Patient support services are available to ensure that patients, their families and the broader community receive the best quality care and support during their time of need.

Guides

Coming to hospital as a consumer or visitor can be stressful and confusing. The Guide Team provides volunteer support to welcome and assist consumers, their families, and visitors to the hospital. The Guide Team plays an important part in helping people to navigate the hospital to find the right clinical or support service.

Time: Monday – Friday

8.30am – 12.00 pm / 12.00pm – 3.30pm

Emergency Department

This position requires volunteers to be highly sensitive to relatives’ needs and be able to communicate in times of emotional stress, and, as part of the Emergency Department have the ability to support and comfort relatives.

Time: Various shifts

Training 1 day a week for a minimum of 4 weeks

ICU (Intensive Care Unit)

The key responsibility of the position is to provide assistance to the ICU staff in supporting patients or families who may benefit from additional support and/or assist with directing relatives to the appropriate services as directed by ICU staff. Volunteers must approach patients in a professional manner and maintain a high standard of quality service in a confidential manner.

Time: Various shifts

Training 1 day a week for a minimum of 4 weeks

Cancer Services

Assist the nursing staff to enrich the quality of care of patients. To provide appropriate additional comfort, company to patients and to provide assistance and support to the families and friends of these patients.

Time: Monday – Friday

8.30am – 12.30pm / 12.30 – 3.30pm

Paediatrics (Ward/Clinic)

Volunteers working in the Paediatric Unit collaborate with nursing staff to provide a caring environment for children who are hospitalised. Volunteers assist staff with creative and diversionary activities for small groups or individual children.

Time: Monday – Friday

8.30am – 12.30pm / 12.30pm – 3.30pm

Neonatal Reception

Duties include being responsible for allowing patients/visitors into the unit, directing visitors, collating and interacting with mums.

Time: Monday – Friday

4.00pm – 8.00pm

Post Natal (Ward 4C)

Communicating with new mothers regarding baby name cards and making up of baby name cards.

Time: Monday – Friday

8.00am – 12.00pm

Post Natal (Ward 4C) Reception

Duties include being responsible for allowing patients/visitors into the unit, directing visitors, collating and interacting with mums.

Time: Monday – Friday

4.00pm – 8.00pm

Pet Therapy

Pet therapy, or animal-assisted therapy, is a type of therapy involving animals as a form of treatment. The goal may be to improve a patient’s social, emotional, or cognitive functioning. Volunteers and their pet will need to meet certain requirements in order to work in this area.

Time: Monday – Friday

9.30am – 1.30pm

Day Supervisor

Support and assist the Administration Office with the day-to-day co-ordination of volunteers allocated across each of the services areas, which includes communicating with Area Co-ordinators and Volunteer Administration to ensure daily staffing is adequate and that work routines and methods are followed.

Time: Monday – Friday 7.30am – 3.30pm

Ward Service

Volunteers assist staff to make the patients’ stay in hospital as comfortable as possible. To provide a supportive service for patients by being willing to listen, chat or perform personal services

Time: Monday – Friday

9.30am – 1.30pm

Music Therapy

Various wards are looking for volunteers who play musical instruments or sing to bring some enjoyment and entertainment to the patients.

Time: Monday – Friday

Flexible

Collating

Collating of various packs & information supplied by various departments and collating of outpatient appointment letters

Time: Monday – Friday

8.30am – 12.30pm or as required

Endoscopy

Providing refreshments and chatting to patients and making them feel at home. Provide reading material while waiting for procedure or appointment.

Time: Monday – Friday

9.00am – 1.00pm

Nurture Packs

Nurture Packs/boxes are given to patients, and their families/carers who are Palliative. The packs are for the patient and family to keep and take home with them. The items in these packs have been carefully selected to provide nurture and support during a difficult time. Duties include putting the packs/boxes together, monitoring donations of blankets.

Times: As needed

Women’s Health Clinic

Collating of Women’s Health information packs.

Times: 2 days a week

11.30am-2.30pm

Spiritual Care

During times of uncertainty and trauma, volunteers provide support to patients, their family or carers while in hospital.

Time: Monday – Sunday

Various times and shifts available

Finance Team

Oversee daily finance procedures for all retail areas such as collecting and counting money, invoicing and filing.

Time: Monday – Friday

Various morning shifts

Nurture Packs

Nurture Packs/boxes are given to patients, and their families/carers who are Palliative. The packs are for the patient and family to keep and take home with them. The items in these packs have been carefully selected to provide nurture and support during a difficult time. Duties include putting the packs/boxes together, monitoring donations of blankets.

Times: As needed

Ward Service

Duties include helping patients with their written or electronic (IPAD) discharge surveys and help with understanding lunch menu’s and placing orders. Volunteers assist staff to make the patients’ stay in hospital as comfortable as possible. To provide a supportive service for patients by being willing to listen, chat or perform personal services

Time: Monday – Friday

9.30am – 1.30pm

Amenities Trolley

Visit the wards with small trolley providing patients an opportunity to purchase items such as the newspaper, magazines, toiletries, confectionery etc.

Time: Monday – Friday

9.30am – 1.30pm

Talk Back Group – Stroke Lived Experience

The program is designed to assist people living with aphasia. Aphasia is caused as the result of a stroke or head injury. Aphasia can cause difficulties in talking, reading, writing, understanding conversation, amongst other problems.  Talkback provides a very safe and congenial atmosphere where those living with aphasia can come together and communicate to whatever degree they wish, using whatever means they have to communicate (verbal, IPAD, writing etc).

Duties include, setting the room up, facilitate with the fluidity of discussions and assist in ensuring that everyone gets a fair chance to provide input, help anyone needing assistance with the use of their phone or IPAD etc. This role requires patience and an ability to listen.

Time: Specific Days as required by staff

10.00am – 11.30am

Upper Limb/Occupational Therapy

Provide one to one support for clients in Arm Action Therapy group post stroke or other brain injury. Duties include, under direction from Occupational Therapy staff,  a timed and repetitive activity in a small group situation. Record their activities on a personal chart to indicate progress over time. Discuss with OT staff as required.

Time: Monday – Friday

9.30am – 12.30pm

Administration Support

Duties include collating of Patient Information Packs, filing, looking after flowers in patient’s room,

complete questionnaires with patients who are being discharged etc.

Time: Monday – Friday

As needed