Patient Experience Ambassador
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center - Baton Rouge
About this Experience
When
July 2025 - Present
Responsibilities
- Answering call lights and responding to patient needs
- Delivering blankets, ice, and other comfort items
- Stocking supplies to keep the unit running smoothly
- Completing visual safety checklists
- Offering companionship and conversation to patients
What I Learned
Having been a patient in a hospital before, I remember how lonely and scary it was without anyone there with me. This volunteer opportunity has allowed me to be someone patients can express their concerns to or to be a comforting presence in their time of need.
Med 6
My first day volunteering, I was greeted by a wonderful group of nurses and nursing assistants. There are three halls with roughly 30 patient rooms on this medical unit. Having worked in a nursing home, I have experience working under a nurse and providing care for patients, and now, through volunteering, I get to see this side of direct patient care in a hospital setting. The patients on this unit are more transient than patients in a nursing home, but they still experience the same loneliness at times. Just the other day, I answered a call light of a newly admitted patient who was going to be transferred to another care facility in the days to come, who just needed someone to talk to. Before my volunteer time, I was informed he had been pressing the call light every 10 minutes to ask about this and that. I was able to sit with him as he expressed his concerns for his stay, his food options, and even his current life situations. He needed an ear to vent to, and I was happy to be able to provide that to him, and by the end of his venting, he told me how thankful he was that I was there to listen. I am in a unique situation volunteering because I have the time to dedicate to just one patient, and I can see the relief it gives the nursing staff. Beyond offering companionship to patients, I can help the nursing staff by completing the tedious tasks no one has time for, like organizing the nutrition room and fridge for better visibility and access, putting cleaned wheelchairs back in the equipment room, and bringing small items to patients' rooms. I am grateful to be able to have the time after work to be a part of the Med 6 team.