What do your ER volunteers do?

DebanamRN, MSN, RN · May 23, 2009

make beds

pass meal trays

take people to the lobby

help make phone calls

one bedpans!

and millions of other "little" things i can't recall.

i love each and every one of our volunteers!

ThrowEdNurse, BSN, RN · May 24, 2009

Nothing.

Our "volunteers" (use the word loosely) are premed students who come so they can put it on their applications/get credit, etc. They get in the way and are useless.

2BSure · May 24, 2009

Nothing.
Our "volunteers" (use the word loosely) are premed students who come so they can put it on their applications/get credit, etc. They get in the way and are useless.

Uh Oh! These are exactly who we were wanting to attract.

jesa · May 24, 2009

I love our volunteers, too, but I don't think they are premed students. they make beds, restock, transport, pass trays, and help out in any other way they can

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 26, 2009

Wow ... we don't have those at all! Must be nice.

Larry77, RN · May 26, 2009

Ours sit out in the WR and help with questions and help take visitors in to the maze of our dept....they are quite an asset actually.

crb613, BSN, RN · May 26, 2009

Ours help stock, get things like blankets, pillows for pts. Some are great....some are just in the way. There is one that will set at the triage window & say...are you having cp or soa? if so I will get you right back.....not at the window any more!

DebanamRN, MSN, RN · May 26, 2009

Our volunteers are mostly "senior" citizens who wipe the floor with the younger generation. Their energy and work ethic are to be emulated! When they arrive for the day, we thank our lucky stars.

flee43 · May 26, 2009

I've actually been an ER volunteer through a program called Clinical Care Extender (CCE) that's located in Escondido, CA and in the Newport Beach area. Regular volunteers are pretty limited in what they can do (like, no contact with bodily fluids, no taking vitals, etc.) but the CCEs can actually do all of that. We have training and get hands-on experience by taking vitals, helping transport/feed/bathe patients, and when we're on the Med/Surg floors, we're right next to the CNAs helping them clean up patients. In terms of being in the ER, I'm usually up at triage taking vitals and leading new patients to their rooms. We clean up beds and rooms, make sure they're well stocked, and we're usually allowed to help the nurses and techs place leads, and make sure patients are comfortable as possible. We're even allowed to do chest compressions and help bag dead bodies that need to be taken down to the morgue. It's a little different from what the other volunteers get to do, but we definitely learn a lot and the hospital team really like having us on and think we're an asset. If you want more information about the CCE program, feel free to check out this website: http://copehealthsolutions.org/hwt/cce.html

2BSure · May 26, 2009

I've actually been an ER volunteer through a program called Clinical Care Extender (CCE) that's located in Escondido, CA and in the Newport Beach area. Regular volunteers are pretty limited in what they can do (like, no contact with bodily fluids, no taking vitals, etc.) but the CCEs can actually do all of that. We have training and get hands-on experience by taking vitals, helping transport/feed/bathe patients, and when we're on the Med/Surg floors, we're right next to the CNAs helping them clean up patients. In terms of being in the ER, I'm usually up at triage taking vitals and leading new patients to their rooms. We clean up beds and rooms, make sure they're well stocked, and we're usually allowed to help the nurses and techs place leads, and make sure patients are comfortable as possible. We're even allowed to do chest compressions and help bag dead bodies that need to be taken down to the morgue. It's a little different from what the other volunteers get to do, but we definitely learn a lot and the hospital team really like having us on and think we're an asset. If you want more information about the CCE program, feel free to check out this website: http://copehealthsolutions.org/hwt/cce.html

I am all for volunteers, especially if they are students of the med profession, getting involved as much as possible. Things like taking vitals and bathing patients doesn't seem appropriate for volunteers. Truly I mean no disrespect. What I have come up with so far is:

Cleaning rooms

Restocking linen and room supplies

Replenishing phlebotomy tray supplies

Assist a qualified paid staff member with patient transport

Escort family/friends to patient bedside or floor where admitted

Restock UA supplies in bathrooms

Run samples to lab when the pneumatic tube system is down

Restock procedure and disease brochures

Put together paperwork packages

Still adding to the list.

flee43 · May 26, 2009

I can understand where you're coming from. All Clinical Care Extenders (CCEs) are age 18 and over. Most of us are college students or older adults who are getting their feelers out to see if the health profession is for them. For our younger volunteers in high school, they are certain restrictions in that they are not allowed to take vitals or see genitalia. All CCEs are trained for three days in basic anatomy/physiology and how to help hospital staff properly by medical/nursing students and administrators. The program sounds kind out of there for some, but that's what makes it so different. To each his own.