Did anyone ever feel at home when they first went to the hospital?

[cicatrixx15]

I have always kind of felt like a hospital as homey. I know that sounds kind of weird. The first time I really remember going to the hospital was when my family found out my dad had a brain tumor and was rushed to have emergency surgery that same day at the hospital. We stayed at the hospital all night because it was a really long surgery. After that, he was in ICU for awhile, and it felt like we were always there. We took him to chemotherapy treatments and radiation. We were always in doctors offices.

After my dad passed away, I changed what I wanted to be from a meteorologist to a nurse or a doctor. I just felt at "home" in a hospital setting. When I got to high school, I was fortunate enough to be in a high school that had medical classes, with a "lab" of sorts with a few hospital beds. I took all the classes they offered and then I had knee surgery, and then again, and again, and again. My doctor told me that I would be better in a sit down job, so I decided to do medical transcription instead. It's just not the same. Then I had more knee surgery, and then a final 6th time. Now I am back in school and should be in the nursing program in the fall. I might have to have knee surgery again, because I'm having a lot of pain. Screw this meniscal allograft (2nd try). It has already ripped once!! Dare it rip again???? Anyway, I don't care. I really, really want to work as a nurse!

Anyway, that was kind of a rant, but just wanted to write for a minute:P Wish me luck:)

[RhiaRN75, RN]

Yep, the hospital is homey to me. My Mom's a nurse, so it's not like I just happened to wander in and felt the click. I read my mom's nursing books as a kid, grossed my friends out with the dermatology pictures, heard her stories, and a good portion of how I exist is influenced by the osmosis of all things medical, good and bad.

I hated going grocery shopping- picking up a carton of milk took at least an hour. Mom either worked with or took care of almost everyone we ran into. Everyone would end the conversation with "...and is this your daughter? I bet you want to be a nurse just like your mommy, don't you honey?" No, I want to get the milk and go home to pee. That's how I developed the fabled nurse's bladder. As a child- waiting for my Mom to finish her shift, finish her shopping because she's talking about her shift, or finish talking to the sweet old people about how they've been doing while the milk assumes room temperature.

In HS, I once waited until the last minute to write a term paper for science. Literally, the night before it was due I had no subject, no refrences, and no one to blame but myself. No internet back then, either. Mom's a nurse, I can't fake being sick, that never worked. I happened to notice that one of my Mom's nursing journals had a cover story about ACS. Hmmmmm. I pulled out a few of her textbooks- yep. They discuss this cardiac thing quite a bit. Cool. A few more minutes of rummaging produced several other 'refrences', right there in my living room, even. Look at all those impressive words! Excellent. I made an A. My teacher told me it was so nice that I wanted to be a nurse just like my mom. In reality, I didn't want to be grounded for waiting until the last minute.

In my teens everyone told me I needed to be a nurse, just like my mother. The more I heard it, the more I protested. I ended up in the nursing program by a random set of circumstances that still makes no sense to me. Thank God! It's the best thing that ever happened.

[guest042302019, BSN, RN]

How did you get into volunteering in the ER and what do you do?

I was thinking about volunteering at a hospital this summer.

Well, the hospital I volunteer at has its' own website as most do nowadays. Typically, there is volunteer tab, and one can directly apply for the position online. If they don't have a website, or you don't see a tab similar to this, maybe call the hospital, and inquire about it.

How I got into the ER is alittle different. During the volunteer orientation, I heard from some of the coordinators that a few volunteers are able to work in the ER. This excited me ofcourse! After a few weeks of my PRN volunteer position, I simply asked one of the coordinators how I could get involved in volunteering in the ER. Needless to say, I was in the ER the next night, and I've been doing it for 3 months now. It's Awesome!! Good luck.

-Andrew