Can you put a taking care of a hospice family member on applications?
I haven't did a passion project and I'm in the summer before my senior year, I have an idea (maybe) on one but it's too late to show time commitment and stuff like that on it right?
That's what I was told. But my mother got extremely sick last year and was on hospice for almost half of my junior year. As the hospice working only came once a week, I was her my main caretaker along with my uncle. I'm about to start volunteering at a hospital, but was wondering if I could put hospice on an application?
Would that have the benefit of a passion project?
Or what can I do now in place of a passion project?
3 answers
A. Michelle Hawkins
A. Michelle’s Answer
Michelle’s Answer
Yes. Indeed include your experience on your resume - all of it. A suggestion I have is to put it under a heading such as Volunteer Work or Experience. Under the heading, show detailed facets of what you did. These may be things such as medication management, transferring, mobility assistance, benefits coordination, running errands, etc. I also want to suggest that you include situational counseling. Any time you have explained, advised or reassured the person, you have counseled them. You can put "private care for hospice patient" on your resume. That will indicate that you weren't working in a hospice facilty center.
A resume includes work activity of the past ten years. If an employer specifically wants more than that, they will let you know. On an application, however, I would put 'private home care for a hospice patient'.
I'm not sure why you didn't do the passion project but speak with your teacher and guidance counselor about those specifics. Since you are about to start volunteering in a hospital, I think that's putting your interest and skills to active use.
I wish you the very best in your new venture at the hospital. That is extraordinary special work and you are very special to be doing it !
Rian’s Answer
First off, I commend you for doing something so good on behalf of others. It's not easy to be so selfless all the time. I think that you could put it under your resume as volutneer work, but when applying to colleges it may be worthy to discuss it during your personal statement, opposed to listing it under your activities section. It would me more impactful if you discussed and reflected on the experience and how it changed you, opposed to it being a bullet point on your resume. Either way, keep up the good work!