This semester, I interned at Infinity Hospice Care. Infinity Hospice Care is a Hospice facility where they take in patients who are declining in health and provide care and comfort for them in their last moments in life. In my internship experience, I had two positions, as the "Administrative Angel," and "Social Butterfly." The Administrative Angel position entails being at the front desk of the IPU, and greeting family members, assisting with sign-ins, and organizing paperwork. On the other hand, as a Social Butterfly, I would do home-visits with a patient and provide socialization. Essentially, I would visit my patient and provide social interaction and listen. Through my internship experience, it taught me many skills, such as listening, communication, and patience, that will benefit me in my future career.
As a psychology major, being an intern at Infinity Hospice Care ties with my major of study. When I’m sitting with my patient, it's similar to a therapist, except I’m not diagnosing them, though it uses the same skills such as listening and knowing what to ask and not to ask. With elderly being the main patients, they normally will have some sort of disorder, and so having a background in these disorders is very helpful.
As much as it was a fulfilling experience, I don’t see myself pursuing a career in hospice, as I wanted to work with kids, however I can still apply the skills that I learned from the experience. This internship experience gave me an insight to what it's like working in healthcare, and its definitely attracted me more into the field. Educational requirements for this field differ depending on what career you're interested in, such as dietitian, therapist, nurse, personal care aid, etc. However, I think some skills that would be good to have are emotional resilience, compassion, and communication. Being under a hospice program, means having to work with patients are nearing their last moments in life. Not having the mental capacity for this job can really take a toll on your mental health, so it’s important to know yourself and what you’re getting into.
One piece of advice I have for incoming interns is to be patient. Meeting with my patient for the first time alone, was a rocky start. My patient knew a lot about history, history not being my strongest suit. I didn’t think he was the right fit for me initially, but I decided to stick around for another session and decide from there. Sticking with my patient was the best decision I ever made. It emphasized the importance of challenging yourself. I gained so much knowledge from the stories he shared and his knowledge on life and history. By being intellectually challenged, I was able to learn a lot. Through this experience, it taught me to value the elderly and really listen to the stories they have to share.
Thanks for being a great student this semester Jacques, I know you're going to do amazing work in your future.