Reflections
As my last few weeks of volunteering at Regions Hospital are coming closer, I have noticed all that I have learned throughout the last few months. Being in the Digestive Unit, most people come in for a quick procedure and recovery, and they only usually interact with the physician and a nurse. But as a volunteer, I was able to see more of the work that is put into each patient. I was able to see that lab technicians are behind the scenes to check the skin biopsies taken from the patients. They ensure that the polyps are benign or if they are cancerous. There are nurses that are not on the floor that are the ones educating discharged patients about the conditions that they have and the best ways to treat it or avoid complications. I was even surprised to see that the nurses are the ones calling the patient’s person of contact to tell them that the procedure is done and that they can be picked up. There are also translators that will help to make sure that information is communicated correctly. Then there are front desk agents to address patients questions, make sure things are on schedule, and tell the nurse when the patient has arrived. There are more staff members involved, and each one has an important role in medicine. They all work together to make sure that the patient receives the best quality of care. Even though sometimes the patient can have a negative experience, either because of a longer wait time than expected or worse news than expected, each member of the staff are there to address these concerns. The patient experience isn’t just the procedure that they are waiting for. It includes everything from as soon as they arrive at the hospital and even after they leave the hospital while they are recovering. The doctors and nurses make sure that the patients have all the resources and information they need, filing their records, so that any future physician that the patient will have can have all the correct information to treat the patient.
Through this volunteer experience, I have learned that there is still a lot of things that I have to learn about being a part of the healthcare field. Continuing to immerse myself through these opportunities will always benefit me in that I will discover new things about the system. Everyday is different, and I need to be prepared for the best and worst situations. I have learned that even in the difficult days, with uncooperative patients or patients receiving bad news, I was not deterred from pursuing a career in the medical field. I was able to see how the staff responded and helped. Seeing everyone constantly working together and helping each other with their tasks, has convinced me more that working with a team of people who are always trying to help and heal others, is something that I want to do.
I would recommend people to volunteer at Regions Hospital. With the new Neuroscience unit, I know they are looking for more volunteers. Regions Hospital is also a big facility, and it seems as though they are always taking in more volunteers. And because it is a big hospital, there are always patients. Sometimes it is slow, but because of the flexibility, there are different units you can volunteer at on a slow day. The staff truly appreciate all that you do, and you become a part of their community. They are very kind to all their volunteers, and they make sure that you don’t feel as though you are overworked. They are also open to questions and conversation when they can. You can learn a lot from them just by asking them any question you might have about working in the medical field. This would be my advice to people to get the most out of their volunteer experience. Don’t be shy about talking to the medical staff. If you have any questions regarding the tasks you are doing, or any general question, just ask them, because they will always answer.Â













