During my first visit to the facility where I was assigned, the plan was to start at a random patient and cycle through the rest at equal time intervals. This plan went out the window as I ended up staying with my first patient that visit and all of the visits afterwards. When I entered … Continue reading “The Physician’s Role as an Advocate”
Program Year Ending: 2020
Program Year ending 2020
The Power of Storytelling
Throughout the hospice program I have learned more about death, myself, and the patients that I visited. One patient that has impacted my life is Lauren. She was always so happy when we would visit her. While some patients were moody or did not feel like talking that day, Lauren always caught sight of us … Continue reading “The Power of Storytelling”
Life and Death: Necessary Opposites
We don’t often acknowledge this idea, but opposites give one another meaning. They serve as reference points for one another, and we can only perceive one in the context of a life where the other exists. For example, the happy moments we experience can only be valuable to us once we know of sadness (and … Continue reading “Life and Death: Necessary Opposites”
The Power of Companionship and the Impact of Meaningful Patient Care
I only had one patient relationship throughout the year before it got cut short by the COVID pandemic. I met Jane early in the fall on my first visit with my volunteer coordinator, and she was a tough cookie. At 105 years old, she was full of life. Jane had one close family member remaining … Continue reading “The Power of Companionship and the Impact of Meaningful Patient Care”
The Necessity of Positive Relationships in Healthcare
The Evangelical hospice program has been a great experience for me thus far. This past semester, I looked forward to visiting patient Eileen every Friday. Eileen always smiled when I walked into her room. Although she did not remember me, I still feel as though we built a friendship throughout each visit. During my visits, … Continue reading “The Necessity of Positive Relationships in Healthcare”
Something as Little as Companionship Makes a Difference
As a hospice volunteer with the Athena Institute, I’ve had many valuable realizations as a premed student and just as an understanding person moving forward in my career. Many aspects of this experience enlightened me to new ways of thinking about and understanding people that I haven’t been exposed to before in my life. A … Continue reading “Something as Little as Companionship Makes a Difference”
Volunteering For Hospice
When I first applied to be a hospice volunteer, I didn’t think much about it other than that I wanted to volunteer in a hospital setting and that I had volunteered with the elderly population before. I didn’t realize how much I would actually end up learning over the course of the year. I learned … Continue reading “Volunteering For Hospice”
What I Learned From My Hospice Experience
Over the course of the year, I received training that allowed me to meet people through the hospice program close to my school, Bucknell University. I had one patient for a couple weeks (with winter break and the new remote learning schedule, I was unable to meet with multiple people). I definitely learned a lot … Continue reading “What I Learned From My Hospice Experience”
First Day
“I don’t think I’m ready for this,” I told myself while driving to Green Meadow nursing facility on my first day of volunteering with Holisticare. As my friends and I stepped into the facility and went through the routine of check-in and sanitization, I gathered all the courage to get ready to meet my first … Continue reading “First Day”
Understanding & Appreciating The Finites of Life
The first time walking into a patient room in a hospital as a hospice volunteer, I didn’t expect to feel as helpless with my patient as I did. Perhaps it was because as a college student, I hadn’t yet fully grasped the concept of death. Being young with dreams of a long and successful future, … Continue reading “Understanding & Appreciating The Finites of Life”