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!

[Altra, BSN, RN]

You will come out of this experience having learned far more than you ever dreamed about interpersonal communication. :)

I think it's OK to be a bit more assertive when asking a quick question, such as whether the patient in room 1 can have something to drink. Trust me, if it's yes, the nurse will appreciate that you're able to do this simple thing for the patient that's going to keep them happy for the next hour. (maybe - LOL) If not - it's a simple no, and that's that. Any annoyance you perceive from the nurse is most likely not in response to YOU, personally, but to the fact that the patient/family has asked 15 times already.

Ask families if they are familiar with the hospital and where the cafeteria is or where the restrooms are - in case they want to step away for a brief time and get coffee or something. They'll appreciate the information.

Ask patients if they need a blanket. ER patients can't seem to get enough blankets, even in July.

If you see a nurse discharging a patient who looks like they might need a wheelchair - offer to go retrieve that wheelchair. Or maybe you can walk with the discharged patient & family to the waiting room and remain with the patient while family goes to pull the car up.

And if there's truly nothing else that you can see to do at the moment, go ask the unit secretary if there are charts to be put together (if the hospital is not paperless) or some other simple clerical task that you can help them with.

Thanks for all that you do.