"Never do a job for free." This was one of the first responses I got when I shared that I would be spending my summer volunteering at my local hospital in the pediatrics department. I laughed at this! I was beyond excited to start helping in a hospital setting. With dreams of being a physician, volunteering was the perfect way to get a glimpse into my (hopefully) future profession and to feel more comfortable in a hospital setting.
After I signed up, I was asked to come in for an interview. This caught me off guard. I thought that if you wanted to volunteer, this giant hospital was gladly going to take you under their wing. It never occurred to me it would be competitive. At my interview, I was asked if I had previous experience volunteering in the medical field. I said, "No. There always seems to some sort of circular reasoning- that you need experience before you can get experience." And it's true! But by my lucky stars, I was able to walk through the hospital doors the next week with an official student volunteer badge.
At first, it was awkward. I didn't know how to answer or where to direct patient questions. I didn't know any of the names of the nurses, doctors,or specialists. I had absolutely no idea where to find anything. It was almost eerie the first time I walked in. The only noise was from the nurses' typing on their computers, not even a baby crying! This is Pediatrics we are talking about! I didn't want to interrupt anyone from their work, so I just walked around silently confused, but none the less, trying to do something productive. The smell of the disinfecting wipes was overpowering and nauseating. The sweet unit coordinator finally took pity on me and showed me the ropes. Thanks to her, I no longer answered questions with, "Uh..." and was able to access the rooms I needed to. I was shy and nervous when I first arrived, and I wondered how I was going to handle the silence every week.
The next time I clocked in was completely different. Immediately, I was pushed towards two little boys that were adorned with "fall risk" bracelets. "Here, you have friends!" they said before I could even put my belongings away. That day I learned how to safely watch over an energetic toddler that didn't know about the IV machine he was attached to. Shortly after, I rocked a screaming baby with three tubes in her tiny body. I even stopped a little boy from running out of the hospital while his mom picked up his prescription! I was so busy that I didn't realize the next volunteer arrived to kick me out! Every day after, was uniquely amazing. I held one of three sleeping baby triplets, and made foam block castles with kids in the playroom.
Week after week, I found myself leaving happier. I enjoyed looking professional and wearing my badge like I was someone important. Disinfecting toys and tables wasn't just that; it was protecting sick patients from disease! I was practically saving lives! (I'm kidding!) I learned that pharmacy technicians wore ceil blue,;the phlebotomy staff wore Caribbean blue; housekeepers wore royal blue; and hospital nurses wore navy. That was a lot of blue for me when I first started!
By the end of my experience, I was putting together patient registration, admittance, and discharge booklets. I knew how to make IV starter kits too. Each contained one tegaderm, a chloraprep, two alcohol preps, a 5x5' extension, a 2x2 gauze square, one tourniquet and a cotton ball. If those words sound foreign to you, they once did to me, as well. Now I know what these items are and what they do! I eventually could recognize what patient was in the room based on the smell! Babies had a very distinct smell, so I'd tiptoe a little quieter into those rooms. I knew the difference between code pink, code blue and code speed. CaviWipes became a comforting, clean smell, not the harsh disinfectant that first stung my nose.
This was my first, professional volunteering experience and it was wonderful. I loved feeling like I was actually helping people! My walk to the hospital from the parking lot was even something I enjoyed. I think volunteering was special to me because it made me feel like I was of good character. It wasn't work; I didn't mind not being paid. With the added bonus of being in a hospital, I gained experience and some great memories. I'll miss the playroom that I once crazily cleaned, and I'll miss the nurses that were once strangers. Because of volunteering, I'd consider my summer well spent.
