My Volunteering Experience At Children's Hospital Colorado

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” - Barack Obama It all started in the beginning of my freshman year when I started to volunteer at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. The volunteering experience opened and continues to open my eyes to the needs of my community and the many opportunities for community service. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital has been open for nearly 100 years. Not only does the staff dedicate their life to their work, but 100% of what they do is for the kids. Their mission is to protect and advance the health and well-being of children. Their vision is to be a leader in children’s health. Since October, I have been volunteering

During my first couple of weeks, completing my hours for school was what my main goal is. I came. I did what I had to do. I went home and just slept it off. As weeks passed by, I then realized what volunteering was all about. Like nursing, volunteering is being selfless and compassionate. It is open-heartedly giving your time and effort to help those in need without asking for anything in return. The driver’s assistant shift was physically demanding, but seeing smiles on people’s faces when we arrive at every agency we deliver to pays off every back pain and tiredness. I have learned that big or small, my simple actions can have an effect on people. This experience has also been an eye-opener for me. Living in Canada, it is surprising to discover that a lot of people live in streets or cannot buy their own food. I have understood more how unique and important a nurse’s role is and how in a way can we impact and change one’s life. This experience helped me realize how I want my future nursing practice to be. I want to be that nurse who listens and provides comfort, who makes sure her patients are comfortable and well-taken care of, and whose motivation is not the pay or the title, but who has a strong desire and willingness to help. By volunteerism, I felt needed in society. Not only did it boost my self-esteem, but it has also helped me realize what I am

After my first year at UND, I took a CNA class and became employed at a nursing home in Menahga, where I am still working. At this job I was able to experience patient care and begin to see the benefits of helping patients improve their lives. In my time after High School I have also had many other valuable experiences. I have been a Camp Counselor at two, 1 ½ week Confirmation Camps for our church. At these camps it was mine, along with other Counselor’s responsibility to teach the younger teens about how we believe as well as demonstrate how to be respectable adults. These camps allowed me to use and develop my leadership skills and also created memories that I will never forget. I have also shadowed a few different Medical Professionals, in order to better understand the world of medicine. Dr. Dan Smith is a General Surgeon who lives and practices very near to where I live. I was able to shadow Dr. Smith for many hours and built a relationship with him. He showed me some aspects of the medical field that I may not have seen elsewhere. My life has been far from typical, but I do believe that each of my experiences has made me both a better person as well as a be

My most memorable experiences came from volunteering at the Amazing Grace Foundation, one that fosters Autistic children. Interacting with them required compassion and patience, two qualities of mine which were greatly strengthened. Lastly, I learned the meaning of perseverance and dedication when I committed myself to completing a research project in four weeks. Along with my colleague and mentor, I studied the relationship between in-hospital mortality and the type of acute myocardial infarction in the Puerto Rican population. My first endeavor into epidemiological research was very enlightening and it’s something I would like to

I began volunteering at the Hospital for Special Surgery, to get an overview of what is is like to work at a hospital. Volunteering at a hospital was an eye opening experience, because I got to encounter how physicians, and medical staff communicate, and listen to their patients. These two skills are essential to understand patient needs, and therefore make the right decisions in diagnosing diseases. My role at the hospital was to provide snacks, beverages, and aid kits to patients, families, and medical staff. I have witnessed families that stayed up long nights, because they had loved ones undergo surgery. Any person that has a loved one undergo surgery becomes worried and scared, because of the uncertainty that lies ahead. However, the imperative skills that I have learned and exceeded on was my communication skills. Communicating with these families, and patients was exceedingly important, because you have to place yourself in their shoes to understand the situation they are in. I met young patients, as young as 5 years old, that were in the hospital for days recovering from surgery, or undergoing

In the waiting room, waiting for my twelfth surgery, the nurse could not get the I.V. to work. She had tried many times before on earlier visits, and it wasn’t working again. Tears were about to flow. Tension set in and was preventing the I.V. from functioning. Right as I was about to cry, a kind lady came in, held my hand, taught me techniques about calming down, and helped get a numbing shot. The I.V. went in the next time! I was in awe of this angelic figure. The moment I found out she was a Child Life Specialist, I decided this is what I want to do with my life; help children get through hard times in the hospital. I want to go to BYU Provo because of its Family Science Human Development Department. BYU Provo is also one of the few schools

Volunteering at Mattel Children’s Hospital was my first clinical experience, and the meaningful impact I made there will always stay close to my heart. Many of the children I spent time with were extremely sick, and it opened my eyes to the suffering accompanied with ill health. Even though I had never been in their situation, I could understand their frustration,

Being involved in the Mayo Clinic Young Volunteers program for two and half years, I have experienced and changed a lot. Coming into the program during summer 2014, I didn't what to expect. However, as time went on, I learned valuable experiences that I'll never forget. I didn't know very many people in the program so there were a lot of strangers. Becoming a part of a program that is made up of students from not only Rochester, but cities surrounding Rochester allowed me to improve my communication skills and meet new people. This allowed me to become more open and outgoing when meeting new people or doing new things which has, and will continue to benefit me in the future. Being a Mayo Clinic Young Volunteer comes with great responsibility.

