When I was first told about the Service Learning Project, I was unsure as to what type of project I should choose. I could have chosen something that would be easy and might not require much effort, or I could choose a project that would really help me grow as a person and even help me in the future with my career. After much thought, I decided to choose the latter. I chose to volunteer/visit with hospice patients in the city of New London and in the surrounding areas.
At first, the only glimpse of what hospice really was, I had seen when my great aunt became a hospice patient. It did not look to be as emotionally difficult as I quickly learned it was. I think that some people think of people as just their patients, which is professional and correct, but as a hospice volunteer I saw them as just people. I interacted with them for many hours, as well as interacting with their families. When I met their families and listened to the stories that they told about their life before they became sick, they became people to me. Another very startling fact about being a hospice volunteer is that the patients that you see have a limited amount of time to live. One day they are alive and talking, and the next day they are gone. Having had patients that I visited with pass away, I have experienced this pain.
On the bright side, there were many positive things that I learned from my service project, and many positive things that I was able to take part in. For example, an elderly man named Phil that I had been visiting was celebrating his birthday and he invited me (and made sure that I could make it) to his birthday party. I also was able to gain experience in how to not become emotionally attached to patients. I would like to become an Oncologist, which is a doctor that treats Cancer. Not all types of cancer are fatal, but some are. In fact, a patient that I visited had pancreatic cancer, which is usually always a fatal diagnosis. I learned a lot about the biological aspects of cancer, as well as it’s affect on families and the people themselves; making me want to treat and/or cure it even more.
I did not experience any problems with my volunteer experience.
The Service Learning Project that I took part in was rewarding in many ways, and I hope to continue volunteering.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Hospice Volunteering- Reflection
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2 comments:
That is so cool Sam. It sounds like you had a great time with your project. It's definitely tough not to get attached to patients. It's only natural to feel a connection to someone who is ill. You want to help them in any way possible but there's a fine line that health care professionals have to be aware of. It was tough when I experienced death for the first time working in a hospital. It seems more justified when its an older adult who has a full life, but when its a younger person or child, it can be rough. You have to show compassion without getting overly involved or consumed by helping that person. You are going to make a great physicial some day Sam. I'm excited for you to continue on your journey.
It is so great that you chose to do hosice care becaue it is such a difficult job to take on. It would be really difficult not to get too involved with the ill patients but to work in a hospital you have to be tough and try not to get too attached no matter how hard it may be. This is such a hard and emotional job; I'm glad you decided to do it for your project because it really takes someone special to take on a job like this. It would be too emotional for me. Great job and I also bet you will be a great physical someday.
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