Adult Volunteer Opportunities

Adult volunteer opportunities are offered in three categories as well as specialty placements and Hollings Cancer Center assignments.

Clinical | Non-clinical | Administrative | Specialty | Hollings

Clinical Support

Inpatient Units

Volunteers assist the clinical staff with various duties including: answering phones and patient call bells, stocking supplies, transporting patients (wheelchair), and running errands. Volunteers also interact with patients at the bedside as they make rounds on the unit to visit and sit with each patient. Some volunteers also assist with feeding patients of specific units. Placements are available Sunday through Saturday. The primary times are 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. but volunteers are welcome at any time.

ICU’s

Volunteers in this role serve in two capacities. They monitor the waiting rooms, answer the phones, welcoming new visitors, and escort visitors to and from the patient rooms. Volunteers also work in the ICU alongside the clinical staff assisting with stocking supplies and running various errands. Placements are available 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sunday through Saturday.

Pre/Post Op

Pre-Op (Holding) and Post-Op (PACU) volunteers assist with attending to patients before and after surgery. Pre-Op volunteers welcome patients and their families to the unit and assist the staff with preparing patients for surgery. Post-Op volunteers assist with attending to patients after surgery and transporting them to other units or discharging them if the patients are going home. The time of day tends to dictate where these volunteers will spend most of their time (Pre-Op 5:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. / Post-Op 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.).

Emergency Department

The Emergency Department is always in need of energetic and compassionate volunteers. The primary focus for these volunteers is to assist in providing as much comfort as possible for patients and visitors. Volunteers continuously make rounds in the waiting room and all sections of the Emergency Department visiting with patients and providing comfort measures such as an empathetic ear, blankets, pillows, light snacks and drinks (when allowed) and anything else of this nature.

Get Well Network

Volunteers who have an interest in computers and would like experience with educating patients often enjoy volunteering with the Get Well Network. These volunteers visit patient rooms and show them how to operate the Get Well Network, hospital-based computer program that gives patients extended information on their treatment, their care team providers, and extended access to numerous amenities and hospital services.

Non-Clinical Support

Coffee/Tea Cart

Visiting both the Main Hospital and Ashley River Tower, volunteers take a cart full of coffee, tea (hot chocolate or lemonade depending on time of year), snacks, candy, and other treats to serve patients visitors, and hospital staff. The cart runs Sunday through Saturday, normally between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Central Supply/Equipment Distribution

If you’re looking for a way to get a behind-the-scenes view of the various clinical units in the hospital, then this is the placement for you! These volunteers take orders for basic medical equipment and supplies and deliver them throughout the hospital.

Wayfinding / Patient Transport

The Hospital can be big, intimidating, and confusing place. As a result, one of our biggest volunteer needs is for people with big smiles who love looking for people to help. These volunteers greet hospital visitors and assist them with finding their way around the hospital. These volunteers may also assist with escorting patients in wheelchairs to their destination in the hospital as well as escorting them to their transportation home during the discharge process.

Administrative

Infection Prevention and Control

Volunteers can split time between clinical and administrative settings. They assist the staff with data collection and observation on units. Volunteers also assist with computer based projects and reports. These placements are normally available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Medical Records/Release of Information

These volunteers work in mostly an administrative environment assisting the staff with data entry and computer based projects. Some volunteers also assist with visiting patients on various units to collect information.

Administrative Positions

A lot of the great work being done in health care is also carried out in an office setting. Volunteers can provide tremendous support assisting with data entry, computer based projects, answering phones, faxing and scanning documents, and a number of other administrative tasks. These placements are normally available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..

Specialty Placements

Pharmacy

We offer two types of Pharmacy-related volunteer positions. Both require a current SC Issued Pharmacy Tech Registration

• Pharmacy Compounding is open to all interested volunteers. These volunteers assist with labelling, packaging, and distributing pharmacy orders as well as other projects.
• Retail Pharmacy is only open current MUSC and USC Pharmacy students. These volunteers work alongside Pharmacists and staff in one of our 4 Outpatient Pharmacies.

Physical Therapy

Volunteers welcome patients and assist the PT staff by providing and preparing materials and equipment during patient visits. However, they are not allowed to administer physical direct patient care. Our PT staff loves what they do and love to teach and share what they can, so volunteers also get the opportunity to observe the patient-PT interactions, and they are encouraged to ask questions.

Trauma Survivors Network

Volunteers who have experienced traumatic incidents in their lives or have an interest in helping out have the opportunity to share, mentor, and interact with patients who are currently working through traumatic injuries. These volunteers assist with peer groups, activities, and various tasks needed to support the department.

Caring Clowns

We attempt to reach and cater to our patients in numerous ways. With the aid of witty jokes, fun stickers, and a few magic tricks, our Caring Clowns Volunteers make their way to different units and departments to brighten things up and spread smiles throughout the hospital.

Butterfly Beads

If you’re artistically inclined and you would like to donate time and energy but you’re not able to make it down to one of our locations on a regular basis, creating Butterfly Blood Draw Beads provides the perfect opportunity to share your talents from home. These volunteers put together colorful nursing badge accessories that the clinical staff uses to facilitate patient blood draws.

Community Donations

New toys, gently used books and magazines are always being accepted in order to enhance family and patient stay. Donations are kindly accepted and can be dropped off at the volunteer office. Check out our Support page for more info.

Hollings Cancer Center

We currently have two volunteer positions in the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC)

• Courtesy Cart volunteers take a cart filled with donated snacks and treats to various treatment areas and waiting rooms in the HCC to serve patients and visitors.
• Infusion Room volunteers sit and visit with patients during treatment. They also provide comfort materials like books, magazines, or snacks at the patient’s request.