For my third and now fourth co-op I am volunteering at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Sibley Memorial Hospital’s mission is “to deliver excellence and compassionate care-every person, every time,” and its vision is to be “the role model for innovation in healthcare and wellness for all.” I chose this as a co-op because I intend to become a nurse and therefore exposure to a hospital and/or a medical environment is important before I commit to becoming a health professional. In my third co-op, I worked in different departments so I could explore the entirety of the hospital and see which areas I was most interested in. However, for this (my fourth) co-op I decided to focus on the medical-surgical unit, ICU, and ER departments of the hospital as I find those areas of nursing most interesting.
A typical day at the hospital for me consists of assisting the unit secretary in administrative tasks, answering patient call lights, and offering help to nurses and other medical staff. In the afternoon I get the privilege of listening to doctors come into the unit and make their rounds, which means getting updates from nurses on their patients and deciding what the next steps are in terms of their care at the hospital.
During my time volunteering at Sibley, I have learned a lot. Being in a hospital setting as a worker rather than a patient has reconfirmed for me that nursing is the career I want. Throughout this journey, I have met some amazing nurses that have shared some of the tricks of the trade. This co-op has made me more hopeful for my future after Antioch.
Photo credit: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/sibley-memorial-hospital/
