My name is Alicia and I have been volunteering at the University of Minnesota Medical Center's Emergency Department for a year now. The UMN Medical Center is located on East Bank of campus (picture below). It is where people go for prompt medical emergencies, so the center provides a wide range of services, including but not limited to neurosurgery, cardiology, anesthesiology, orthopedics, etc. Emergency doctors are trained to respond to a wide range of patient diseases and injuries to provide immediate care. Like in any other medical field, emergency department doctors work closely with nurses, techs, and other hospital players to provide optimal service for incoming patients.
My Work
As a volunteer, I helped by making sure all the carts were stocked, all the rooms were cleaned between patients, and answering patient calls. I did whatever the nurses and techs asked of me so that I could help them be as efficient as possible. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at the hospital. I got the opportunity to get to know many of the workers (especially the nurses and techs), what brought them to their occupations, how equipment worked, and how all the hospital workers collaborated with each other.
Positives/ Negatives
I really enjoyed getting a behind the scene peek at how hospitals functioned because it made me appreciate all the workers more. The nurses, especially, work long busy hours yet they always managed to put on a smile for their patents. Their dedication to their work was incredibly inspiring and admirable. I have no complaints about my time there, but I do wish that I could have had the opportunity to see the doctors at work more. I interacted mostly with the nurses and actually wasn't able to see the physicians very often because they were usually either working on things from their desktops or meeting with patients.
What I Learned
Even though I didn't have the opportunity to interact with the physicians as often, I still learned a lot about their roles. I saw more clearly where the duties of the nurse stopped and when the doctor would step in. I learned that the physician depended on the nurses to take care of the patients in their absence, and provide details of the patient, such as their history of medical concerns. From my experiences, the biggest take-away was how heavily the doctors relied on the nurses. This was actually a great surprise for me. I always knew that nurses were essential to patient care but I didn't realize the wide range of responsibilities they have until I started working with them. The nurses were the hands-on part of the hospital. They worked directly with the patients in every step of their visit, from checking them in, setting them up for tests and assessments, and then sending them off.
I learned a lot about myself too from my time from my time at the ED department. I learned that I like working in group settings where everyone has a role. At first it felt awkward because I wasn't quite sure what my role was. I was scared that I was getting in the way of the busy nurses and doctors. This resulted in my feeling of detachment. I felt like I didn't belong to the group and was just getting in the way of things. I often dreaded going to volunteer and watching the time turn painfully slowly. However, once I started socializing with the workers more and making myself more approachable, they became comfortable in asking me to run errands or check up on patients for them. I got to learn their names and how they came to the medical field. They were also more willing to give me valuable career advice. My openness mad me part of the team. By getting to know them better, I also got a clearer view of how hard the care providers worked. Even though the nurses work long shifts with few, if any, breaks, they would always smile radiantly at the patients and give them their full attention. It's through the nurses that I've slowly developed goals for myself: to be able to have a work ethic like them. I want to be able to have their positive attitude even if I'm faced with hectic situations. Life is never easy, but it's important to remember to look at the bright side at all times.
Advice
Overall, I would definitely recommend volunteering at the UMN Medical Center. Sometimes the busy is busy beyond belief, but at times work may be slow too. That's the perfect opportunity to get to know the health care workers around you. There's something to learn from everyone, and I definitely learned that no matter how difficult the situation gets, having a positive attitude can make any situation at least 100x better. My advice would be to make an effort to get to know those around you no matter where you end up working. Every single person out there has a story and by taking the time to exchange these stories, you create valuable connections that make your volunteer time more memorable.
