Direct Patient Care

I've added a new aspect to my volunteer work. I'm now working directly with patients. I had training the other day and am on a general patient floor (vs. Cardiac, Pediatrics, ICU, etc.). Since the school I want to apply to primarily requires direct patient care hours and my class conflicts with one of my volunteer days, I decided now would be a good time to jump right into patient care and get a full 8 hrs/week. I receive another 3-4 hrs continuing Caregiver.

So what do I do in my new patient care role? I help serve the meals, feed patients who need help, collect trays, run errands to the hospital pharmacy, lab, or storage supply, change beds, refresh patients' water pitchers, and refill supply boxes in patient rooms (usually just gloves). I'm not allowed to move patients or go into rooms marked "isolation". Usually these rooms are precautionary for infections. Some rooms are marked with another special card that is much more severe, usually due to TB infection. Now I know why we are all required to prove immunity to MMR and TB. And I'm glad I am. TB is something I thought had pretty much been wiped out in the US. But, this being NYC (Brooklyn, especially) with a constant influx of tourists and immigrants who may have not had immunizations, it's quite common I hear. At times, there can be 4-6 patients with TB. Eeps. I wear gloves for everything. You would too.