Charlottetown teen spends Friday nights volunteering at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Rylee Power was inspired at a young age by her mother, a nurse, and her two older brothers who volunteered at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. The 17-year-old has worked in several departments since she started volunteering while in grade nine.

Power welcomes the opportunity to see each case as it comes in, and sees it as preparation for a future career in healthcare. She also sees the importance of being there for patients and staff when they are down.

“I like to be the smiling face when they're sad,” said Power. “That’s rewarding at the end of the shift when you may have helped or comforted someone who was going through something tough at that time.”

As unusual as it may seem for a teen to be spending her Friday nights at the hospital, Power enjoys the work and is continuing to prioritize it, despite the pandemic.

“I watch Grey's Anatomy and all those medical shows, but actually seeing it in real life is really cool.”

Source: The Guardian