Project Title: Nationwide Children’s Hospital Art Cart Volunteer Experience

Service Site: Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Describe your involvement with this organization

I first got involved with Nationwide Children’s Hospital last January (2015), as I wanted to volunteer at a hospital and NCH seemed like a great place to do so. After being accepted into their volunteering program, I went through orientation getting acquainted with the hospital and better understanding how to interact with patients. The assignment I had been given was to the art cart, this meant me and a partner would go room to room visiting patients and their families offering them crafts from the cart. I immediately learned this was an extremely rewarding as many of the kids and families had heard of the art cart and would await its arrival each day. The days and times I go in have varied over the year, however I usually go in once a week for about two hours, and as mentioned I have been volunteering here for a little over a year now.

Describe what you gained as a result of this experience.

Volunteering at NCH has certainly taught me a lot, and as a pre-PA student I have gained a great deal of healthcare experience. To start I went through extensive training learning hospital protocol and the proper way to interact with the patients and their families which has been extremely helpful. More than that though, through interacting with the kids themselves I believe they have truly taught me the most. A lot of the kids we visit although yes are patients in a hospital, are still just kids that want to have fun and smile. Truly there is nothing better than seeing a kids face light up when I show up with the art cart. Again this reminds me, sometimes it is the little things in life we should appreciate.

Describe positive changes to the community as a result of your service experience.

After volunteering at the hospital, I definitely think I have a much greater appreciation for all the little aspects and roles that go unnoticed in the hospital setting. Every day as I walk in the hospital it amazes me how many employees walking around greet me with a smile, as this truly brightens my day and so I always try and return this now wherever I may be. Another thing I have taken away is the importance of health precautions especially being on such a densely crowded campus. Simple things like hand sanitizer can play a huge role in preventing the spread of germs and thus I’m always willing to share hand sanitizer with those around me. Lastly, volunteering at NCH I think I get a greater perspective again of how much diversity there is in the world, as sometimes being on campus in this bubble it’s easy to forget there is much more out there. From my experiences with families from all around the area I am reminded to be mindful of those around me and open-minded when meeting new people.

Describe a person with whom you interacted that made a strong impression on you, positive or negative.

At NCH I think it is safe to say almost all of the patients and families leave impressions with me, a majority of which are good as I truly would not change a single experience I have had there. However one person that truly has impacted my experience at Nationwide is Lo, a nurse on the 5^th floor. When I started volunteering I think I was a little shy interacting with patients, and Lo noticed this and did her best to always encourage me and make me feel welcome at the hospital. As time went on and I got more comfortable at the hospital, Lo continued to support me and I can always expect a pleasant conversation when I visit her floor. I am really so appreciative of this as many of the doctors and nurses I see are simply faces, but with Lo she is much more, I know about her kids and family, and she knows all about the classes I’m taking.

Informational Interview with Eileen Parker, PA-C

Why did you select this individual to interview?

I chose to interview Eileen because my ultimate goal is obtain a position as a Physician’s Assistant and more specifically to work in a hospital setting. Eileen met this criteria and also happens to be my roommate’s mother, so she was more than happy to sit down and chat with me. Throughout this year I actually joined the Future Buckeye PA Club as well as have had several opportunities to shadow a PA here at the university, all of which have greatly improved my understanding of this position of Physician Assistant. In addition, this interview allowed me to get a different perspective from someone who has had a good deal of experience in the field.

Describe the major responsibilities associated with their current role.

As a PA, Eileen’s major responsibilities are to examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses, and provide treatment. She described the career as a Physician Assistant to be very mobile and flexible. The field is growing and with health care reimbursement and insurance changes the need for PAs continues to grow. PAs work in every state-you need to check the particular states laws and requirements for obtaining a license. The job opportunities can range from full time, part time, weekends and prn (as needed) to fit a person’s lifestyle. Also she explained, as a certified PA you can work in any area of medicine-family practice, ER, surgery and a multitude of subspecialties.  There are some additional certifications for PAs in specialties but they are not required.  And throughout your career you can change specialties. Eileen has worked for over 25 years in the same hospital in several different departments within the Cleveland Clinic.

Discuss how the person prepared for this role, and if they provided you with any advice as what you might be able to do to prepare for a similar career.

Eileen explained me, to work as Physician Assistant in the State of Ohio you need a master Degree and to be certified by the NCCPA (National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants). To keep your certification you must obtain 100 hours of CME (Continuing Medical Education) every 2 years and retest every 10 years (it was every 6 years and they are transitioning to every 10 years). If you have prescriptive authority you must obtain an additional 15 hours of pharmacology CME every 2 years.  Eileen also informed me that students looking to pursue a degree as a Physician Assistant may enter a direct admit PA Program from high school or apply for the Masters Program. Most programs look for shadowing of PAs and health care setting volunteer hours in addition to academic achievement. Also, many programs look for several years of healthcare experience-EMT, nursing, etc. That being said, she entered Gannon University’s PA Program straight from high school and has a Bachelor of Science degree and was grandfathered in by the State of Ohio.

Summarize any insights from the interview that might be helpful in your academic or career preparation.

I believe my biggest concern coming into college was that I was unsure I would be able to find a satisfying career path. So naturally I wanted to ask Eileen what she enjoyed most about her work. She responded explaining that she enjoys the relationships she has with her coworkers and other hospital departments. She likes that she is able to help people every day and tries to make their health care issue a little easier by explaining things (patient education).  She enjoys the relationships she makes with the patients and ultimately tries to treat every patient as she would want a family member treated. This to me reaffirmed the belief that a career as a PA would most definitely be a rewarding path that I would like to pursue.