Virtual Volunteer Realm

Most hospital volunteers do their work without receiving any kind of regular salary. They work in different health care settings and would usually be under a nurse's supervision. A lot of hospitals have them trained and supervised through auxiliaries, which are special non-profit organizations. Directors of these auxiliaries would usually be paid hospital employees.

Hospital volunteers are sometimes given the nickname of "candystripers". This nickname was derived from the clothing worn by traditional female hospital volunteers, which were red-and white colored striped jumpers. However, the name and uniform are seldom used today.

The services and duties performed by them are usually of significant importance for the health care system as well as for the individual patients. There are some individuals who do volunteer work in their high school or college days, while others volunteer later in their lives, like after retiring from their regular jobs.

The duties attended to by hospital volunteers differ depending on the particular needs of the different facilities. They could serve as receptionists. They could also be in charge of the filing and retrieval of documents. They could also provide some administrative back-up, visit with admitted patients, assist visitors, and transport different items needed within the hospital or medical facility.

Due to the laws of health care and insurance liability, hospital volunteers are usually limited to duties, which are clerical in nature and other activities, which would not require any direct contact with the patients.

Hospitals and medical facilities often keep them in a single place, usually called a dispersal unit, then assign them to do tasks and duties which are based on labor demand that is real-time, while other hospitals would assign volunteers as one unit for the entire duration of their services.