The experience has provided me a very in-depth look at a field I have imagined myself getting involved in. I cannot wait to walk in each week, observe the daily routine of the healthcare team and engage with the patients even if it's just listening to their story. I have learned many important lessons from the doctors, nurses and physical therapists that I have worked with. I've seen them light up when a patient turns a corner and feel elated when they are finally able to go home. I’ve been able to witness the joy of a baby being born and also had the experience of holding a patient's hand who was told disheartening news. Despite this, seeing a patient get completely healed is rewarding and one of the main reasons I want to be a doctor. My experiences volunteering have helped me grow into a person of determination, dedication, integrity, and compassion. It has made me have a greater desire to learn more about medicine. Ovid said, “Medicine sometimes snatches away health, sometimes gives it.” That summer, medicine, and all the research they do at MD Anderson Cancer Center gave my father life. I would never wish what my family went through on anyone, but I am a firm believer that all things happen for a reason. The countless hours in the waiting rooms, the pacing back and forth, the prayers every time my father went into surgery;

I had the opportunity to formulate connections to people by personally talking with patients across a wide range of backgrounds. Volunteering in the hospital helped me greatly in finding more about

The place I chose to do my five hours of volunteer was at Mt. Washington Children's Center. The center care for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years old the build is section off into different age groups so not ages are mixed together. I  chose to volunteer at the children's center because I wanted to see how it was working at a child care place and the work it take to run a pre-school room. I when I graduate I am hoping to get a job in a pre-school classroom so I was hoping that I would be able to see the routine and actives used in a pre-school room. The section I chose to volunteer was the pre-school room that had children age 3 to 5. The classroom I volunteered in was very nice there was only twelve children and the room was full of art

The team, individual helpers, and the kids made for unforgettable experiences that have helped shape my personal journey, as well as my path for future service in areas like the Dominican Republic. We were asked by the directors of Kids Alive to make a 30 second speech on the DR trip to people who would ask how our Jan Term was. I never realized how difficult that task would be, because the experiences that I was fortunate enough to witness cannot be described in 30 seconds. It took over eight pages to try to write everything I experienced and the implications that follow; but there is comfort in knowing that it was all worth my new outlook on what it means to truly serve, and how I can continue to serve the less fortunate for the rest of my

As a volunteer at the hospital, I was assigned to do minimal tasks such as refilling the patient’s water jug or organizing the linen closet. I had always been fascinated by the medical field, but was never able to pinpoint what I wanted to do. On the first day, I nervously walked into the hospital, going through all the tasks I had to do in my head. Then, when I walked into my first patient’s room, all the butterflies in my stomach flew away, leaving me with pure joy. As I poured the fresh water into the jug, the patient and I had great conversations. Just greeting the patient as I walked through the doors made me excited and look forward to get to know the person. Room after room, I walked in, cheerfully greeting each and every person. Though some conversations were simple, it was still enough for me to feel a connection between me and the patient. Week after week, I formed a tighter and tighter bond with my love for helping others and getting to know them.

When I was 10 years old, my mother and I volunteered in one of my hometown’s poorest hospitals. Witnessing the conditions and the burden patients had to get health treatment made me have an interest in health care. As I began taking science classes, I realized how fascinating the human body was. My intrigue for science subjects left me wanting to learn more and made me become a tutor for my classmates. After a few years, I am still a tutor but now at the University level. This has allowed me to practice my skills in science courses while aiding students. I have developed leadership skills while serving the community. After a year of being a member of Allied Health Professions Society, I was chosen as the Volunteer Coordinator. I created an agreement with Project CURE in which AHPS compromised to

My time working at a children’s psychiatric hospital helped me realize my strength and taught me more compassion than the rest of my life combined. Many times I had questioned if I was cut out for this work and if I was doing any good trying to help these children. I had to learn to walk on the fine line between growing thick skin and showing love and acceptance to kids who are seemingly unlovable. My experiences have continued to shape who I am had help give me perspective for when I find myself in difficult situations.