Eastern Zone - Guysborough, Antigonish, Strait Richmond

Our Ambassador volunteers are friendly hosts to patients, families and visitors as they enter Nova Scotia Health facilities. The Ambassador Volunteers help relieve stress for patients and visitors who enter our facilities by providing directions and information about our facilities during their visit. This is a fast-paced program with varying demands requiring volunteers to be on their feet and to walk throughout the buildings. If you love meeting new people and working in a busy environment, then these roles are for you. Some of the responsibilities include:

• Welcoming patients, visitors, and staff into the building.
• Helping with finding locations throughout designated buildings at the hospital.
• Accompanying people to the appropriate floor, clinic, or room and provide friendly support along the way.
• Assisting visitors in contacting the appropriate department and/or staff person.
• When required, providing wheelchair to accompany the person to floor, clinic, or room.
• Providing information to patients and visitors.

Clerk & Hospitality Midwifery Volunteer

A volunteer at the Highland Community Midwives Centre will be a friendly host to patients, families, and visitors as they enter the center. This will be a fast-paced program with varying demands requiring volunteers to be on their feet and to walk throughout the building.  Some of the responsibilities include:

• Welcome patients, visitors, and staff into the building, being friendly to all
• General clerical duties
• Stock materials
• Capture attendance of patient/visitor education sessions (may be outside regular hours)

Community Health Boards (CHBs) are groups of volunteers from local communities, who work together to improve health and wellness of their communities. They gather ideas from local community members and share information about how to improve and promote health and wellness close to home. They focus on the many factors that affect health and wellness in our communities including income, education, and sense of belonging, among others. CHBs share what they have learned about your health and wellness priorities with Nova Scotia Health, IWK Health Centre, and other pertinent community groups.

CHBs advocate for actions to promote and improve health and wellness based on what communities say is most important. Guided by their Community Health Plans, they develop partnerships with local community groups and they award Wellness Fund grants to local community projects.

You cannot serve on a CHB, if you are:

• An employee of the provincial health authority, the IWK Health Centre or the Department of Health and Wellness
• A person who holds privileges with the provincial health authority or the IWK Health Centre

To find a Community Health Board in your area, please check the following link: 

CHB Maps

Mental Health and Addictions volunteer programs give care and support to people living with mental health disorders and substance/gambling addictions. Our programs include health promotion and prevention, along with general and specialized treatment. Our Mental Health programs include outpatient/community-based programs, home/school-based interventions and inpatient services. Mental Health and Addictions volunteers assist staff with activities for patients to engage in a group or individual setting. They can also support patients on a one-to-one basis, providing mentorship and social interaction. As a Mental Health volunteer, you have an opportunity to positively impact people experiencing mental illness and/or addiction. Some of the responsibilities include: 

• Assisting with recreational activities in the unit
• Assisting with set up and clean up
• Encouraging and assisting patients to participate in activities
• Providing companionship and socialization in the unit
• Playing cards and/or board games with patients
• Actively engaging with patients

Palliative Care is a special kind of health care for individuals and families who are living with a terminal illness that may be at an advanced stage. The goal of palliative care is to provide comfort and dignity for the person living with advanced illness, as well as the best quality of life for both this person and his or her family. Our Palliative Care volunteers enhance the quality of life for patients and their families and work as members of a multi-disciplinary team. They contribute actively to the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual welfare of our patients and families. If you are interested in a role where you can contribute in a meaningful way for someone who is in the end-of-life stage, then this may be for you. Some of the responsibilities include:

• Listening to or conversing with patient or family; sometimes just being with the patient in silence
• Reading to the patient, write letters, singing for or with the patient, listen to music etc.
• Assisting staff with special requests i.e. organizing special events, such as a birthday or anniversary
• Relieving caregivers when practical and possible
• Providing on-going support to the family
• Reporting to staff information that might contribute to the quality of patient/family care and/or life

Our Therapy Dog volunteers bring comfort, joy and a sense of companionship through pet visitation to patients and residents in our facilities. All Therapy Dog volunteer teams are required to be certified through the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Training Program. As a Therapy Dog volunteer, you can provide a wonderful break in what can be a stressful time for both patients and staff alike. If you and your dog are a certified St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog team, then this role is for you. Some of the responsibilities include:

• Providing pet visitation and companionship to identified patients.
• Assuming responsibility for supervision of dog and any ‘clean up’ required.
• Ensuring that dogs are maintained on a leash at all times while on the hospital property.