Northern Health Volunteers

The purpose of the Emergency Department volunteer program at LMH is to work in partnership with paid staff of the Department, to enhance the quality of the ‘Emergency Department Experience’ for patients as well as the relatives and friends of the patients.

Volunteers bring to the Emergency Department a ‘non-clinical’ aspect of service aiming to provide support to those who are ill or confronting sudden trauma or loss.

Duties

The primary task of Emergency Department volunteers is to provide support to patients of the Department and their relatives and friends by:

• Sitting and conversing with a person who has a need to talk
• Listening to a person who has a need to talk
• Offering clients of the area refreshments as applicable, when checked with nursing staff
• Making telephone calls on behalf of clients
• Orienting relatives and friends to available Health Service facilities
• Assisting with the supervision of children who may be unsupervised due to parent’s treatment, if during playroom hours that may be an option
• Assisting with older individuals who may be confused, disoriented or alone

Volunteers who have time to spare outside of these duties may also assist (under the direction of the nursing and medical staff) with a range of other predetermined and agreed duties, designed to support paid staff in their roles. These may include:

• The restocking of trolleys, shelves, cubicles and observation bays as per the restocking lists provided
• Separating swab sheets and pre-packaged dressings, gloves, patient ID bands
• Making authorised deliveries to Pharmacy, X-Ray and other areas

Morning Shift – 9:00 – 12:30    Afternoon Shift – 12:30  to 4:00

Free onsite parking available and all training provided.