Reflection Paper: Volunteering Benefits and Your Career

Reflection Paper: Volunteering Benefits and Your Career

Grand Canyon University: LDR-462 Professional Applications in Service Learning II

Volunteering Benefits and Your Career

The choice to volunteer is different for everybody. One common factor of volunteering is the benefit for all involved. There are immense benefits that one can gain from giving a few hours of free time to any organization. Volunteering is a great opportunity for self-growth, the ability to improve and develop skills. Volunteering can open new doors to explore unfound interests and goals that were never seen before. Volunteering is an excellent way to improve career advancements by gaining the skills needed to move forward in positions, leadership, and shadow others for experience not otherwise available. Making connections and networking is a beneficial part of volunteer opportunities as well.

Contributions to Future Career Goals

I had an excellent opportunity to volunteer and explore my niche even further assisting and educating students within the radiography department. I received some flattering words from several students for helping and taking additional time they needed to understand information that was not as clear as it should have been made. It gave me great confidence in knowing that they benefited from my knowledge and approach.

I was also fortunate enough to be asked to speak on behalf of my son for the Four Diamonds Foundation. This was an overwhelming experience. It was emotional but also empowering to give information to others on how the Four Diamonds can support and improve a child’s life when cancer has drained the hope for their family. This organization is truly a blessing. Many people are unaware of their support and how far they go to save lives. Speaking in front of an entire auditorium was a frightening thought, but not as frightening as facing cancer. This experience helped me face my fear of speaking in public and it helped a wonderful cause as well. I now know I am capable to discuss a difficult emotional subject while facing a large group. This is an excellent skill for future leadership if the need arises to speak in large groups.

Student Assistance in Radiography

Holding a current degree in radiography with a current employer that is a clinical site for student radiographers allows for an excellent opportunity to give additional assistance to students with difficult studies, questions, and imaging projects or needs. Part of being a professional is to uphold the ethics of our profession. It is of the utmost importance to support students as they transform into professionals. College not only instills the knowledge needed to provide a beneficial career for the future but also instills personal growth and maturity to become a professional leader needed to adapt and inspire change.

Improved Skills

Change not only impacts the students but volunteering also is a great advantage to technologists as well. This is an excellent way to learn and fine tune your communication skills to explain and discuss problem solving with students and you provide information or demonstration. This may help to step out of your comfort zone while improving upon your skills to articulate, explain, and remain calm when others need your assistance.

Collaboration is implemented as well with and assisting the students and discussing the plan and treatment needs for patients and how to go about providing those needs. You must be able to accurately explain thoughts and plans to accommodate for patient care needs.

Responsibility

With certain volunteer situations you must decide how much responsibility you are willing to maintain. Within the medical field and patient care this usually comes at a high level. With radiography and student involvement personal experiences involved reminders of possible HIPAA issues for calling full names in in appropriate areas, checking prescriptions for proper studies for the appropriate body part and symptom, correct name, date of birth, and ordering physician. This becomes very involved when a student is new, and it can be very overwhelming. Often you must remind them to just take it one step at a time and don’t rush until all has been confirmed. Speed and accuracy are two different ends of the spectrum and often a reminder is appropriate.

Experiences at Grand Canyon University

I have had a good experience at Grand Canyon University. It did take me sometime to become comfortable with posting my work on the computer. With updating the system there was some confusion for me. I am sure there were students that did not have any problems, although change is always an issue for me. I also have always had an issue with references. I still do to this day even with assistance from all our sources.

I can say that all the Professors have been influential in my education at the University. I truly feel they are teaching for the right reasons and want us all to succeed. This is what we all should strive for in our career paths. This is true leadership.

I have changed a great deal spiritually. I did not understand much of the Bible and it was confusing to me. I enjoyed Christian Worldview class and it was very interesting to me and it brought everything together for me. I can honestly say I was afraid to see that class on my schedule and I am now grateful it was assigned to me. I feel closer to God because of it. I feel more positive and love myself more because of it as well.

Professionally, I feel that I am getting a wonderful education and have a confident attitude and I am excited to move on to new endeavors.

I am better prepared for professional life due to leadership goals, updated information trends within our career set and what companies are looking for in our field for the future.

This experience will impact my career by allowing me to have a rich, leadership role in any career move I make upon graduation.