Youth volunteering in hospitals

When Alicia applied to volunteer at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, she was really hoping she would be able to work with children in the wards. However, Covid restrictions prevented that so Alicia became a Welcome Guide welcoming, directing and supporting patients and families as they arrive at the hospital. Alicia described her experience as ‘overwhelmingly positive’. Alicia was new to Edinburgh, having moved to study a postgraduate degree in Psychology when she applied to volunteer.

Alicia’s decision to volunteer was motivated by lots of different factors: she was keen to help, wanted to spend time with people (she was living alone and her course was online) and she was interested in gaining experience to further her career.

‘Like a lot of people I thought only being in wards would be of any use.  I was wrong.  Being a Welcome Guide was a real opportunity to gain experience and skills.  You are the first point of contact for families who are often under a lot of stress.  You can make such a different to their experience’.   ‘Volunteering increased my confidence. I was quite shy but in this role, you have to be the one to make the first move.  To let people know you know what you are doing and you can help them.’

Alicia’s new knowledge, skills and confidence paid off, as she is now a clinical Support Worker in Melville ward at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People working with the CAMHS in the day programme for over 12s.

‘I think volunteering gave me an edge. There was a lot of competition for the job but was able to talk about volunteering at my interview and on my application form.  I was able to demonstrate I knew the hospital, I had experience interacting with patients and families.’

As Alicia is settling into her new role, she is looking to continue volunteering with NHS Lothian:

 ‘I would love to volunteer. I am definitely going to do it if I can. I really enjoyed it and got so much out of it.  I met so many people I would not have met any other way.’   ‘I volunteered alongside a retired nurse. We were like bookends she was at the end of her career and I was at the start of mine.  I learnt so much from her.’

‘I would recommend volunteering to anyone who has the time and is looking to work with people in a healthcare setting. Volunteering with NHS Lothian was such a great experience and I have had a wonderful time being a Welcome Guide.’

Thank you to Alicia and NHS Lothian for sharing this story.  

‘This is our story, our experiences’: Young volunteer Rosie films volunteers at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

‘We get to learn many things not taught in schools’: Young volunteer Aditi from North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

Hi, I’m Aditi and I’m currently a young volunteer at Peterborough City Hospital – volunteering at the Main Reception, the pharmacy and on the wards. I’m also looking forward to the new opportunities I will get to be a part of soon, including being a Maternity Support volunteer and working in the Emergency Department. Initially, I decided to become a volunteer as I wanted to make a difference in the Covid-19 pandemic, and I was inspired by the roles and courage of the multidisciplinary team including doctors, nurses and other hospital staff during these times.

As a volunteer, I have had a diverse range of experiences as I worked alongside the administrative staff and coordinated with nurses and healthcare assistants, which helped me to learn the importance of empathy and effective communication. These vital skills became especially apparent to me as I communicated with a hearing-impaired patient. Even though I didn’t know sign language, I was able to communicate with him through gestures and lip-reading. A similar situation occurred when I had the opportunity to talk to a patient with Parkinson’s. Both of these patients showed appreciation after our conversation. Talking to such a diverse range of patients and their families has made me realise how impactful both non-verbal and verbal communication can be.

My favourite part of volunteering has been talking to patients and their families, especially at the Main Reception, and resolving some of their problems. In many cases, patients and their families put a large amount of trust in me to perform certain tasks and solve certain problems. I came to understand the importance of trust in a doctor-patient relationship, as a patient essentially trusts the healthcare team with their life.

In the pharmacy, I had a completely different but exciting experience. I worked alongside pharmacists to scan and enter prescriptions on the system. I soon realised how time-pressured this job can be, but I learned professional skills through this, such as managing my time effectively to prioritise urgent prescriptions.

I’m very grateful to have had this volunteering opportunity as I not only got to experience what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ but I also learned very important life skills that would have been hard to learn anywhere else. I believe these opportunities being available to young people is great as we get to learn many things not taught in schools or colleges. The skills I have learned here will definitely equip me in my future: both in medical school and in a career.

Thank you to Aditi and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust for sharing this story.

‘I’ve had more of a dynamic role than one might think’: Young volunteer Ishan from North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

My name is Ishan and I’m currently a young volunteer with North West Anglia NHS Trust. I do my volunteer work in my local hospital’s stroke ward – I get to engage with the patients there, whether that’s by serving hot drinks or just having a chat. This also means I can help out the staff members on the ward, and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, resources have only got scarcer. I wanted to volunteer not only to recognise the inner workings of a healthcare system, but also to support the backbone of the NHS – the staff.

