Emergency Department support: Role description

What does an Emergency Department Support Volunteer do?

• Helping with any COVID procedures as patients enter the department.
• Alerting staff when a patient or visitor has COVID symptoms so they can assess and make the next steps.
• Offering appropriate patients, carers and visitors drinks.
• Befriending and listening to patients - especially those who have come in alone.
• Offer to get chairs for relatives and carers waiting with patients.
• Offer patient toiletry packs.
• Help patients to fill in a patient survey.
• Wipe down chairs.

What you will gain from this role?

• The opportunity to see how a busy department works.
• The opportunity to support NHS staff in the emergency department.
• Help keep the hospital safe in line with COVID guidelines.
• Help patients feel cared for and listened to.
• Be part of a wider team within the hospital.
• Receive support and training from staff within the area.
• Meet new people every day.

What skills or experience do you need?

• Excellent communication skills – talking and listening to patients and staff – with a good standard of oral English.
• Understand and comply with confidentiality requirements.
• Have a professional and friendly demeanour, and able to work in a team.
• Be committed to the role and attend regularly.
• Be punctual and dependable.
• Within the boundaries of your role, be self-motivated and able to help without direct supervision.
• The ability to know when to seek help – although guidance will be given.

What we won’t ask you to do?

• You won’t be providing clinical care to patients (ie. doing the tasks which the staff have been trained to do).
• You won’t be asked to physically help patients.
• We won’t ask you to carry heavy loads.
• We won’t ask you to deal with confrontational patients and visitors.
• Training Modules

Trust Induction

• Manual Handling
• Fire Safety
• Safeguarding
• Infection Control
• Information Governance (Data Protection and Confidentiality)
• Resuscitation Theory
• Emergency Department On-Site Training

For the full document please download the attached PDF

You may also be interested in:

• Generic support
• A & E Buddy