St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny has launched a recruitment drive for a new volunteer service to assist and support members of the public when visiting the hospital.
The hospital is looking for volunteers to take part in the pilot project, and would welcome volunteers from all sections of the community aged 18 years and over (there is no upper age limit ). Training and support will be provided to all volunteers.
The main role of the volunteer will be to provide a friendly welcome and reassuring first impression to all who enter the hospital, and to assist and guide visitors and patients to the various wards, departments and clinics in the hospital.
Currently, St Luke’s Hospital has the support of volunteers from the Association of Children in Hospital Initiative, working with staff in the Paediatric Department. The type of tasks that will come under the remit of this wider volunteer programme also include visiting patients, bedside reading, text messaging, assisting patients and staff with simple tasks such as picking up newspapers for patients, fetching beverages from the shop and manning information stands.
“People are often worried and at their most vulnerable when arriving at a hospital, so a welcoming face and a helpful reassuring hand could make a big difference,” said Ms Kathleen Kumnig, service user and chairperson of St Luke’s General Hospital.
“There are many benefits to becoming a volunteer, such as learning new skills, making new friends, experiencing a new work environment and making a positive difference. It will also help to make the experience whilst in the hospital as pleasant as possible in what can be a worrying, overpowering experience for some members of the public and patients.”
The concept of a Volunteer Programme was first suggested by Ms Helen Butler, Director of Nursing, and it was developed through a volunteer committee in conjunction with St Luke’s patient partnership forum. The forum was set up in 2006, in order to ensure that patients and members of the general public have a say in the quality of services provided at the hospital.
