ER Nurses- How do you feel about ED volunteers?

[VagusX]

I'm a CNA (non-working) and soon to be nursing student and I just started volunteering in my local hospital's ED. I've shadowed a retired nurse volunteer twice and will be starting my 4 hour shifts next week by myself.

I feel very uncertain about whether I am a hindrance or a help to the nurses and techs. My duties include stocking rooms, cleaning rooms and making beds, collecting pharmacy items and labs from the pneumatic tubes and giving them to the patient's nurse, and of course, catering to the patients and families.

I have to be "on" during these shifts because I am essentially having a first impression on what I hope is a future employer and co-workers, but I just feel plain awkward at times. I've also had some interesting looks from some of the nurses which I can't decipher but they are not exactly welcoming looks.

My question is, what are your impressions of volunteers in the ED? What are your expectations of volunteers? What do volunteers do that tick you off or what do they do that you really appreciate?

Thanks so much!

[One1, BSN, RN]

What you will be able to do or not depends on the hospital. Our volunteers are not allowed to move patients/get patients in and out of bed and should not touch monitor or pump settings. Volunteers are the greatest help when they clean our rooms, especially on busy days when even the techs are busy starting IVs, splinting, etc. Learn how to read the board and clean a room as soon as the patient leaves, and staff will love you . If you bring warm blankets and drinks to pts make sure you check with the nurse first to see if the pt has a fever or is NPO. Taking care of family members, directing them to the cafeteria, bathroom, etc is also great support for the staff. We appreciate our volunteer staff, especially the pro-active ones that are on top of room cleaning and ask as how they can help.

[RonCA84]

I was a former volunteer and completely agree with many of these posts. Starting out, you obviously will not remember where everything is located or how every process works, that is what time and experience provides.

I received praise from many nurses and staff for learning these steps and "anticipating" items, procedures, or processes (within our scope as volunteers) could do right away. If I didn't know a step, I would ask "if you have a moment to show so that I can help you in the future more effeciently, I'd appreciate it..." BOOM that will win them over (of course if they are busy, do not expect it). Good luck and since you are a student, keep those eyes and ears open, learn!!!

[P51Mike1980]

I'd like to add something else to my previous comment, if you've been trained to, answer the phones! You don't know how much its appreciated if you can give the secretaries a break and be the go between the phone and the nurse/ED physicians. Its not just the nurses you are working with, but the doctors and secretaries too. A lot of volunteers I've seen forget this and only make themselves available to the nurses. Doctors, secretaries, and techs appreciate volunteers that are helpful too! Remember, they can always put in a good word for you when looking for a job!

[brainkandy87]

I feel the same about everyone, whether they are a nurse, tech, aide, volunteer, family, et al. I love them if they are a help to me and/or my patients. They can get the #$@! out and stay away from my patients if they aren't.

This reminds me of a volunteer we have that visits patients all over the hospital. She's gotta be like 120 years old, carries around an tiny boombox with her and sings to the patients. I'll never forget when I was working in the cancer center and she strolled in there. This bitter old man was sitting there in the recliner, getting his chemo. He was from Boston and there was no filter on his mouth. Well, she starts singing. I've always thought she sounded, well, awful. But a lot of patients seem to enjoy her, so I can't complain. This guy was not one of those patients. Oh man, he let that poor old lady know how he felt. It involved a number of things, from how she sounded like a man to how she was making cancer seem like a secondary problem compared to her voice.

Kind of off topic and unrelated, but the volunteer thing made me think of that. I love my job.

[CrashED]

Honestly....THEY DRIVE ME BONKERS!!!!!

[P51Mike1980]

Any reason why?

[sapphire18]

???..

[RNFiona]

I know they are volunteering their tim and they are well intentioned but some of them are really effing annoying...I.E. interrupting me when I am trying to give or receive report at a shift change to inform me that the drunk guy in the hall who has been to the ED 27 times in the last week would like a sandwich. Like, really? Ugh

[P51Mike1980]

That's pretty rude of them, and I haven't seen that happen in the ED I volunteer in. The only time I'd ever interrupt a nurse who is in the middle of making a report/treating/talking to a doctor, is if there is a medical emergency. If you haven't done so, just tell them you're busy and you'll get to that patient when you have a second and if they continue to do so, tell them not to interrupt you when you are busy. If they take offense, too bad, they probably want to become nurses and they can use it as training on growing a thicker skin.

[VagusX]

Well, I've now been an ER volunteer for about 2 months. I thought that I would chime in with an update as to my perspective of the experience.

With respect to the recent post on the volunteer butting into the nurses conversation, I can say that that is what I consciously try to avoid doing. It is absolutely inappropriate for anyone to loudly insert their voice, uninvited, into someone's conversation. I do think that it isn't so easy for a volunteer to know when to be assertive and when to hang back. I lack assertiveness so I constantly worry that I'm not being assertive enough.

Here's an example of how I'm addressing this kind of situation. I still haven't figured out what the right thing is to do so advice is appreciated. A call light goes on. I go in to see what the patient needs (which the nurses want me to do so that the call light can be turned off). The patient asks for a drink of water. I tell them that I need to check with their nurse first but I will let them know either way whether than can or not. I go look up which nurse is that is assigned to the patient. I find the nurse who always looks busy either charting or talking to someone else. If they are talking to someone else and I don't feel it is a lengthy or personal conversation, I hang back in the wings and wait for either the convo to end or for the nurse to acknowledge and address me. Quite often, neither of these happen in which case I let the patient know I'm working on it and wait for the opportunity to ask in a non-annoying way. When the nurse is charting, I'm not sure what to do. It feels the same to me as butting in on a convo.

I wish that I was given more responsibilities. I'm more than eager but I'm largely ignored. I've joined forces with housekeeping though, and we kick butt turning rooms over. I never stop moving even when I've run out of stuff to do.

The other thing I'm wondering about is what to do with patients. I go in and explain who I am and ask them (and family/friends) if they are warm enough, need the phone, or anything else. If they don't, I just tell them that I will be around if they change their minds. I'm not sure if I'm making myself available enough but it seems that in the ER, people aren't in the mindset of wanting to have a chat or have a stranger sit with them. Thoughts?

P.S I'm in awe of the charge nurses. How do you guys do it? You are responsible for everyone, staff and patients and you always seem to be in control of it all. I am constantly impressed.

[P51Mike1980]

In terms of being given more responsibility I can tell you it will come (to the extent a volunteer can get more responsibility), but you need to be patient. Volunteers have a high turnover and nurses don't always want to invest responsibility in someone who is going to leave at any given moment.

[mybrowneyedgirl, BSN, RN]

I love them, though I rarely get a chance to work with them because I work nights. Thanks for volunteering .I hope you love it.