I started my volunteer work this week and I got one word.. Tiring. Walking around, back and forth the whole time is not my idea of exercise when it involves  the scorching heat of the sun.. (yup, me and my sun phobia).

Anyhow, in a couple of days there, I have learned a lot and so as my patience being tested on a regular basis. My shift covers the entire morning and afternoon. I arrive when clients get their morning care and leave when they eat dinner and dealing with elder clients has nothing luxurious attached to it. However, talking and hearing out their stories (either sane and insane patients), it was evident that each and one of them deals with hopelessness, depression and  even the lost of trust to the very institution that takes care of them. In 3 days, I have formulated more than 20 nursing diagnoses and pinpointed what needs to be changed to improve the lives of the elders. Also, if you want to practice a great deal of therapeutic communication and techniques, it’s nice to do it here because you’ll be surprised on their responses and how they respond to you and that in less than 10 minutes, you can figure out what went wrong and why they are way they are…

I am actually doing something worthwhile…. I am actually giving back something to the society… and as funny as it sounds, it kinda feels great!