Hospital Volunteer Work

So I have 1000 hours of direct patient care work to do. One thousand. At first it didn't sound like a lot. But then I did the math and realized this was going to take me 2 full years, 10 hrs/week, every week. I had no time to lose. I started sending out hospital applications online, thinking it wouldn't be so difficult. Well it was. No one responded from Hospital1. However, I applied to Hospital2 who responded right away, asking me to come in for an interview.

Before starting the volunteering, I had to attend a 1 hr orientation (48 of us attended) and get my medicals done (MMR, TB, drug test clearance). I began with the Caregiver program with the hospital. It's been pretty satisfying. I hand out information (support resources, numbers to call) about the hospital to caregivers who are often overlooked during patient care. We're there for emotional support as the continuing care of someone can be draining whether at home or at a hospital. We're also there for the patient who often look like they just wouldn't mind having someone to talk to.

Sometimes the visitors/family are super receptive; sometimes they're suspicious. I've had several caregivers who were not happy with the service or stressed from caring for a loved one in the hospital and in a horrible mood. But it's incredibly satisfying when they warm up. I'll have a good 15-20 minute conversation with them while they open up about their life, talk about the patient (or the patient joins in the discussion), ask me what I'm doing this for, etc. Over that time, they relax because they're able to vent and feel they've been heard. It can make the whole afternoon worth all the other crabby visitors when you come across one of these people. Same when a caregiver welcomes you with a smile and fully appreciates what you're doing. Makes you wonder how much that would help a patient if all the doctors and nurses could be like this with the patients.