My Internship (volunteer position at a hospital)

The following is a entry I put into a journal that I am calling my internship log. Because it is part of my school work I have to basically take notes on the things I learn. So I got into the hospital about 10 hours a week and normally do one of two things. Tuesday afternoons I do patient discharge which is basically wheeling patients around the hospital. Thursday early afternoon I do that as well and then at 3:15 I go upstairs to a nursing unit and help out there.

Yesterday I did the normal patient discharge early afternoon and then went up to a nursing unit for the later afternoon/early evening. I finished up with all of the normal stuff I do and then found out my supervisor wasn’t there so I asked if I could shadow a nurse. I followed one around and she had four patients, one of which she told me had found out 10 minutes prior that he was dying of cancer and there really were no treatment paths at this point. The nurse waited to go into his room until last. She went in and the wife was sitting on a chair and he was lying in bed hooked up with so many things going into his IV, there were six bags at least! The nurse said, “Dr. _____ came in to see you right?” and the wife broke down into tears and the husband (he had a trach tube in so he couldn’t talk) nodded his head. The nurse went over to the wife and put an arm on her shoulder rubbed it briefly and then went back to taking stats of the husband. The wife was still crying so I went over and put my arm around her shoulder and she leaned against me and started to sob. So therefore I was stuck there until she stopped crying. The doctor came in then while the nurse was testing stuff so she got out of the way to allow the doctor room next to the bed and I was stuck on the back wall comforting the wife. I say stuck not because I wanted to move but because I couldn’t. I listened to all of the things the doctor talked about and was almost appauled at his treatment of asking the patient and his wife if they wanted him to be resuscitated if his heart gave out or if he wanted to be put back on O2 if he stopped breathing. He basically told them there wasn’t much point to doing either. I agree with this statement but I feel the way he delivered it was unclear and not very friendly or considerate. But anyway this experience was an intense one and it was very reaffiriming. I do still want to be a doctor, even more now than before and I can’t wait to take the MCAT, and apply, and hopefully get accepted!