volunteer experience

[kdmf12]

I have been volunteering in a hospital for almost 2 years now. I volunteer as a messenger every fridays from 8am to around noon. I have completed over 200 hours. My duties include discharging patients, transferring meds, tools, blood, guiding visitors, and most of the time run errands for nurses. I do enjoy volunteering as a messenger, but I am concerned with my hands-on experience with patients. I have an option to go to a specific nursing department and help nurses with whatever we as volunteers can legally do. Im considering switching to oncology unit, since it is of my interest and curiousity because volunteers, at strict enforcement, are not allowed to go and deliver flowers and cannot wear perfume because of the oncology unit. I just want to know what nurses do in that unit and can anyone give me an idea of what an oncology nurse does. Thanks

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

Oncology patients are now allowed to have flowers due to the risk of infection. Chemotherapy, radiation and biotherapy treatments often result in a severe compromise of the patient's immune system. The natural germs (bacteria, fungi, etc) carried on flowers can be detrimental to an oncology patient's fragile health.

Abstaining from perfume is probably in place because oncology patients tend to experience intense nausea from their treatment. Any kind of scent--good or bad--can worsen that nausea and induce vomiting.

Oncology nurses do what most other nurses do, in the addition to giving chemotherapy and treating patients for oncology-related problems. We give a lot of blood products and closely monitor the health of our patients as oncology patients are a very fragile bunch and can crump without warning. I used to wonder if we were a regular ward or a stepdown unit based on the acuity of some patients.

Oncology is a complex, nuanced field that is constantly changing. Volunteering will be a good way to get your feet wet and learn some of the basics about it. Good luck!

[kdmf12]

Thanks for the speedy response! With what you said, I think I might try out that one. I've always wanted to have a first hand experience with patients, although I'm a bit worried about their grumpiness since as you said, they are more or less in pain. But I will still give it a shot.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

Grumpiness is part of life and there will always be grouchy/upset/angry/downright unpleasant people, and patients are no exception.

Learning early not to take it personally and carry on will benefit you both in your future career and in life in general. It's not always an easy skill to master, but it's well worth the effort.

[wonderchic24]

People can be grumpy for various reasons - pain is just one reason. You do have to separate the difference between someone being mad and someone being mad at you. Most of the time, people want to be heard and are just frustrated at their situation. I don't take it personally since even I can be crabby when I don't feel good.

I think if you are at all interested in becoming a nurse, any volunteer experience with direct patient contact will be beneficial to you. Oncology would be very interesting and provide a different patient perspective than where you are now. I love being a volunteer at my local hospital. It is a great insight into what staff does to save people's lives on a daily basis!

Good luck!

Brook

[LaceElaine]

Not every hospital volunteer program is the same so I can't tell you what it will be like for you but I can tell you what my experience was like. I volunteered in Oncology/Radiation every week for over a year. I enjoyed my time there. I only wish I could've had more hands on experience. At the hospital I volunteered at, there wasn't much for volunteers to do in that specific department. I transferred patients to other parts of the hospital every now and then. Mostly I just cleaned and tidied up the department. The closest I came to getting experience was stocking the exam rooms... Other than that, the medical staff really didn't help me much in the way of gaining experience.

I'm not saying that your experience will be anything like mine. I can tell you that you're very lucky to have gotten as much out of volunteering as you have in your current department. I wish my year and a half had been so fulfilling!