Medical student volunteering during COVID-19: lessons for future interprofessional practice

ABSTRACT

Due to the unprecedented pressures on healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical students internationally volunteered to assist in hospitals. In the United Kingdom, most students worked in roles similar to Healthcare Assistants: helping to support nurses in providing patient care. Although the current situation is exceptional, with medical students eager to contribute to the COVID-19 response, they have also gained valuable experience in interprofessional collaboration. By working closely with nurses, medical students have gained practical understanding of the different roles within the hospital environment and been involved in providing hands-on care to patients. The experience of the current pandemic has shown the willingness of medical students to volunteer in Healthcare Assistant roles and demonstrated the ability of hospitals to successfully integrate students into established nursing teams. This short report provides a reflection on the advantages of these placements and argues for their continuation in future practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Interprofessional collaboration
• interprofessional education
• collaboration
• interprofessional practice

Declaration of interest

The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of this article.

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Rosalyn Buckland

Rosalyn Buckland is currently a final-year medical student at Barts and the London. She previously completed a PhD in English Literature (Medical Humanities) at King's College London. During COVID-19 she worked as an agency Healthcare Assistant at St Mary's Hospital, and as a volunteer in ICU at St Bartholomew's Hospital.