BRIEFING FOR VOLUNTEERS

Pauline Chua

Volunteers Coordinator, Corporate Communications

Research

Clinical Care

Education

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Agenda

 Overview of NUH

 Our Volunteers Programme

 Responsibilities of Volunteers
• Personal and Hand Hygiene
• Do’s and Don’ts

 Working with Adult Patients

 Effective Communication

 Contact Us
National University Hospital
 Opened on 24 June1985 as Singapore’s first restructured hospital.

 Tertiary hospital and major referral centre for a comprehensive range of

medical, surgical and dental specialties.

 Principal teaching hospital of the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
and NUS Faculty of Dentistry.

Vision
Shaping Medicine for the Future

Mission
Advancing Health by Integrating Excellent
Clinical Care, Research and Education
Value
Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Compassion,
Excellence
Our Volunteers Programme
 Mobile library

 Playworks (Unstructured play, arts and craft)

 Artwards (Visual arts)

 Befriending

 Grooming services

 Musical services

 Ad-hoc projects

 Festive celebrations
Responsibilities of Volunteers
Our Volunteers…
 Engage patients in play and leisure activities, so as to provide engagement
while the patients are recuperating in our hospital.

 Do not provide any counselling or therapeutic works / roles.

Personal and Hand Hygiene
 If you are sick or feeling unwell, please rest
at home.

 Always wash / clean your hands before the

start of activity and after the end of activity,
especially if you are interacting with patients.
Hand washing is to reduce the spread of
germs and infections.

 Use soap and water, or alcohol hand rub to

clean your hands. Alcohol hand rub is readily
available in the hospital.

 Cover your mouth / nose when you cough or

sneeze with a tissue or your elbow.

It is everyone’s responsibility to protect our patients and ourselves

from infections by adopting personal and hand hygiene practices.
Cleaning Your Hands
Do’s and Don’ts
Dress Code
 Please dress modestly with covered shoes.
 Avoid clothes with offensive images/text.
 If you are a student, please wear your school uniform.
 Always put on your volunteers tag for identification and security reasons.

Confidentiality
 Respect the privacy and feelings of our patients and their families. Do not share
information on patients or make any sensitive comments publicly.
 Do not take photos of patients unless a photography consent form is given to seek
permission from patients and/or their family members.
 Please do not post any comments and photos of hospital and patients on social
media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube & etc).
 Do not exchange personal contact numbers with patients and their families.
Do’s and Don’ts
Fire Safety
 A fire warning would be relayed through the public announcement system.
 Stay calm.
 Listen for the second announcement.
 Remain calm and follow the instructions of the hospital staff around you.
 You are not expected to participate in the evacuation of patients and/or visitors.
 Do not use the elevators, use the staircases instead.
 Follow the instructions of hospital staff.

Patients Safety
 Do not move the patients out of their beds or on wheelchairs unless supervised by a
nursing staff.
 Do not offer outside food and drinks to patients. Some patients have dietary
restrictions, allergies or swallowing impairment.
 Do not feed patients unless supervised by a nursing staff.
Do’s and Don’ts
General Disinfection
 To clean toys, games and stationery (mainly non-porous materials) before and after
each activity at the ward or clinic.
 Use the disinfection wipes placed in the volunteers room to do a general wipe-down
of the items.

Tidiness and Cleanliness

 Keep the volunteers room clean and tidy at all times.
 Place toys, games, books and stationery back to their designated shelves after each
activity.

Accountability
 Ensure all items are returned with no missing parts / pieces after each activity.
Do’s and Don’ts
Security of Personal Belongings
 Do not leave valuables such as cash, mobile phone in your bags and leave them
unattended. Always bring your valuables with you.

 Do not leave laptops lying around in the volunteers room unattended.

Working with adults
 Financial
Psychological
Physical
Social

The Illness Experience

Who can I reach out to?
Generally all patients except for those who are:

restrained

admitted to isolation rooms

inside MRSA (yellow-labelled ‘Contact Precaution’) cubicles

I’m NERVOUS


Effective Communication
Importance of Communication
 Foundation of interaction between patients and volunteers

 Verbal communication
- What you say : choice of topics, words
- How you say : tone, pitch
- When you say : observe, wait, listen

 Non-verbal communication
- Eye contact
- Face expressions
- Body gestures

 It’s not about ‘You’, it is about the patients.

Tips on Communication
 Ensure the patient can see you.
- Eliminate distraction, approach from the front.
- Touch the patient only after he / she sees you.

 Ensure the patient can hear you.

- Speak calmly and in a pleasant voice.

 Ensure the patient is comfortable (sitting up on bed or sitting on

the chair).

 Be prepared to give your full attention .

 Give time and wait for the patient to respond to you. Maintain eye
contact.

 Show genuine interest to listen and learn about the patient’s

sharing in his / her life.
Our objectives…

 Bring cheer and warmth to our patients

 Share a patient’s journey in the hospital

- affirming strengths and perseverance

 SMILE 
 Our Friendly Volunteers!

Volunteers enrich our patients’ lives through their

dedicated service and selfless acts, which allow our
medical team to focus on patient care.
Contact Us

Pauline Chua
Volunteers Coordinator
Corporate Communications Department

Tel: 6772 5113

Email: pauline_LL_chua@nuhs.edu.sg

Monday : 8.30am to 6pm

Wednesday : 8.30am to 12.30pm
Thursday : 8.30am to 6pm
“The heart of a volunteer is not measured in
size, but by the depth of the commitment to
make a difference in the lives of others.”
DeAnn Hollis
 Thank you
for your attention

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