Volunteering at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust

Role: Ward helper – Nell Gwynne (draft)

Purpose:

This is a very popular role as it provides patient contact and a good insight and experience of working in a hospital. The role provides the ward with an extra pair of hands, assisting with non-clinical tasks such as chatting to patients, distributing meals, making drinks and running errands for staff and patients.

SMA is a 28 bedded surgical ward admitting from the Emergency Department, GP referrals, Outpatients clinics, elective unscreened patients and High Dependency or Intensive care step downs. 12 beds are allocated to the Surgical Admissions Unit (SAU) – 6 male and 6 female where surgical admissions are assessed and cared for, with an estimated length of stay of 48 hrs.  The specialties we admit to are largely surgical, Lower and Upper Gastro-intestinal diseases and cancer, as well as those requiring general surgical procedures. In addition we accept some urological and plastics patients.

Duties (what you will be doing):

• Befriending: spending time with patients who do not have many visitors. This could include playing games, reading or any other activity. Patients might also be elderly and like to reminisce – there are specific activities available on the ward for patients with dementia
• Ensuring patient water jugs are full
• Taking samples to the laboratory
• Escorting patients to different departments within the hospital for bloods tests, scans and x-rays as instructed by medical staff
• Help with preparing patients for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
• Chatting to patients and visitors – supporting a welcoming environment
• Support the nurses with pharmacy collections
• Providing patients and families and friends of patients with tea, coffee and other refreshments
• Tidying up the day room – but not cleaning
• Help patients to complete the main survey (the Friends and Family Test)
• Helping with H.O.M.E.

Hydration and nutrition: work with patients who need encouragement to eat and drink, helping them with food choice, sitting and engaging them at meal times

Out of pyjamas: identify patients who are not dressed in their own clothes, discuss and encourage them to change and where this is agreed arrange time with the clinical staff for this to happen.

Movement: encouraging patients to stay mobile and active by e.g. encouraging them to get out of bed and into a chair, walk with them  (or push them in a wheelchair) to the Day Room etc. as advised by the clinical staff (although you will not be required to lift or move patients in chairs or other equipment without the appropriate training first)

Engagement: Engaging with patients in a variety of ways including by e.g. reading, playing board games, puzzles, taking them to the Medicinema or to performances in the atrium

Guidance on volunteers involved in assisting patients to eat

It is recognised that volunteers can play an important role assisting patient to eat and drink whilst in hospital.  There are a range of activities that volunteers may be involved with to assist patients.  The organisation, after careful consideration has been clear that no volunteer should feed a patient who requires full assistance with means. This task often involves a level of clinical assessment and the need for the staff member to be attune to subtle indications as to the patients willingness to feed.

That said there are a range of activities that would be helpful and include

• Sitting with patients at meal time, to socialise and normalise eating and to encourage those who require it to try a little more food or fluid
• Sitting with patients who may need prompting to eat, such as those with dementia or those who need additional encouragement
• Ensuring that a patient can reach their food and fluids
• Assisting a patient by placing their food onto the fork or spoon for them to eat
• Assisting with cutting up of food or refilling of fluids

The rule should be that volunteers never place food into a patients mouth, but can assist them with the process of them feeding themselves

Boundaries (what you won’t be doing):

• No clinical care of patients
• No patient feeding
• No personal care (e.g. toileting or getting patients changed)
• No cleaning
• No lifting of heavy equipment

Time commitment:

• We need volunteers to commit to at least one shift of 2 hours per week. Best times are 10:00- 12:00 or 12:00 -14:00 or 17:00 -19:00 on any day
• We expect a commitment of at least six months

Location:

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Rd, London SW10 9NH

Requirements of the role:

Age: You must be 16 years or older to volunteer in this role

Accessibility: This role is accessible to people with wheelchairs or who have other mobility issues

As a volunteer you will embody the Trust’s values:

• Putting patients first
• Responsive to, and supportive of, patients and staff
• Open, welcoming and honest
• Unfailingly kind, treating everyone with respect, compassion and dignity
• Determined to develop our skills and continuously improve the quality of care

Skills and other requirements:

• You must be self-motivated; with an ability to think on your feet and work independently
• You must be punctual and dependable
• You must have a professional and friendly demeanour
• You must be flexible and eager to learn
• You need a thick skin. Some patients might be distressed, and seeing patients with delirium or dementia can be distressing for some
• This is not a job shadowing opportunity and should not be considered a work placement. You must be motivated to volunteer, rather than shadow clinical staff

Pre-placement checks and training:

• You must have an enhanced criminal record check (DBS) for this role. If you do not have one already then we can organise and pay for one.
• This role requires that you have certain immunisations and you will need to complete a health declaration form – we will discuss this with you when you apply.
• You will receive a core volunteering induction.
• You will also receive a local induction and orientation. This will include any training that is relevant to perform your tasks on the specific ward.

Champions:

Junior Sister Kathleen Corpuz,

Healthcare Assistant Raquel Rabadon

Staff Nurse Alexis Gabayeron

Because shift patterns vary you will see different people depending on your shift. Please report to the nurses’ station when you arrive for your shift and you will be supervised from there.

Personal development:

You will gain experience of working in a busy hospital environment and frontline patient care. You will be part of an important and ground-breaking pilot project. You will develop particular skills and insights in caring for people with a variety of conditions following surgery related to a cancer diagnosis and patients of various ages.  We occasionally do care for patients who may have dementia that will need additional care support.  Your support will make a real difference to our patients. You will develop communication and team-working skills.