Description: A second key experience I had that contributed to be growing as a future dietitian was volunteering as a visiting volunteer at Ridge Meadows Hospital.

Personal Reflection: Empathy is a key attribute required to be a compassionate and understanding Dietitian. Visiting elderly patients on the Patient Assessment to Home unit at Ridge Meadows Hospital gave me an invaluable experience that I believe helped me to develop as an empathetic listener. Patients staying on the unit where I was volunteering were often in transitional stages in their lives going  from living on their own to moving on to living in group or care homes. This was often very hard on the individuals, and they would often share with me how they were feeling about the transitions they were going through. Although I found it difficult at times to see some of theses individuals upset about their current situation, it gave me an invaluable opportunity to further develop as an empathetic listener, listening to what they were saying, and show compassion for what they were going through.

This experience also enabled me to develop as a patient listener. In addition to people transitioning in their living situations, there were also a number of people suffering from Alzheimers and Dementia. While visiting with theses individuals, they would often forget what they were talking about, or repeat something they had perviously said. This gave me a uniques perspective into how to effectively carry a conversation with such people, allowing them to continue on with their story regardless of if they lost their place or repeated themselves, without suggesting that they had repeated themselves or changed topics.

As a Dietitan I believe the empathetic and patient listening skills I developed Volunteering at Ridge Meadows Hospital will provide a fantastic foundation to build upon to becoming an empathetic and compassionate health care provider.

Specific Competency Indicators Addressed: 

Communication and Collaboration 2.04 E: Demonstrate Empathy