Volunteer Recruitment: Strategies For Hospitals To Attract Helpers

Volunteers are an integral part of any hospital, providing crucial support to patients and healthcare professionals. They play a vital role in the healthcare and emotional well-being of patients, offering comfort, companionship, and assistance with daily tasks. With a decline in volunteerism in recent years, hospitals face the challenge of attracting and retaining volunteers. To address this, hospitals must creatively advertise volunteer opportunities, targeting the right candidates and utilizing various platforms, including local communities and online channels. This involves crafting detailed job descriptions, highlighting benefits, and considering the qualifications, skills, and attributes desired in prospective volunteers to determine the best places to advertise.

Highlight the impact of volunteering

When advertising for hospital volunteers, it is important to highlight the impact of volunteering. Here are some ideas to consider:

Improving Patient Experience and Care

Volunteers play a crucial role in enhancing the patient experience and the quality of care they receive. They provide an "extra pair of hands," allowing medical professionals to focus more on patient care. Volunteers can assist with various tasks such as restocking patient rooms, delivering gifts, and spending time with patients, improving their comfort and happiness. In paediatric settings, volunteers can read to children, provide entertainment, and participate in pet therapy programs, bringing joy to young patients and positively impacting their recovery.

Emotional Support and Social Interaction

Volunteers offer emotional support to patients, especially in long-term stays and rehabilitation units. They can engage patients in recreational activities, improving their mood and providing a sense of companionship. This social interaction is beneficial for patients' mental health and can lead to better treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. Volunteers can also provide emotional support to family members, reducing their stress and offering a friendly face during challenging times.

Administrative and Operational Support

Volunteers contribute to the smooth operation of hospitals by supporting administrative and operational tasks. They can serve as door greeters, receptionists, and waiting room attendants, guiding patients and visitors, and providing directions and information. This support ensures that patients and their families feel more confident and less overwhelmed during their time in the hospital.

Community Engagement and Fundraising

Volunteers are essential for community engagement and fundraising efforts. They can collaborate with hospital administration to advance patient care services and the patient experience by organising or participating in fundraising activities. This support helps secure additional resources, enhance clinical enhancements, and purchase medical equipment, ultimately improving the quality of care provided to patients.

Personal Growth and Wellbeing

Highlighting the personal benefits of volunteering can attract potential candidates. Emphasise how volunteering provides a sense of meaning, purpose, and accomplishment. Research shows that volunteering improves physical and mental health, reduces stress, and increases life satisfaction and self-esteem, especially among older adults.

When advertising for hospital volunteers, emphasising these impacts can attract individuals passionate about making a difference and contribute to a successful recruitment campaign.

Outline the volunteer's role

Outline the volunteers' role

Volunteers play a crucial role in hospitals, providing support to both patients and medical professionals. They can help lift patients' spirits by spending time with them, delivering gifts, or speaking with family members. This can be especially impactful in paediatric hospitals, where volunteers can make a scary hospital environment better for children by offering hope and encouragement.

Volunteers also assist with various tasks and duties, allowing doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to dedicate more time to patient care. These tasks may include helping with patient transport, errands, stocking patient rooms, cleaning, and lab deliveries. Volunteers may also be responsible for greeting and guiding patients and visitors, answering questions, and providing direction.

In addition to patient-facing roles, volunteers can contribute to fundraising efforts and collaborate with hospital administration to enhance the quality of patient care services. They may also be involved in advocacy work, providing invaluable advice and perspectives to improve healthcare services.

Some hospitals also offer specialised programmes such as reading aloud to patients, providing entertainment, or participating in pet therapy programmes, where volunteers bring therapy dogs to visit patients, families, and staff, contributing to patient recovery and spreading joy throughout the hospital.

Volunteers can come from diverse backgrounds, including working professionals, college students, retired persons, and high school students, each bringing their unique skills and experiences to support the hospital community.

List the requirements and benefits

Requirements and Benefits

Volunteering at a hospital is a great way to gain experience, build your resume, and give back to the community. Here are the requirements and benefits of volunteering at a hospital:

Requirements:

• Time commitment: Volunteers are typically required to commit to a set schedule, with a minimum number of hours per week or month. For example, UC San Diego Health asks for a weekly four-hour shift for a total of 100 hours over six to eight months, while Children's Hospital Los Angeles asks for a two-year commitment of at least two four-hour shifts per month.
• Training: Some volunteer positions may require special training, especially those involving patient interaction. For instance, patient advocacy or counselling positions may necessitate specific preparation, which the hospital might provide for free.
• Skills: Hospitals often seek volunteers with certain skills or qualifications. For instance, some positions may require good communication and interpersonal skills for interacting with patients and their families. Other roles might need organisational abilities for tasks like restocking patient rooms or helping with administrative work.
• Background check: To ensure the safety and well-being of everyone at the hospital, you may be asked to undergo a background check as part of your application process.
• Medical requirements: Some hospitals, like UC San Diego Health, require proof of specific vaccinations and immunisations, like the flu shot, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox).

