Being a Hospital Volunteer

Most hospital volunteers do their work withoutThe duties attended to by hospital volunteers
receiving any kind of regular salary. They work indiffer depending on the particular needs of the
different health care settings and would usually bedifferent facilities. They could serve as
under a nurse's supervision. A lot of hospitals havereceptionists. They could also be in charge of the
them trained and supervised through auxiliaries,filing and retrieval of documents. They could also
which are special non-profit organizations. Directorsprovide some administrative back-up, visit with
of these auxiliaries would usually be paid hospitaladmitted patients, assist visitors, and transport
employees.different items needed within the hospital or
Hospital volunteers are sometimes given themedical facility.
nickname of "candystripers". This nickname wasDue to the laws of health care and insurance
derived from the clothing worn by traditionalliability, hospital volunteers are usually limited to
female hospital volunteers, which were red-andduties, which are clerical in nature and other
white colored striped jumpers. However, theactivities, which would not require any direct
name and uniform are seldom used today.contact with the patients.
The services and duties performed by them areHospitals and medical facilities often keep them in
usually of significant importance for the healtha single place, usually called a dispersal unit, then
care system as well as for the individual patients.assign them to do tasks and duties which are
There are some individuals who do volunteerbased on labor demand that is real-time, while
work in their high school or college days, whileother hospitals would assign volunteers as one unit
others volunteer later in their lives, like afterfor the entire duration of their services.
retiring from their regular jobs.