We are interested in developing a program to have our auxiliary volunteers be available at each entrance of our Professional Office Building’s to transport patients who need them when they come into the hospital. We are looking to recruit a team of folks to work with us on this project, to make sure we are doing the right thing with training, logistics, liability, etc.  Do  any of you have such an assignment for your volunteers?

Gracie Boissel

 

Our hospital has a program "PathFinders".  Our "PathFinder" role is vey much like Jan discribed in her reply.  The "PathFinders" are available from 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., M-F.  They are stationed at entrances and escort patients i.e. walking side by side (so they do not get lost or confused with verbal directions) or escorting in a w/c.  They also carry an inhouse phone with them and are always on the go!  The "Pathfinders" are not allowed to lift pts and do require w/c training.  Our hospital "PathFinder" program began about 2 years ago.  This idea came from Wheeling Hospital, Debbie Romain DVS. She shared the program with me at a SDVSHO meeting.  It has been a wonderful addition to our hospital. 

Our hospitality volunteers transport patients being admitted or discharged and those that present that need to go to dialysis or infusion or radiation, etc.  We do not transport from the parking lot or parking garage.  There is a help button on several towers throughout the parking area and if pressed, security will go with the van to pick them up.

I really would like to hear from every hospital on this subject, just to say Yes or No.  We currently do not allow any volunteers to transport patients and went to this policy a few years ago when requrements tightened for employees.  All transporters have to have CPR and lift training and we thought this would be asking too much of a volunteer.  I just would like to have a count of how many hospitals do and how many do not use volunteers to transport patients.

Thanks in advance.

We do use patient/visitor transporters.  They move ambulatory individuals only and we also enforce the no-touch rule.  They must of course conform to our liability insuror's guidelines as well.  No volunteer is allowed to transport without first attending a training course given by our Employee Health Nurse.  She certifies them yearly and they are badged so there is no mistake about who can and can not perform the service. 

As for the transport of the obese, we handle that two ways.  One, we make certain any transporter understands he/she is not required to transport anyone.  If they feel they can not handle someone, they have the duty to refuse.  Second, the staff is told that if they would not ask their grandparent to do some specific transport, do not ask a volunteer.