Hospital volunteer
Encyclopedia
Hospital volunteers work without regular pay
in a variety of health care
settings, usually under the supervision of a nurse. Most hospital
s train and supervise volunteers through a specialized non-profit organization called an auxiliary
. The director of the auxiliary is usually a paid employee of the hospital.
A hospital volunteer is sometimes nicknamed a candy striper. This name is derived from the red-and-white striped jumpers
that female volunteers traditionally wore in the United States
, which resembled stick candy
. The name and uniform are used less frequently now.
In the United States, volunteers' services are of considerable importance to individual patients as well as the health care system
in general. Some people volunteer during high school
or college
, either out of curiosity about health-care profession
s or in order to satisfy mandatory community service requirements imposed by some schools. Still others volunteer at later stages in their life, particularly after retirement
.
A few hospitals ask their volunteers to help out with janitorial duties, like cleaning beds. Other "advanced volunteers" include patient-care liaisons and volunteer orderlies. These volunteers must operate on the orders of a nurse or a physician and are given special training to permit them to work with patients. They are also more common in large hospitals, particularly university-affiliated hospitals and teaching hospitals, as they allow pre-medical students to gain experience in patient care while taking pressure off a busy care team.
Some hospitals manage their volunteers from a dispersal unit and assign them to tasks based on real-time labor demand, while other hospitals assign volunteers to a single unit for the duration of their service. Female volunteers traditionally wore pink-and-white jumpers, while male volunteers traditionally wore light-blue tunics or shirts over dark slacks. Today, male and female volunteers often wear a uniform shirt or a short-sleeved shirt with slacks. Some volunteers (particularly "advanced volunteers") will wear scrubs
, but this is usually avoided so volunteers are not confused with medical personnel. All volunteers wear ID tags within the hospital and these will prominently indicate the volunteer's status and position.
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
in a variety of health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
settings, usually under the supervision of a nurse. Most hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s train and supervise volunteers through a specialized non-profit organization called an auxiliary
Auxiliary
Auxiliary may refer to:* A backup site or system* Auxiliary input jack, generally for audio* Auxiliary verb* International auxiliary language* Auxiliary police* Auxiliaries, troops supporting the main force of an army** Auxiliaries...
. The director of the auxiliary is usually a paid employee of the hospital.
A hospital volunteer is sometimes nicknamed a candy striper. This name is derived from the red-and-white striped jumpers
Jumper dress
A jumper , pinafore dress or pinafore is a sleeveless, collarless dress intended to be worn over a blouse, shirt or sweater.In British English, the term jumper describes a sweater...
that female volunteers traditionally wore in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which resembled stick candy
Stick candy
Stick candy is a long, cylindrical variety of hard candy, usually four to seven inches in length and 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter, but in some extraordinary cases up to 14 inches in length and two inches in diameter...
. The name and uniform are used less frequently now.
In the United States, volunteers' services are of considerable importance to individual patients as well as the health care system
Health care system
A health care system is the organization of people, institutions, and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations....
in general. Some people volunteer during high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
or college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, either out of curiosity about health-care profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
s or in order to satisfy mandatory community service requirements imposed by some schools. Still others volunteer at later stages in their life, particularly after retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
.
History
Candy Stripers originated as a high-school civics class project in East Orange, New Jersey, in 1944. The uniforms were sewn by the girls in the class from material provided by the teacher - a red-and-white-striped fabric known as "candy stripe". (source: interview with Adele M. Huck, a student in the class). The students chose East Orange General Hospital as the home for their class project.Duties
Duties of hospital volunteers vary widely depending upon the facility. Volunteers may staff reception areas and gift shops; file and retrieve documents; provide administrative backup; help visitors; visit with patients; or transport various small items like flowers, medical records, lab specimens, and drugs from unit to unit. Because of health-care laws and insurance liability, volunteers are often limited to clerical duties, or other activities which do not require direct contact with patients.A few hospitals ask their volunteers to help out with janitorial duties, like cleaning beds. Other "advanced volunteers" include patient-care liaisons and volunteer orderlies. These volunteers must operate on the orders of a nurse or a physician and are given special training to permit them to work with patients. They are also more common in large hospitals, particularly university-affiliated hospitals and teaching hospitals, as they allow pre-medical students to gain experience in patient care while taking pressure off a busy care team.
Some hospitals manage their volunteers from a dispersal unit and assign them to tasks based on real-time labor demand, while other hospitals assign volunteers to a single unit for the duration of their service. Female volunteers traditionally wore pink-and-white jumpers, while male volunteers traditionally wore light-blue tunics or shirts over dark slacks. Today, male and female volunteers often wear a uniform shirt or a short-sleeved shirt with slacks. Some volunteers (particularly "advanced volunteers") will wear scrubs
Scrubs (clothing)
Scrubs are the shirts and trousers or gowns worn by nurses , surgeons, and other operating room personnel when "scrubbing in" for surgery. In the United Kingdom, they are sometimes known as Theatre Blues. They are designed to be simple with minimal places for dirt to hide, easy to launder, and...
, but this is usually avoided so volunteers are not confused with medical personnel. All volunteers wear ID tags within the hospital and these will prominently indicate the volunteer's status and position.