DD volunteering at hospital...

[SunshineDaisies79]

DD is interested in a career in mental health nursing and was advised by her schools careers advisor that voluntary work at our nearest hospital would be beneficial to her ucas application. She attended an induction where she was told what to expect and how to conduct herself while on the wards. She was told she would have to have to use her initiative but would be buddied with a nurse for her first 6 weeks of work. At the end of this induction the co-ordinator asked if anyone would be interested in being a dementia volunteer which would involve befriending and assisting these patients in specific which DD of course signed up for as it's exactly what she is interested in. She was also told she would recieve some extra training on her first day as she wanted to volunteer with these patients. She went away and researched the condition and how best to conduct herself around sufferers so she would be prepared.
Today was her first day and was told to report to the nurse in charge. First off no one was told she would be coming which left her feeling very awkward from the outset. She was given a quick five minute tour of the ward and was told to go find "the patient with the purple file" and wait for another nurse to come find her.
This nurse did not show up so she was left in the ward for over an hour until a care assistant asked her why she was there and offered her a cup of tea. After this she was told to leave and come back next week when hopefully there would be more for her to do.
I'm aware that hospitals are an EXTREMELY busy place and that she can't expect to have her hand held the entire time, but why recruit volunteers just to treat them like this? I'm in a right mind to tell her to email the co-ordinator to complain.. Or would that be OTT?
Ps sorry for long post

[mamadoc]

I work on an old age MH ward.

I would love a volunteer just to sit and chat with our patients, play a board game or a card game, help with drinks etc.

I volunteered on a geriatrics ward and in a care home at her age and it was really useful and a formative experience. I talked to patients, fed them at mealtimes, ran errands for staff and made beds but didn't do any personal care. Please do encourage her to persevere.

Sometimes our jobs are just so busy and stressful that although in my head I like students and volunteers coming and I want to give them a good experience so they'll come back in practice I sometimes don't have time to go out of my way to do that if it means a lot of handholding. It will stand her in good stead in life generally and the NHS especially if she shows some initiative and just mucks in. I really love people like that, I remember them and I put in a good word/ reference. I do realise it is scary at her age but waiting to be asked probably isn't the best strategy.

I would recommend her asking to shadow the OT if they have one. They often run groups eg reminiscence that they would love help with. If she has any particular skill she could offer that. My patients have loved volunteers coming in to sing or play instruments or to do hand massage or nail painting.

Have a look around what staff are doing and go and ask can I help you with that? Or just sit down with a patient and say hi, I'm x, how are you? Can I help you with anything?

[tafflay]

Definitely don't complain! Your DD is very lucky to have secured a volunteer role when there are umpteen wannabe health professionals looking for exactly the same thing (plus of course volunteers who give up their time for many other reasons!)

Other posters have given great suggestions about how she might get involved, and I agree - she needs to get proactive. And not be put off - staff are often just in their own little bubbles of busybusybusy.

I'm a medical student and I can count on the fingers of one thumb the number of times I've turned up to my assigned ward and found anyone actually expecting me to be there...so I just bound up to the first friendly face, introduce myself and ask which patients might be happy to speak to a student. I also make sure that I get to meet as many members of staff as I can, learn their names and roles, etc.

So your DD may have to do a little networking to find out what goes on. But this is just how wards are, and great experience for what she wants to do. If she puts herself out there, and is seen as being keen and visible, she will definitely be offered more opportunities to get involved.