in just a few seconds.....loved it!!!!!!!

 

[bubbleyum]

I remembered those days...i worked at an ER for about a year myself. ACtually i started as a volunteer and the same night they asked me if i wanted to work as an TECH....i was like hell yea....got very lucky.
I have done all those catheter things and holding flab....but there are days i didn't realize my 12 hr shift was over. Just running left and right....up to different floors for "codes" and outside for ambulances...just crazy.
I have admit i did get to see some crazy stuff and actually do some of it too....once you work there for some time...doctors seems to help you out and let you do more stuff. If you tell them you want to go into medicine they will really help you out....atleast that is what i got.
They taught me about suturing...sticking catheter with steel rods in lung cavity to release build up of fluid....just amazing stuff.
TOO BAD all that experience to waste....going to pharmacy school. Their comments about how much they work and they miss out on family....changed my mind. They actually said i should do dental....lots of money and 8 hr shifts or whatever you want.
I have to say though working in ER is amzing......it can go from being slow and smooth to just hectic in just a few seconds.....loved it!!!!!!!

hmmm, maybe you shoulda stayed with med and gone into er. no on call, no beeper!