Advice

As a University student, I'm always focused on myself, what I need to do, what I need to accomplish as is necessary in the academic world. However, when I step into my role of a volunteer, I have to let that go. Sometimes its hard to stop thinking about that Organic Chemistry test coming up, or the paper due the next day.At the same time volunteering isn't about yourself, its about being able to help someone else, and focus on what you can do for them. It might be as small as making craft turkeys of playing a game of Uno. At the same time you're entertaining someone. Letting go of everything that concerned me and being able to focus on someone else became one of my favorite parts of volunteering.

At the same time, I would advise people to not be shy. As a volunteer people don't mind you approaching them, and often welcome the company. Its intimidating to approach a treatment room and enter. You see people in a very vulnerable positions, but being able to do something for them, even as small as grabbing a DVD can be the best feeling. Just knowing you were able to make their visit the tiniest bit better is amazing.

Also, don't be afraid to ask the health professionals questions. You're there trying to help, and they're more than happy to explain things.

Personal Notes

Starting out as a new volunteer at Amplatz, I was extremely excited to be able to interact in a different health care setting. Although I'm a generally outgoing person, I am often shy in a health care setting. I had worked on my professional manner, and addressing people in the surgery lounges, but I wanted to become more comfortable interacting with actual patients. As a Clinic Volunteer at Amplatz, part of my duties were to include visiting patients in their rooms. I knew that this was going to be a challenge for me, so I set a goal for myself. To visit at least two rooms every time I volunteered. Even if the patient didn't need/want anything, going in and asking helped me become more comfortable with my position as a volunteer.

As a future physician I'd like to have a professional, yet approachable bedside manner. These constant challenges helped me view different situations and the best approach to each one. For instance, if I saw a child who looked bored out of their mind while waiting, I start a lively conversation and grab a fun game to play with them. Meanwhile, if I saw a child with what I came to think of as a 'completely exhausted' look, I would offer to turn on a movie and watch it with them. 

I completely didn't expect to discover this, but volunteering at Amplatz taught me to better understand other cultures. I expected to be in positions that I may not know how to deal with, but I had one that truly stuck out. It was a typical Monday afternoon, I had a brief lull in the playroom, Abby had just left for her room, and I had a brief moment to sanitize the toy kitchen. She had been coughing and I didn't want someone else to potentially catch it. A family I had previously seen showed up, their three daughters and I had played last week, and I remembered their love of Uno. They didn't speak English, but we had been able to keep each other entertained with crafts and some games. As we were halfway through our first game, another family showed up. I had never seen the children before, and it quickly became apparent that they didn't speak English either. The children had interpreters, but they were in the consult room with the parents so I was left with my extremely rudimentary  Spanish and six extremely eager children. Fast friends, the children chatted up a storm, leaving me in the dust with my lack of understanding. Every so often, the kids would notice that I was lost, and try to explain things, only to giggle at my lack of understanding. The ringleader of the gang decided I needed to learn Spanish, and they were the best people to teach me. We started with simple phrases like "verde, green, verde" which I was able to master. However, every time I would grasp one thing, we would quickly move to something like"Mi nombre es María, soy 6 años, y mi hermano y yo quiero paly operación.". The kids couldn't understand why I was so slow, it was easy, "facil"!

Lost, I muddle along best I could, when my position dawned on me. Although I've been able to travel rather extensively in my life, I've never been a country where I haven't been able to speak the language, or my languages aren't understood. What I was experiencing, not being able to effectively communicate, was something that many patients dealt with in a consistent basis. Even though the University of Minnesota has amazing translators and transnational services, the language barrier creates another difficulty when going through the healthcare system. I noticed that families needing transnational services tend to be more isolated from the general staff of the clinic. Don't misunderstand me, the clinic does a great job of making sure that everyone knows whats going on and always has a translator, but everything has to be funneled through the translator, so it sometimes prevents people from communicating as they would normally. Once the children had left (several rather tiring hours later) I was able to think about what I had experienced. The tables had been turned on me, and I had been thrust in a situation where I wasn't able to communicate. It inspired me. I want to be able to provide the best care I can as a physician, and being able to communicate is essential. I've always been interested in learning Spanish, and this event really triggered my desire to make that dream a reality. It's absolutely a lengthy goal, and something that will take me years. However, I have years; becoming a doctor is a lengthy process.

I was hoping to be pushed out of my comfort zone as a volunteer, and I can say that I was pleasantly surprised with what I was comfortable with at the end of the semester. I become more comfortable with my interactions with patients and health care providers, and hope to continue to push myself as I continue to volunteer. I was also able to discover nuances of medicine that I hadn't been aware of.