Benefits:

• Help patients and families: Volunteers play a crucial role in improving the hospital experience for patients and their families. They can provide emotional support, lift spirits, and offer comfort during stressful times.
• Support medical professionals: By assisting with non-clinical tasks, volunteers enable doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to focus more on patient care. This can include helping with patient transport, stocking supplies, answering phones, or greeting and directing visitors.
• Gain experience: Volunteering at a hospital can provide valuable experience and insight into the healthcare field. It can be a rewarding opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people, and make a positive impact.
• Flexibility: Hospitals often offer a range of volunteer positions with different time commitments and areas of focus. This allows volunteers to choose opportunities that align with their interests, availability, and desired level of patient interaction.
• Personal fulfilment: Many volunteers find their work highly rewarding and fulfilling. Contributing to the community and making a difference in people's lives can bring a sense of satisfaction and happiness.

Include a call to action

When advertising for hospital volunteers, it is important to include a clear call to action. This will encourage people to take the first step towards becoming a volunteer and ensure a steady stream of applicants. Here are some tips to craft an effective call to action:

Be Clear and Concise

Use language that is easy to understand and be direct about what you want potential volunteers to do. For example, "Apply Now to Join Our Dedicated Team of Volunteers" or "Sign Up to Make a Difference in Your Community". Clear and concise language leaves no room for confusion and encourages people to take action.

Create a Sense of Urgency

Encourage prospective volunteers to take immediate action by creating a sense of urgency. For example, "Join Us Today and Change Lives Tomorrow" or "Don't Delay, Volunteer Today". This technique can be especially effective for those who may be considering volunteering but have not yet taken the first step.

Highlight the Impact

Help potential volunteers understand the positive impact they can have by volunteering. For example, "Be a Part of Our Patients' Journey to Recovery" or "Volunteer Your Time to Bring Smiles to Our Patients". When people understand the significance of their contribution, they are more likely to respond to your call to action.

Provide Contact Information

Ensure that your advertisement includes contact details or a link to an online application. This could be an email address, phone number, or the location of the volunteer services department. For instance, "Call Us Today at [Phone Number]" or "Visit Our Website to Fill Out an Application". Making it easy for interested individuals to take the next step is crucial to a successful call to action.

Emphasize the Rewards

Volunteering can be a rewarding experience, and it is important to convey this in your call to action. For example, "Join Us to Experience the Joy of Giving Back" or "Find Fulfillment in Volunteering Your Time". By emphasizing the personal benefits, you can attract individuals who are seeking meaningful opportunities to contribute.

By incorporating these strategies, your call to action will be more effective in engaging and motivating potential hospital volunteers to take that first step towards joining your team.

Provide contact information

Providing contact information is an essential step in advertising for hospital volunteers. It is important to ensure that interested individuals can easily reach out to the hospital or organisation to obtain more information and take the first steps towards signing up. Here are some ways to provide contact information when advertising for hospital volunteers:

Website Details

Firstly, it is crucial to include the hospital's website address in the advertisement. This allows prospective volunteers to easily navigate to the hospital's website and find specific pages dedicated to volunteering opportunities. They can then explore the available positions, eligibility criteria, and application processes.

Email Addresses

Including email addresses specifically for volunteer inquiries is highly recommended. This allows interested individuals to send direct inquiries about the volunteering programme. For example, NYC Health + Hospitals provides specific email addresses for different facilities, such as JacobiVolunteers@nychhc.org and bakerc@nychhc.org, allowing interested individuals to contact the relevant volunteer coordinators directly.

Phone Numbers

Providing phone numbers is another effective way to provide contact information. Prospective volunteers who prefer speaking directly to someone can call and inquire about volunteer opportunities. For instance, UC San Diego Health provides a phone number (619-543-6370) alongside their email address (volsvcs@health.ucsd.edu), offering multiple avenues for interested individuals to obtain information.

Physical Address

Including the physical address of the hospital or a specific department can be beneficial, especially for those who prefer in-person inquiries. This is also helpful for individuals who wish to visit the hospital before committing to volunteering. They can locate the hospital and, if needed, navigate to the volunteer services department.

Social Media Handles

In this digital age, many organisations also include their social media handles in advertisements. This allows prospective volunteers to send direct messages via platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, which may be more accessible for younger volunteers. Additionally, social media platforms often provide a more casual avenue for initial inquiries.

Contact Persons

Lastly, it can be beneficial to include the names and contact information of specific individuals within the volunteer services department. This adds a personal touch and can make the application process less intimidating. For example, NYC Health + Hospitals lists names alongside email addresses and phone numbers, creating a more approachable impression.

Frequently asked questions