Jacks Nov. Blog

November hours: 9, Total hours: 14

This month, I got to partake in two great volunteer experiences. The first was helping out at the Tulane Brain Institute at the NOLA Heart Walk. I had a really fun time setting up and helping make some of the materials they used to help talk to people about brain health. I helped make little brain hats kids could wear, as well as neurons made from pipe cleaners, which we used to explain different parts of the neurons. It's great to have a station like this at a heart event, given how intertwined brain and heart health are. Increasing awareness of that linkage is really important, and I had a great time at the event. 

I also just started volunteering at the Manning Family Children's Hospital, where I get to help in the CICU. I was really looking forward to this because, as an anesthesia tech in Austin, I was part of the cardiac surgical team and wanted to experience the other side of postoperative care, which involved a lot of these kids who had open-heart or catheter surgery. For my orientation and my first shift, I was really just getting my bearings, but I love getting involved in a complex healthcare team and seeing how all the allied health professionals work together. This is something I'm very excited to continue throughout this semester and next semester.