Getting Connect-ED

     To expand my community outreach and improve my clinical skills, I began volunteering in the Emergency Department (ED) of Touro Infirmary in October. This month I have completed 16.5 hours which has allowed me to fulfill my volunteer requirements for this semester while further developing my clinical skills. One aspect that I particularly enjoy about this opportunity is that it allows me a chance to directly observe many of the concepts presented in class. For instance, on October 17, 2014 a man came into the ED with ventricular tachycardia and I was able to watch as the doctors utilized cardioversion to restore the man's heartbeat to a normal rhythm. Although I had just learned about cardioversion in the CV block, actually seeing the process take place with my own two eyes was an experience that I will not soon forget.            

     Although I miss many of the most interesting cases in the ED due to only volunteering a few hours a week, the nurses in the ED are constantly sharing information and discussing cases with each other as well as the doctors. Hearing these conversations allows me to gradually become more familiar with the language of the ED while continuing to form more connections between the ED and the Pharmacology program. One conversation I heard about recently involved a man coming to the ED with priapism that presented after he had injected himself with something. The nurses were talking about how much pain the man seemed to be in, but I did not catch what the name of the substance the man injected himself with. From class I knew that this directly injected erectile dysfunction medication was most likely a PG analog like Alprostadil or something comparable which I found to interesting. In the coming month I hope to continue drawing similar connections and expanding my knowledge of the Emergency Department at Touro.

A picture of the main entrance to Touro Infirmary on Prystania Street.

October hours: 13.5 (Touro ED)
Total hours: 32.5