If you think students spend all their spare time avoiding studying, going out with their mates and having a good time then you'd be right. Well our student bloggers do anyway. While they assure us they don't slack on the study, they've got a lot to answer for when it comes to enjoying themselves while volunteering.

All | Emma | Oli | Daniel | Carrie | Olivia | Fiona | Sammy | Ashley | Rochelle | Natalie | Tom | TomG | Harry

Thursday Oct 20, 2011

Back to the ward

It has been way too long…

On Thursday I started my first Medicinema shift, and it has to be the most fun I’ve had volunteering in a long time.

Transferring the patients from the wards, is the most challenging part of the role, as medication times, and nurse’s schedules make the organisation difficult. It’s the same issue that commonly arises with volunteers in hospitals, as the nursing staff is the most prominent on the wards, and at the same time the most busy. You need the confidence to interact with patients, rather than relying on the staff.

The patients are taken to, or make their own way to the Medicinema, dependent upon their state, and once there, are either positioned in the cinema, seating area, or the floor, in a wheelchair or bed. Nurses are present during the film, in case a certain patient has to be monitored, or there are any needs during the showing.

I think the project, is extremely unique, and provides patients with a setting outside of the typical ward layout, which they can often find uninteresting. Patients, who find reading, difficult, have a chance to see something creative and imaginative, without it having to be strenuous.

I’m really excited to be a part of the project.

Before the summer, I also applied for the role of charity secretary on my subject committee, which I was successful in, and I am extremely excited about this. The major news is that I am organizing a charity vintage fashion show, at the university in February. Fashion is something which has always interested me, but has been so unrelated to my subject, that I haven’t had a chance to do anything with it. So a vintage show seemed like an amazing idea. The hardest aspect so far has been securing stores to be involved, as many do not like to commit to such events, and so it has taken a lot of attempts to find help, but I’m getting there!

Much love for reading…

I will blog again soon.

Posted by Natalie ( 11:58 AM )
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Tuesday Jan 25, 2011

PALS

A couple of weeks ago, I started my training with Patient Advice and Liaison services (PALS).

 For those of you who haven't heard of PALS, this is a good indication of my role as a PALS volunteer... to raise awareness. Often in a hospital ward, due to the workload, employees can be unable to give each patient the time they may need to raise issues. This can be as simple as air conditioning, room temperature levels being low to the point that they are causing patients discomfort, or it can be a more serious issue such as lack of appetite due to the food available to them which can cause their health to deteriorate.

 My role as a volunteer is to visit wards and talk to patients introducing the project, which unfortunately doesn't get the advertising it deserves, meaning it's unknown to patients. If the patient has an issue concerning the care or conditions on their ward, I can discuss this with them and if they agree, pass the issue onto a PALS officer who looks to resolve the problem.

One of the main concerns that people express relating to the PALS service is confidentiality. Following my training I appreciate the serious nature of this and admire the commitment of the service, to protect the rights of each patient.

I decided to commit to the project, for two main reasons. Firstly I can see the importance of the project in improving conditions on wards, which are constantly receiving poor press. Secondly, I can really see the value in assisting hospital staff in maximising contact with patients on the ward to simply brighten their day through contact or by helping them with a problem.

More in depth information about the aims and availability of the service can be found at http://www.pals.nhs.uk/

As a student studying Biomedical Sciences, I find it extremely beneficial to volunteer in hospital environments, work experience allows me to see the details of the differing professions in the hospital, but this project will hopefully allow me insight into the issues on wards and how simple services such as PALS can support the professionals working to offer care.

Posted by Natalie ( 12:04 PM )
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Monday Dec 13, 2010

From overseas volunteering to helping people overseas from home

On my first week at university I bought a Big issue. It's a simple idea, which looks to act as a social business, distributing magazines to a collection of street vendors, and as a charity, looking to help the vendors act upon the issues, which have resulted in their state of homelessness. The reason I talk about it is because when I bought the magazine, the vendor's gratefulness was so huge, even four weeks on he still recognises me when I walk past and asks me how my day has been, whether I intend to buy a magazine or not. I admire charity and volunteering because it helps people to better the lives of those who have been disadvantaged, and it requires people to work for free, just because they want to help and I love it.

My name is Natalie and I took a gap year last year and travelled to do some volunteering in South Africa (you can read my travel blog on this website), and the experience has made me a teeny bit enthusiastic about volunteering! I'm always trying to get involved in new projects and I want to let you guys know what's going on with me and maybe I'll be able to encourage you to get involved because it's a lot of fun!

So far I've been volunteering with Amnesty International to sell toffee apples to students around Newcastle University campus, in an effort to try to build a petition and interest in the subject of forced evictions. When I attended the Amnesty International meeting, people were discussing the forced evictions of Roma in Italy.

If I'm honest, my general knowledge is pretty poor and I don't tend to be aware of general topics, so didn't really understand who the Roma were. I learnt that they were a group of people who basically have no ground; they tend to live from place to place and struggle to settle in societies. Countries can be particularly hostile towards the Roma with parents struggling to get work and children to get basic education, being unable to access schooling.

The subject of Roma can be a controversial one, they are often referred to as gypsies, , and as a result of the struggle they face for basic living, many resort to crime, giving them many cynical enemies, and a reputation as an 'unwanted' group of people across the world.

Unfortunately the lifestyle they have has become somewhat of a vicious circle and they have been put in a position where the natural answer to their problems is through crime, many countries tend to ignore the problems, which the Roma face and no one seems to want to take responsibility.

In context of Amnesty International's campaign, the focus lays on a group of Roma, situated in Italy, and on the 'Nomad Plan', which plans the eviction of thousands of Roma from camps in Italy, and relocation to camps on the outskirts of Rome.

The Roma have not been consulted in a situation, which threatens to disrupt any employment and education they have been able to secure, and a plan which will also see many, without relocation plans and hence homeless.

On Bonfire Night, me and a few others volunteered selling toffee apples around Newcastle University campus and at night time events, and will be attempting to gain support in a petition to show our support of the Roma, in a situation which will violate many of their basic human rights.

That's what's so great about volunteering; you find campaigns and organisations, which you would otherwise have been ignorant of, and you become passionate about things which you never even knew you cared about. It's great to know that you're representing people who have very little support and who rely on you giving your time to, in an attempt to help better their lives.

Posted by Natalie ( 10:59 AM )
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