Being a volunteer is simply the best way to put life back into its proper perspective. There's something about taking time out of your week to step back from your own problems and focus on someone else's that just feels fulfilling. It's a cathartic release for the volunteer, and a chance to help someone feel valued and safe. For me, it's also a way to gain exposure to the medical field without actually being involved in it. I have been able to observe nurses and doctors in many different positions, situations, and atmospheres. It has been instrumental in my understanding of the medical field as a whole, and as I have enjoyed the liberation of focusing on serving those around me, I have been also been able to quietly learn and observe the invaluable lessons of the healing art.
1. The hospital is the one place where we don't like to be busy.
Hospitals are businesses, but they are unique in that they don't want to be busy. They want you to be healthy. The hospital staff works hard to make sure that if you have to come stay for a while, you are able to fully recover quickly and not return soon. When your nurse says goodbye, she fervently hopes she'll never see you again, because she loves her patients and wants them well above anything else. That's why she got into this career in the first place.
2. Everyone has a different story, but they all want the same thing.
Everyone comes into a hospital for a different reason. Each person has their own silent battles and insecurities that they bring with them when they come to stay. But everyone also has one common need: a need to feel safe, feel in control and know they're being well taken care of. No matter where the patient comes from, where they're going, or why they're there, the hospital staff exists to fulfill that common need. They go above and beyond to not only ensure physical healing but spiritual healing as well. They're the best support, and they'll make sure you have everything you need for a peaceful and comforting healing environment.
3. There are bad days, but the rewards of the good far outweigh the weight of the bad.
I have seen nurses and doctors fight to overcome their anguish over the suffering of their patients. I watched one of my nursing professors cry as she described the death of one of the babies in her care in the NICU many years ago. These miracle workers feel with their patients. They love them and they are tormented when they can't alleviate pain. However, I have also seen them light up when their patients turn a corner, celebrate their triumphs with them, and feel elated when their charges are finally able to go home. The good they are able to do outweighs those times when there's nothing more they can do, and makes the struggle of being in healthcare worth it.
4. It's the grossest, most tiring, and stressful job, but it's the best.
If there's anything I've learned from being a volunteer, it's that being an employee in a hospital setting is hard work. It's dirty, grueling, you're on your feet for 12 hours at a time, and under constant pressure the whole time. But it's also a job they wouldn't trade for the world.
