Description
Key duties:
• Spending time with patients who are on their own.
• Recreational, social and therapeutic activities including: games, puzzles,
reading, reminiscing hobbies and musical entertainment.
• Accompany patients to non-clinical areas e.g. chapel, shop, restaurant/café
with consent from families/patient. Patient must be independently mobile and
deemed fit for leaving the ward area.
• To ensure patients know where facilities are located.
• Referring any patient concerns about their clinical care to a nurse.
• Assisting at mealtimes with guidance from nursing staff.
• Helping patients complete menu cards.
• Handing out food trays and collecting used trays.
• Cutting up food/opening containers
• Assisting patients to eat their meals
• Checking and completing food/fluid charts (depending on ward area)
• Providing fresh drinks and refilling water jugs
Personal specification:
• Volunteers must be 18 or over
• This is not a clinical role and you will not be shadowing or assisting staff
• Willingness to undertake any necessary training as outlined by staff
• Ability to work as a team player
• Ability to communicate well with patients
• Patience and composure
• A caring, sympathetic, sensitive manner and a non-judgemental approach
• Reliable/ dependable and flexible
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Have a positive outlook and enthusiastic approach
Additional requirements and general information
• Successful placement will be dependent on Disclosure Scotland PVG and
Occupational health clearances plus two character references
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times
• Volunteers should not: undertake duties outside this role description without
checking first with the Volunteer Manager; undertake any manual handling
tasks without the appropriate training; undertake patients’ personal or clinical
care
• A volunteer can offer emotional support and empathy but must under no
circumstances offer advice or medical opinion on a patient’s treatment
• Volunteers are in place to complement the work of the paid staff and are not
used to replace roles that are normally undertaken by paid hospital
employees
• Volunteers are bound by the ‘Volunteer Agreement’ which should be signed
and returned to the Volunteer Manager prior to undertaking this role
• You will be required to undertake training relevant to the role including:
corporate induction; role training prior to ward placement and other training as
identified for the role whilst on placement
• Volunteers are required during the following hours: breakfast 8am – 9.30am;
lunchtime – 12 – 2pm (approx.); and evenings 5pm – 7pm.
• Ability to commit to the same times each week would be preferre
Organisation aims and objectives
Volunteering opportunities within NHS Ayrshire & Arran
Restrictions
Successful placement will be dependent on Disclosure Scotland PVG and Occupational health clearances plus two character references
Minimum age: 18