Why does the book cart get such a bad rap?

[pillowsnice]

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I'm volunteering in the hospital pushing around the activities cart and find it pretty meaningful. Why do people not think this counts as clinical volunteering?

 

[Spector1]

I think the point of clinical volunteering is twofold. Both to see what medicine actually is in practice and to have meaningful patient interactions. I am not sure if this satisfies either of those goals.

 

[wasteofspace323]

pretty meaningful

This word lost all meaning on this forum years ago, but I feel you have effectively performed the final desecration.

 

[candbgirl]

It may not allow you to see what medicine actually is in practice but I do think if you are good at what you are doing you can have plenty of meaningful patient interactions. I imagine for some of those you visit you might be the only visitor they have during the day. If you talk to the patient and help them with an activity or help them pick out a book I'm sure you bring some happiness to the patients you visit. As you get more familiar with the hospital maybe you can talk to your supervisor about getting involved in more clinical stuff. But as long as you like what you are doing good for you.

 

[bc65]

Every experience is what you make of it. If you take time to talk to the patients, ask them if they want to talk, ask if there's anything else you can do for them, etc, you will have meaningful interactions and learn how to talk to patients. That's much of what you do as a physician. You have to learn to walk into a room to meet a patient for the first time, engage them in conversation, and give them a reason to trust you and open up to you. Pushing the book cart will also get you comfortable in the hospital environment, you'll learn who's who, and you'll have an opportunity to visit all the various wards.

Anyone disparaging that experience doesn't have a clue. Some people think that if they stand around in the ER they're saving lives.

 

[pillowsnice]

I think the point of clinical volunteering is twofold. Both to see what medicine actually is in practice and to have meaningful patient interactions. I am not sure if this satisfies either of those goals.

Why? I talked to a patient for two hours the other day after she picked out her favorites books. She told me about her condition, her family, how long she's been in the hospital, what she thinks makes a good doctor..its better than my other volunteer experience changing bed sheets and giving people blankets

 

[pillowsnice]

Every experience is what you make of it. If you take time to talk to the patients, ask them if they want to talk, ask if there's anything else you can do for them, etc, you will have meaningful interactions and learn how to talk to patients. That's much of what you do as a physician. You have to learn to walk into a room to meet a patient for the first time, engage them in conversation, and give them a reason to trust you and open up to you. Pushing the book cart will also get you comfortable in the hospital environment, you'll learn who's who, and you'll have an opportunity to visit all the various wards.

Anyone disparaging that experience doesn't have a clue. Some people think that if they stand around in the ER they're saving lives.

I stood around the ER and didn't get to see anything since volunteers were only allowed to give blankets and pillows..so I switched to the cart

 

[pillowsnice]

It may not allow you to see what medicine actually is in practice but I do think if you are good at what you are doing you can have plenty of meaningful patient interactions. I imagine for some of those you visit you might be the only visitor they have during the day. If you talk to the patient and help them with an activity or help them pick out a book I'm sure you bring some happiness to the patients you visit. As you get more familiar with the hospital maybe you can talk to your supervisor about getting involved in more clinical stuff. But as long as you like what you are doing good for you.

What would you count as more clinical stuff? I mean they wouldn't allow us to do anything on the patients such as vitals.

 

[Lawpy]

I'm volunteering in the hospital pushing around the activities cart and find it pretty meaningful. Why do people not think this counts as clinical volunteering?

I think I did something similar when I volunteered. Rather than thinking of how it is helpful for me, I just think of how it's meaningful/helpful for others and I do what I can to contribute to the overall hospital environment. I mean, I'm reducing the burden of someone's workload, so that's a plus.

 

[bc65]

I stood around the ER and didn't get to see anything since volunteers were only allowed to give blankets and pillows..so I switched to the cart

If I read an application in which someone wrote that they switched from volunteering in the ER to book cart because it gave them a more meaningful experience with patients, I would be more impressed than someone telling me about all the CPR and traumas they saw in the ER . That is, assuming they were telling the truth, and yes, we can probably tell the difference on the application, and definitely in an interview.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Because you might actually accomplish something.

True volunteering should be pointless and migraine-inducing.

 

[Catalystik]

I'm volunteering in the hospital pushing around the activities cart and find it pretty meaningful. Why do people not think this counts as clinical volunteering?

The way you're doing it, it "counts" just fine.

 

[pillowsnice]

If I read an application in which someone wrote that they switched from volunteering in the ER to book cart because it gave them a more meaningful experience with patients, I would be more impressed than someone telling me about all the CPR and traumas they saw in the ER . That is, assuming they were telling the truth, and yes, we can probably tell the difference on the application, and definitely in an interview.

Thanks, this is encouraging. I thought I may have taken a step backwards in doing the cart, but I think it provides a great service to the patients who are lonely and been sitting in a bed all day. Often times, patients tell me that I am the first person that day who took the time to sit down with them and just listen. I never had this sort of interaction in the ER (probably since I couldn't offer them anything useful and so didn't want to talk to me), and this is why I decided to switch.