CHI St. Joseph Skilled Nursing Experience

Volunteering at the Skilled Nursing & Cardiac Rehab allowed me to experience things I had never faced before. I volunteer every Friday,for at least 4 hours, helping the nurses and the activity director. At 2:30, I help set up the ice cream social for the patients. I pass out snacks such as ice cream or sandwiches, which vary on a weekly basis. I put on music for the patients and offer to take them outside, so they could have a nice, refreshing snack social with their other patient friends. Soon after, the patients play bingo. I call out the bingo numbers and help mark some patients’ cards who have trouble seeing or finding the numbers I call. The patients really appreciate my help to mark their cards as it increases their chance of winning, because some of them have never won before. At 4:15, I begin to paint nails for the ladies who wanted their nails painted. The ladies love how they can ask me unhesitatingly to change their nails and repaint them if they did not like the first color they chose. I spend time getting to know the patients more and meeting the family members who come to visit. Listening to the experiences and wisdom-filled stories of the patients fill my eyes with tears and skin with goosebumps at times. After some relax and free time, in the 30 minutes left before dinner, I go around to most of the patients’ rooms and talk to them about their previous careers and normal lifestyles. The first half of my time, I get the know the patients better and enjoy the time I spent with them, however, the second half is more challenging as I observe the capabilities they are restricted of.

Throughout the day, the most heart-touching event occurs when I have to feed the patients. It gives me goosebumps to see how the nurses and I were feeding the patients like parents feed their children; this daily routine constantly reminded me that one day our parents and us could possibly be in the same shoes. Each time I wiped a patients' mouth, I was reminded by God to value the strength in our bones and the capabilities he grants us with. I wiped my patients mouths, put straws in their juices to make it easier to prevents spills, and made bites with my spoon to feed the patients their food. I broke apart their sandwiches and meals into bites and for about an hour and a half, continued feeding them. This was the most emotional and touching aspect of my volunteering service.

In order to encounter such experiences, I think it is important for businesses to participate in service activities. Businesses should encourage their employees to serve in order to connect to the community that they are a part of. If I had not volunteered at St. Joseph’s, I would not have received the opportunity to be exposed to the reality behind patients and all the struggles they face. Volunteering will allow businessmen and women to see and be put in scenarios where they have never been before and learn how to deal with such instances. This will also allow the community members to discover the reality outside of business deals and events. Other than providing selfless service, giving back to the community and dedicating time to others makes individuals more confident, appreciative, and reflective.The idea of serving our community and volunteering optimistically makes individuals value those who go out of their way, take out their time, and do something for others.

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