Healthcare and Professionals, an ever changing field

Most of my interactions in the clinic are with health professionals and patients. I see a variety of children as they go through their treatments. Although I've been exposed to sickness and know people who were extremely ill, being a part of the care system that treats them is completely different.

Health care professionals work in fields where the technology, treatments and patients are constantly change. I was very surprised by how much the Surgery Lounges at Fairview had changed in the year I've volunteered there. When I started, Anne was the full time employee who ran the Family Surgery Lounge,  and Lynn the nurse in charge of the Same Day  Lounge. Since then, Anne's moved on to PA school and Lynn to another hospital. To replace them three other employees have been hired. The computer system has been updated to improve the flow of communication between the OR, and the Same Day Surgery Lounge had undergone complete renovation. Although these are more "surface" changes than changes in the way which healthcare is practiced, they helped me realize how the field of health care is constantly in flux.

At Amplatz, as a Clinic Volunteer I learned about the diversity of the Health Care field. Although the Clinic I work with primarily treats children who need to undergo blood and marrow transplants, the diversity of the cases is enormous. Being able to volunteer with these children has helped me realize the importance of being able to face challenges and solve problems, as no two patients have the same case. Additionally, working with nurses, reception staff and family and child life representatives has truly brought home the importance of the health care team. The physicians are vital in a patient's treatment, but the other health providers are just as important.

Insights on Physicians

Although I don't frequently interact with physicians, I am pulled in to entertain a child during a consultation from time to time. While I'm playing with the child I get to observe the interactions between the physician and the child's guardian. I've seen physicians present information as to a child's condition and treatment recommendation while allowing the guardian to make their decision.

In one particular instance, I was asked to entertain a young girl while her parents reviewed the paperwork before starting treatment. The family was obviously having a hard time accepting their daughter's condition and frustrated with the situation. As the doctor recommended a precautionary addition to the procedure, the father became fed up and argumentative. The physician was able to remain neutral, calm the family and explain why she was recommending the treatment, and what she hoped it would do for her child. Her ability to remain calm without being aloft, and caring without providing false comfort is an ability I would like to cultivate as a future physician.

Being a physician is hard work. They deal with unhappy and sometimes difficult people, work long hours, and have tremendous pressure to succeed; the life of a child is in their hands. However, every physician I've had the pleasure to deal with at the clinic has been extremely professional. They obviously love their job, and its been extremely evident in my interactions with them.

Highs and Lows

I've always enjoyed being with children, and I absolutely adore being able to play with children. Although I staffed the craft area of a clinic, I was able to develop relationships with some of the patients. As most of the children that visit the Journey Clinic have more severe diseases, they're often required to come in on a weekly basis for their treatment. I got to know some of the children and their preferences quite well.

However, the number of patients I would see during my shift often varied. Some days would be extremely busy, and I'd barely get a chance to stop and breath. Other days, there seemed to be no one in the clinic and I would spend my time sanitizing everything. The toys the children play with have to be cleaned in between each use as they cannot have any contamination, and cleaning the toys can be a bit monotonous.

Care Partners Clinic Volunteer at Amplatz Children's Hospital

On the West Bank of the University of Minnesota campus is the Amplatz Children's Hospital. The Care Partner's Program is a unique program that provides non-medical support for patients and families undergoing pediatric blood and marrow transplant and pediatric hematology/oncology.

As a Clinic Volunteer, I run the craft and activity station in the Journey Clinic waiting room. I volunteer one shift a week, and the length can vary between 3.5-5 hours. I entertain younger patients and their siblings while they wait for their appointments. Depending on how busy the waiting room is I also visit patients in their rooms. I bring games and crafts, or sometimes simply provide companionship during the wait.

University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Surgery Lounges

The University of Minnesota Medical Center is a large, spread out complex. The Fairview Surgery Lounges on East Bank handle adult surgeries. There are two lounges where the families/friends of the patients wait based on the length of the surgery. As a surgery lounge volunteer, I help direct patients, and monitor their families/friends while they are in surgery. Although physicians always know who they're operating on, they're not always the best at remembering about the  family. That's where I come in. By monitoring the progress of the patient through the surgery I am able to keep the family updated throughout the procedure.

I interact with patients, the families and friends of patients as well as health care professionals such as nurses and physicians. Having volunteered in the Surgery Lounges for over a year, I've been able to develop relationships with the nurses and staff. I've also been able to see changes in the lounges from the administrative end.