Throughout my experience volunteering on the ward, I’ve had more of a dynamic role than one might think. The problems I encounter range from Wi-Fi connectivity issues and  TV cables needing sorting out, to remembering whether someone wanted sugar or no sugar in their tea. In each of these tasks, however simple, you’ve got to empathise with the person you’re doing it for and make sure what you do is done to the best of your ability. Even when that patient’s iPad wasn’t connecting to the hospital Wi-Fi, no matter how many times it took! (I turned Wi-Fi off and on, but it turned out, it was the Wi-Fi login password that needed to be reset…). Not everything is as easy as flicking on a switch connected to the TV!

Understandably, patients on the stroke ward are there because they are ill and may well have other conditions (for example, early stages of dementia). In such cases, it’s critical to try and help to make sure the patient understands what’s going on around them and is happy. In one case, during a tea round, there was a patient who found it difficult to communicate due to a side effect of their stroke. I tried to make my questioning as simple as possible – “Tea [pause], or coffee [pause]?”, I would say – a nod would suffice.

Every time I go to the ward, the staff are so friendly and happy to see me; I can see how the helping hand of another person can alleviate the stress (no matter the level of significance) on staff. Likewise, I’m always happy to see them: to put it simply, they’re always working around the clock to ensure the patients are happy and getting the care they deserve.

Overall, I’ve learned that, even on a single ward, there is a great amount of work to do and it is challenging for the staff on any given day. As I look forward to potentially studying medicine next year, I can say that this opportunity has let me see the challenges of the healthcare system from the inside, as well as helping me develop communication and time-management skills along the way. Therefore, I would thoroughly recommend any young person to grab these opportunities if and whenever possible: not only is this about helping people, but it’s also about developing yourself.

Thank you to Ishan and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust for sharing this story.

‘Volunteering at the hospital will prepare you for your future’: Young volunteer Ariana-Fatemah from North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

My name is Ariana-Fatemah, and I am a young volunteer at Peterborough City Hospital. When I saw the opportunity to volunteer at my local hospital, I realised it was a great chance to boost my confidence and give back to my community. Having been a volunteer for the past year, it does not feel like a job but is, in fact, a refreshing break from my studies that also helps me to build on my communication skills and my general confidence. The environment is friendly, supportive, and caring, and I look forward to volunteering every week.

I am currently volunteering at the vaccination clinic, where I take the names of NHS staff and show them where to receive their flu and Covid-19 booster jabs. I have enjoyed this role as I have not only been able to help this important programme run, but I have also been able to speak to many staff members with different backgrounds and jobs in the NHS.

Volunteering at the main reception has involved taking on a wayfinding role, where I help people make their way around the hospital. I have also taken part in bag duty, where I take patients’ belongings to wards. This, at first, felt like a minor task, however I have seen its benefits due to the visiting restrictions in place. It has allowed me to help during the pandemic and relieve some of the concerns of visitors during these uncertain times. I have also been able to work as part of a team with other volunteers. I have formed new friendships and I am constantly meeting new people, making this experience even more enjoyable.

I was also able to volunteer on the wards for some time. I was first placed on B6, where I sat and spoke with different patients. With no visitors, some may have felt lonely, and I kept them company throughout the day. A highlight of volunteering on the wards is listening to patients’ stories, so I hope to take on this role again in the future. I saw how important listening to patients was, and how this simple yet vital skill was an integral part of working in healthcare. I hope it benefitted the patients as much as it did me. I learned new skills, but also spoke with different people and learned interesting things about their lives.

My communications skills have developed by partaking in the many roles during volunteering. From working at the inpatient pharmacy to helping on the wards, I have needed to adapt my communication with both staff and patients. I was given the amazing opportunity to volunteer on the mixed elderly ward, where I spoke with dementia patients. Although this was a challenging experience at first, the staff on the ward were supportive, and I was able to interact with these patients through visual gestures and clear communication.

With aspirations of working in a medical career, my time volunteering at the hospital has been very beneficial to me. Having caught a glimpse of the hard work involved, I now have a new appreciation for the staff and volunteers in the hospital. I have no doubt that the experience and skills you can develop volunteering at the hospital will prepare you for your future, no matter what field you decide to go in to. I could not have been better supported by the volunteer coordinators and staff.

Thank you to Ariana-Fatemah and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust for sharing this story.