Every day, Nova Scotia Health volunteers make someone's day brighter in communities across Nova Scotia.
Who are our volunteers?
Nova Scotia Health volunteers are individuals looking for a rewarding opportunity to share not only their time, but also to provide meaningful support to patients, clients, residents, their families and our frontline staff through a variety of roles. Volunteers are a vital link in the important work of Nova Scotia Health.
Why volunteer with us?
Volunteers complement the care provided by professional staff. As a volunteer, you can gain personal satisfaction from helping others, obtain experience relevant to your future employment or educational plans, meet new people and learn more about the health care system.
How much time do I need to commit?
As a general rule, we ask volunteers to commit to approximately two or three hours per week, on a regularly scheduled day, for a minimum of four months. The minimum volunteer commitment may be greater than four months depending on the site and the volunteer position of interest to you.
Get to know our volunteers!
Keltie & Maiya (Therapy Dog Team)
Brenda Mackenzie (Patient and Family Advisor)
The goal of our Recreation programs is to encourage and support residents in long-term care homes and hospital inpatient units to participate in recreation, leisure, and communication-based experiences. Activities could include creative expression, music, relaxation, exercises, games, or conversations. Throughout each shift, volunteers are actively engaged with patients and provide companionship and socialization. In addition, they help with setting up and cleaning up, before and after the activities. These programs give the participants the opportunity to engage in regular mental and physical activities, and to notice the benefits that such activities have on one's health. If you have a passion for healing through Recreation actives, then this may be of interest to you.
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.
Our Veterans volunteer programs provide support to those who have tirelessly served our country at home and abroad. The meal assistance volunteer role can range from providing short one-to-one social interaction, meal set up to full meal assistance with a resident within our Veteran’s unit. If you are interested in giving back to those who have given so much to us, then one of these roles may be for you.
Our Volunteers work in a supportive and interactive long term care environment to provide support to Veterans, residents, families and staff members as part of the care team at our facilities. Long term care volunteers can visit with patients and families, support staff with non-clinical patient care, sit with patients during meals and do a range of tasks from stocking linen carts to filling water jugs. The work can be fast paced one shift and calmer the next. Our In-Patient volunteer programs allow volunteers to gain hands on experience in a health care setting.
The goal of our Geriatric Physiotherapy program is to aid our Veterans/Residents to maintain and/or improve their overall health and wellbeing. Our exercise assistant volunteers have the opportunity to support a variety of different rehabilitation experiences, including balance, walking, endurance and cardiovascular exercises. If you are interested in Physiotherapy and or Kinesiology and contributing to Geriatric physiotherapy these roles would be of interest to you.
PURPOSE OF POSITION:
The program will allow the volunteer to provide appropriate musical entertainment for residents and veterans living in the long-term care setting. This can be in the form of a singsong or other musical performance.
Nova Scotia Health is committed to providing a safe, healthy, and respectful environment for team members (employees, physicians, learners and volunteers), patients, residents, families, and visitors that reflects our Vision, Mission and Values.
Respectful Conduct
All Nova Scotia Health team members, patients, families and visitors are required to:
Our Values:
• Respect • Integrity • Courage • Innovation • Accountability
