Tzippy David, ’19

Sherut Leumi, Shaare Zedek Hospital, Pediatrics Ward

I am doing Sherut Leumi at Shaare Zedek Hospital in the Pediatrics Ward. This entails working 8 hours shift either in the morning or evening each day. I do ECG’s for the patients and help set up IT’S. I need to make sure all the equipment is in place and give meals to the patients. When I started thinking about Sherut Leumi, I knew that I wanted to work with kids. I chose a bit later that I wanted to do something medical as well. That choice was inspired by the fact that I had taken the EMT class at Ida Crown and got an EMT license. It made me realize that I really enjoy medical work, and I was already trained and ready to do the work I’m doing now.

When coronavirus came to Israel and specifically my hospital, I didn’t find it scary working with kids with corona because we had proper PPE  and follow all the guidelines so that the care is safe for everyone involved. In my ward, kids with coronavirus are put in a separate room with a locked door. I was mostly in charge of bringing them food and talking to them on the phone to see if they need anything brought to them. Most of the kids brought into the ward that had coronavirus were hospitalized for another illness, and happened to have corona as well. The kids were isolated in the room with their parents, and most of the time it was their parents calling for logistical reasons. We gave the kids coloring books and other non-reusable toys they could play with to be less lonely while in isolation.