Volunteer on Duty

A certificate of completion is given to every volunteer who finishes at least 100 hours of duty in the blood bank. Since a.) I was always absent or b.) 2 hours late for my scheduled time of duty because I was just sneaking under my father’s nose (he didn’t allow me to volunteer), and c.)I opted to be absent on November and October to prepare for my board examination, and d.) if ever I attend the duty I’d be 2 hours late, I was not able to complete the required 100 hours duty in the blood bank. Heck, even the second batch of volunteers last October was able to beat me in the attendance. So last week I thought of spending three days and two nights in the blood bank just to make up for the wasted times.

I brought clothes, a towel, shampoo, soap and other personal stuff that would last me for three days. There is a shower and a kitchen in the area so living inside the “big brother house” would not be a problem. There are three medtechs and each is on duty for 24 hours and their shifts rotate every three days. Maam Sol, the Medtech on duty last Monday, was surprised when I told her that I’d be there for three days. She told me how she finds it difficult to work for 24 hours, what more for 72 hours. I kept my hopes high.

I met the new volunteers and I was stunned that even though most of them were my schoolmates in college, my batchmates in fact, I haven’t even met them even once at school. The new volunteers are less outgoing than my batch and I talk most often than they are. The patients are hard to come by so I almost died of boredom.

I spent the first graveyard shift with KathleenRN and Mary. Before we sleep (we sleep at the bleeding area) I warned them that I snore. Mary was not bothered sine according to her KathleenRN’s snore is the loudest snore that she has encountered so far. Mary and KathleenRN always gang up with 7 other volunteers for the graveyard shift so they are really accustomed with snores, nevertheless, warning them about my snore is an SOP (much like a weather report on typhoon months). The next morning, they scowled at me as greeted them hello. They did not sleep because I just toppled Kathleen’s world record in the loudest snore.

The next night was even better. I get to hang out with Sir Sam, Sir Yham, RuthRN, YhaniRN, and ErikaMaeRN. For the first time, I didn’t mind being with people who smoke. We spent the whole night conversing mostly about ghosts but virtually almost about everything. Ruth and I were the last ones to sleep but we were the first ones to wake up.

I am starting to like the graveyard shift. Just as what I have observed before, unlike with the day shifts, graveyard shifts allow the volunteers to bond with each other more since less time is spent with the clients. The intimacy becomes more personal as we become more at ease with each other.