School: University of Pittsburgh

During my time as a volunteer in the West Penn Hospital, I have learned and gained a lot of insight about people’s daily suffering and this common and omnipresent process that we begin the moment we are born: Death. Death is a natural occurrence that everyone experiences in different ways because we are all different, … Continue reading “Lessons from those who left, but are not forgotten.”

How has your Hospice experience influenced your understanding of end of life issues? My hospice experience has been extremely positive! I did not expect it to be this way. I thought it would be somber and sad, but instead I have been able to have meaningful friendships, although sometimes very short, with people I would … Continue reading “Trying to make a difference”

One of the most meaningful Hospice relationships surprisingly did not occur in the hospital, but instead occurred while I was making Tuck-In calls to patients. Most Thursdays, I would make calls to patients and their family members to ensure that patients had enough supplies and support going into the weekend. Most of the time, patients … Continue reading “How Hospice Has Changed Me”

In my experience with hospice volunteering in the last 5 months, I have learned more in such a short amount of time than I ever could have in a classroom. As a 20-year old, I am what people might consider “lucky” when it comes to dealing with death. I have never had to deal with … Continue reading “Honesty is the Best Policy”

Throughout the last year, I have spent time volunteering in the inpatient hospice unit at West Penn Hospital as well as visiting the home of a patient with late stage dementia. Before I began this volunteering, I had no experience with death nor had I considered my feelings about death. However, through our discussions with … Continue reading “My Hospice Experience”

I was still a little flustered over missing my bus when I stepped into the hospice unit for my very first day of volunteering. After introducing myself to the nurses, I began working through the list of activities outlined for volunteers to complete and quickly settled into the homey environment of the unit. About halfway … Continue reading “Hymns and Hospice”

On my first day of hospice volunteering, I was nervous. I really didn’t want to feel afraid because I knew death was a natural occurrence. I understood that everyone has to die, and if I truly wanted to be a doctor I might have to deal with death every day. I thought to be an … Continue reading “Sensible and Sensitive Thought”

At the beginning of this year, I was both nervous and excited to participate in this program. Even though I had experiences with death in the past, I never took the time to think and talk about death in such an intimate way as I did in this program. Interacting with hospice patients and their … Continue reading “Becoming Comfortable with Death”

In most cultures, there are a few numbers that are considered unlucky. One example is triskaidekaphobia, a long name for a common fear in the US – the fear of the number 13. There are hotels that skip the 13th floor and shooting ranges that have a 12, 12a, and 14th booth. I never understood … Continue reading “死 -OR- Understanding why we sĭ”

I have found that my most meaningful hospice relationships were more transient interactions with patients; small reminders that even as the body is wearing down, that the spirit within isn’t gone. I can recall many instances of walking into a patient’s room to ask if they needed anything and getting a whip-like response to what … Continue reading “Dying, Death, and the Gift of it all”