Alexia Kemmerich

I assisted patients with mirror therapy which aims to help patients who have an arm injury or stroke to regain mobility by looking at their projected hand and arm movements on a screen and trying to copy them. It can be hard for patients to do it in the beginning but with consistent practice, time and effort, patients will eventually get there and have a successful recovery. I also volunteered with book cart so I handed out books, magazines, cross word puzzles, Sudoku puzzles, coloring books and other fun activities to patients. This allows patients to have something to do to occupy their time with during meal times and speech or occupational therapy sessions. I also did water refills so I went up to each patient's room on all units (1 North, 1 East, 1 West, 2 East and 2 West) both the first and second floor and asked if they wanted to refill their water pitchers with fresh water and ice. I also assisted patients and took them outside to look at nature, get some sunlight and be more engaged. I also had conversations with patients and got to know them more on a personal level which was cool. Lastly, I did patient visits so I went up to each patient's room on all units on both the first and second floor and had conversations with them. It was cool getting to know more about the patients, what they did for a living before ending up in the hospital, if they have kids and are married, etc. I also talked about myself like which high school I attended, what college I'm planning to attend in the fall, what my college major is, what main responsibilities I do at the hospital and so much more. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm happy I got to learn more about what it's like working in the medical field and whether I'd consider doing this as a career in the future.