Narrative Essay On Patient Rounding

The summer before my senior year of high school, I volunteered at Centennial Hills Hospital. I was the only teenager who met the criteria for this summer program, and was the only one to complete the program. This summer program involved me working in different departments around the hospital. My jobs included stocking the ER, supplying snacks for new mothers, admitting people for surgery and appointments, cleaning gurneys, visiting each patient, and providing information to visitors at the front desk. All of these jobs were accomplished four hours a day, three days a week. I was provided a four hour orientation where I learned what was expected of me, but besides that, my training was on-the-job. For each department I was paired with an adult …show more content…
Patient rounding involved me going to each floor of the hospital, and offering my assistance to the patients. I was uncomfortable at first, but I quickly realized that many patients had amazing stories to tell. My first day on patient rounding involved me talking to one patient for over an hour. I enjoyed meeting the patients and learning about them. The goal I set for volunteering at the hospital was to help the people in my community as well as bettering myself. I believed that if I was doing my best to be a positive impact on others then they may be a positive impact on me. My assumption was correct. I got to view people’s strength in person, and that made me want to strengthen myself mentally. I learned how to make important decisions, how to stay calm despite the circumstances, and how to be confidant in my own skin. This goal was met and surpassed. My supervisor and fellow volunteers were helpful in my mission to help, and in the end when my time at the hospital was at an end, they awarded me the volunteer appreciation award for services to the hospital. I came away from this experience a better person, and hopefully my time at the hospital will be remembered fondly by staff and