Training

A few days after I turned in my TB test and the final copy of my "contract" stating general rules about patient confidentiality and rules and regulations regarding volunteering at Ben Taub, I had a very quick overview training and tour of the hospital. I had only visited Ben Taub once before so the tour around the facility was very beneficial since I am not familiar with the surroundings. I explored around the hospital with my tour guide, Angela, who is also a volunteer at Ben Taub and has been volunteering for almost a year now. I respect that the volunteer services are very strict about the rules to follow for being volunteer. We have to wear black or khaki slacks with a white collared shirt, as well as a oversized blue vest that is provided by the volunteer coordinator (the blue vest is actually really hideous, but it's so we stick out as volunteers). I got a picture for my ID badge which I must wear at all times and finally, I got to go over my ideal schedule with Elizabeth, the volunteer coordinator. There volunteer availability is from 8-6 Monday thru Friday, so I knew I would have to have a morning shift to go along with my school and work schedule. A total of at least 3 hours per week are required to maintain a good volunteer status, so all in all I got assigned a shift from 8:30-11:30 on Wednesday mornings. The good thing about morning shifts is that there are less volunteers, so there are more open opportunities for patient contact experience!

So..that is all for this blog entry for now :) Next, I will share what unit I got assigned and what I will be doing!

Next ---> First Day!