Nursing the sick back to health

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/08/2009 (6087 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you want to see what the future of medicine looks like in Manitoba, you need not look any further than the lobby of the St. Boniface General Hospital. There you will find Christopher Parr, 19, and Karlee McKenzie, 14, who are part of the hospital’s summer student program.

Serving as volunteers at the busy facility, both teens, who have aspirations for careers in medicine, spend one day each week directing visitors, escorting patients to appointments and delivering flowers.

This summer marks Parr’s third at the hospital as a volunteer. He said it was that experience that influenced his career goals. Currently a straight-A, biomedical science student at the University of Ottawa, Parr said he initially became a volunteer to get credit for his high school diploma. But he realized how much he enjoyed it. It gave him a glimpse into the health care field, pushing him towards his goal of being a doctor.

"I came here and I realized that it was so much more than getting the hours — you get to see the diversity of the patients, their concerns, you get to see the visitors," said Parr, who also volunteered at the Ottawa General Hospital during his last school year.

Following in many family members’ footsteps, McKenzie knew when she started as a volunteer that she wanted a career in health care. Her past year of volunteer experience has reinforced her ambition.

"I’ve always wanted to be in the medical field," said McKenzie, who will start Grade 10 next month. "I’ve always just wanted to interact and get the perspective of what it’s like to be in the hospital. I love interacting with people. I just love being in this atmosphere."

Karen Smith, manager of volunteer services, said Parr and McKenzie are set to join a long line of St. Boniface hospital volunteers turned doctors and health care professionals. In 2006, a record seven former volunteers were accepted into a medicine program, including Michelle Persaud.

Now a fourth year medical student at the University of Manitoba, Persaud, 27, started volunteering when she just 14. Like Parr, she had not yet decided on a career in medicine; however, Persaud credits her volunteer experience for leading her to one.

"It kind of planted the seed for me," she said. "I really liked it and I really enjoyed working with these people. I like the feeling I get when I work with these people."

She added that her experience as a volunteer has also helped her work as a health care professional, allowing her to understand and appreciate the role of all hospital staff, including the volunteers, in patient care.

"I love using the volunteers for that reason. For me it was a huge thing because I know what exists out there now. I know that you can get a friendly visitor, I know that you can get a daily newspaper or pet visitors — all those kinds of things I’m aware of, where sadly some of my colleagues don’t know those things.

"For me, that makes me a better advocate for my patients."

If you would like more information about volunteering at St. Boniface General Hospital, please call 237-2442. More information can also be found online at www.sbgh.mb.ca.

All new volunteers must go through an application and orientation process. Currently, volunteers are required to work in the hospital gift shop.

 

If you know a special volunteer who strives to make their community a better place to live, please contact Erin Madden at erinmadden@shaw.ca.