Patient Experience Volunteer - QE Hospital

Availability Details

This role is required across seven days of the week and in the evenings so can fit in flexibly with whatever time you have available to give.

Venue Address

Queen Elizabeth Ave
Gateshead
NE9 6SX
United Kingdom

54.938549463417, -1.5811334932281

Key words

Computers and mobile phones

Health and Wellbeing

Everyone

Older People

Support and Training

Support and Training Details

Core skills training within 4 weeks of start date.
Additional training specific to this role which will include – the use of correct Personal Protection Equipment and conflict and resolution sessions.
Volunteers must not undertake any manual handling tasks unless they have received appropriate training.

Other information

Details

Volunteers are complimentary to paid staff and will not be used to replace roles that are usually undertaken by hospital employees.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has a range of adult wards where patients are cared for during their stay. These include specialist wards for patients with particular conditions, wards for elderly people and surgical wards for people who are in hospital waiting for an operation. There are also day cases for people who do not require an overnight stay.

Volunteers provide invaluable support to both staff and patients and one of the most important services a volunteer can provide is a friendly ear. A stay in hospital, especially at this time, can be a very anxious and lonely time and it can make a real difference to patients to have someone to talk to.

As wards are extremely busy, it is essential that volunteers are able to take a proactive approach to this role, whilst always being supported by the Nurse in Charge and the Patient Experience and Volunteer Manager.

Tasks will include:

To support patients to keep in touch with their relatives and friends:

by the use of an iPad
assist patients to write an email
assist patients to write a letter
assist patients to use their mobile telephone or text

To email or send the letters to the patients family member or friend.
To deliver responses to the patient – email or letter.
To be a listening ear – sitting talking and listening to a patient makes a real difference.
To support visitors to the wards ensuring that they are wearing and disposing of the correct personal protective equipment (PPE).
To ensure that the visitor is signing the log book for test and trace purposes.
To assist patients to complete Friends and Family Survey.

A volunteer can offer emotional support and empathy but must under no circumstances offer advice or a medical opinion on a patients treatment or assist with anything of a clinical nature.

Skills needed

Aged 18 or over.
Able to commit reliably to at least 3 hours a week.
A commitment to support and improve the patients experience of their time in hospital.
Be fit and active as the job entails periods of sitting, standing and walking.
Be well presented, with a friendly and approachable manner and good verbal communication skills.
An ability to relate well to people on a one to one basis and be sympathetic to others’ situations.
A willingness to be flexible and to follow guidance from Patient Experience and Volunteer Manager.
Awareness of the importance of confidentiality at all times.

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