NERMC Volunteer Appreciation

   Hospitals are a vital part of any community. Keeping them running efficiently requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Several different types of people with several different job titles must work together to make a hospital successful. One of the most important groups of workers in a hospital actually does their tasks daily for no pay at all. These people are the hospital volunteers. In Kirksville, Missouri one such hospital runs a lot more smoothly thanks to their volunteers. This hospital is called the Northeast Regional Medical Center. Its’ volunteers come from all over Kirksville and from all different age groups. Several of these volunteers come right from the campus of Truman State. One visit alone to this medical center makes it clear that the hospital would not be the same without the hard work of the NERMC volunteers.

 There is no question about how busy hospitals can be day-in and day-out. Nurses and doctors are constantly moving from place to place throughout the hospital and may not have time to stop and chat with their patients. Volunteers, however, can make a huge difference by forming meaningful relationships with their patients’ when the staff may not have time. A volunteer’s extra effort truly makes a difference to the patients and helps them to realize that the hospital cares for his or her well-being. Not only is volunteering beneficial to the patients, but it is also rewarding for the volunteer himself.

            Volunteering at a hospital can be a very satisfying way to spend one’s time. As a hospital volunteer, one can learn many valuable skills that would look great on a resume for future jobs or graduate school applications. Volunteering can also give one a look into the medical field. It can help the volunteer decide if working in the health field is something they enjoy and could see doing as a career for the rest of their lives. Undergraduates may even need volunteer hours to graduate and getting the hours at the hospital is a great opportunity (Northeast Regional Medical Center). Volunteering is also a wonderful experience for the older demographic. If one is retired, volunteering keeps one active and from staying at home all day. It is also a good way to stay social and meet new people. Volunteers can form lasting and meaningful relationships with the staff and patients. At the end of the day, volunteering can truly make one feel good about themselves knowing that they have helped a worthy cause with their free time.

All of these fulfilling experiences and opportunities for the volunteer are certainly available at Northeast Regional Medical Center. The NERMC volunteers can assist in areas like the emergency room, with health and fitness, at the information desk, as a unit host and in the waiting room. It is also not very difficult to get on staff at the Medical Center. One simply must submit an application and letter of recommendation have a thirty-minute interview, orientation class, and a drug screening (Northeast Regional Medical Center). NERMC is always welcome to new volunteers and shows great appreciation for their hard work.

To showcase their appreciation, the Northeast Regional Medical Center hosts a Volunteer Appreciation Week to thank all of their volunteers. The theme for Volunteer Appreciation Week 2013 is “Volunteers Plant Seeds of Kindness”. It will take place in April during the week of the 14^th to the 20^th. Throughout the week, volunteers are treated to little treats and prizes. This includes things like snack baskets to enjoy while at work and useful gifts with a logo of the week’s theme to remember the great times they have enjoyed at NERMC as a volunteer. At the end of the week there is a big brunch for the volunteers where they can enjoy some great food and socializing. This year, volunteers may be able to bring a friend to the banquet. This new idea is in hopes that the volunteers will have more fun enjoying their well-deserved ‘thanks’ with a friend and that the guests may be inspired to take part in volunteering themselves. The director of volunteer services, Chad Earhart, works very hard to put this week together. He is so grateful for his volunteers and is a strong believer in how the volunteers’ work makes their hospital one of the best. Earhart especially thinks that the reason the Northeast Regional Medical Center has such high HCAHP scores is due to the help of their volunteers. HCAHP is a survey that looks at hospital care quality information from the consumers’ perspective. The survey asks the patient questions about things like the communication they have with their doctors and nurses, how responsive the staff is, about pain management, how they are communicated with about their medications, about discharge information, the quietness of the hospital and the cleanliness of the hospital (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2012). Volunteers do a lot to help with the communication of the patients and to make the environment of the hospital a clean and welcoming place.

            Apart from this special week to recognize the volunteers, Earhart makes sure that his volunteers always know that their work is not going unnoticed. For example, around Christmas time Earhart will get gifts for his volunteers that log a certain amount of hours. Just by stepping foot into the doors of Northeast Regional Medical Center, one can tell the environment is a happy one. Volunteers can be found throughout the center with a smile on their face and eager to help whoever is in need. With all of these great benefits and wonderful life-changing opportunities, why not take the time to become a hospital volunteer?

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References

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2012). CAHPS Hospital Survey. http://www.hcahpsonline.org.

Northeast Regional Medical Center. (2013). Volunteer Ideas. http://www.nermc.com/Community%20Relations/Pages/Volunteers.aspx