Volunteer Handbook Nov 23

Child Life Volunteer Handbook

Volunteer Resources
The Hospital for Sick Children

WELCOME TO SICKKIDS VOLUNTEER Buddy Shifts are encouraged
PROGRAM for new volunteers. Paired

PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST SHIFT with a Team Lead, you will
have a knowledgeable

partner to walk you through

your first shift, step by step!

What to expect

You may feel nervous on your first day and that’s okay! Preparation can really help to ease some of
your apprehension. Check out some of these tips below:

• Ask questions at orientation and unit training, if you’re thinking it, someone else probably is too

• Register or ask for a buddy shift, this needs to be requested a couple days before you want it so that we can be
sure to arrange it

• Say hello to the staff on the unit every time you start a shift. Because most of the staff
on the unit are shift workers it may take weeks, even months before you get to know
them so it is important not to get discouraged if they don’t recognize you

• See if any of your old favourite books, games or movies are in the playroom. If
you’re enthusiastic about something, chances are the kids will get excited about
it too

• Get familiar with SickKids celebrities A. Leboo, Ranger Ray and Herman.
They can be a great conversation starter. Check out this link to find out more
about them!

• Practice how you are going to introduce yourself with friends or in the mirror before you
get to the hospital. It may feel strange, but trust us, it makes knocking on those first couple of doors much
easier. Offering one or two options is often a better idea that asking “is there anything I can get you”. We
suggest introducing yourself with something like this:

“Hi my name is Julie and I am a volunteer. Do you want to make a
necklace or play Connect 4 with me?”

• Don’t be surprised if the parents stay in the room and join in the craft or game. Remember to bring
Parents need fun and breaks too! Sometimes they really value the opportunity to your badge, t-shirt or
speak to an adult about something that isn’t medical and watch their child have fun.
vest, login pin and
• Most importantly, remember to smile and relax your posture! Volunteering is lock. The code to the
supposed to be fun. It will likely take a couple of weeks before you feeling fully
comfortable. lounge is 1-5-3.

UNIQUE SITUATIONS Each year SickKids is
thankful for the
Working with non-verbal patients
support of up to 1500
volunteers!

Depending on what unit you are on, working with non verbal patients may become a fairly
regular part of your volunteer experience. For other volunteers, it may only happen once.
Regardless, here are some good reminders:

• Many non-verbal kids want to play too!
• Be sure to talk to them directly, not just to their caregivers
• Try to ask yes and no questions, they might have their own ways of answering
• Really pay attention to social cues; books beside their bed, the pjs that they are wearing, posters on their wall,

to better understand their interests
• Be silly, and embrace the situation, if you’re feeling uncomfortable it will make the kids fell uncomfortable
• Be sure to check out this link for more tips and tricks on how to work with patients who communicate in all

different ways.

A patient discloses critical information to you

During your interview we talked about what to do if a patient discloses important information to you, such as, they
have stopped taking the medication or mention something that suggests that there might be reason to be
concerned about abuse. These situations rarely come up, but it is important to know what to do if it happens.

• If it is something is clearly concerning you do not need to ask further questions and should go directly to get
help. That said, the balance of what is clearly concerning or could be concerning can be hard to determine

• Say thank you for sharing this with me
• If you require clarification about what was said, you should avoid “interviewing” a patient and asking leading

questions. A better approach saying, “can you tell me more about this?”
• You should avoid making assumptions
• You must take it forward to your supervisor
• With the support of a staff member, you may need to record the disclosure in the patient record
• It is unlikely for there to be any further requirements as a volunteer

SickKids volunteers Limits and guiding children’s behaviour
contribute more than
130,000 hours in patient It is unlikely that you will experience problematic behaviour, but all children can act up
and family support, and the hospital can be a particularly stressful environment for patients and siblings.
administration and
• Try to redirect the conversation or action to some thing positive ex. instead of throwing
research. beads, lets have a race to see who can get the most on their string.
• If the behaviour is hurting themselves or others than you must call for staff support

TEAM LEADS Interested in becoming a Team
Lead? Demonstrate leadership,
What are Team Leads? commitment and enthusiasm

A Team Lead is a volunteer who has excelled in their placement for at least and we might have a spot for
a year, and have been recognized by both VR and the staff on the unit for you! Be sure to talk to your
having exceptional leadership skills. Team Leads are here to offer support
and guidance to volunteers.You can recognize them by their red t-shirts. supervisor and VR.

Their duties include:
• Fostering positive, supportive relationships with volunteers in their unit
• Provide buddy shifts for new volunteers during 1st shifts
• Participate in Orientation Sessions and Unit Training
• Act as a mentor for new volunteers
• Develop an ongoing and positive working relationship with Child Life and VR
• Identify volunteer and program needs
• Assist with special events

Things I Wish I Knew - Advice from Your Team Leads

“You’re likely going to be nervous on your first shift. That’s normal.” – All Team Leads

“Introduce yourself to the staff on the unit. I wish I knew
how helpful they were when I first started.” Julia 4D Team
Lead

“Make yourself a preplanned introduction for the first
time that you’re knocking on a door. It makes it a lot
easier!” Jillian – 5 A/B Team Lead

“Some days really aren’t busy and that’s a good thing! It
means that there are fewer kids in the hospital.” Donald –
Emergency Department Team Lead

“Pay attention to what kids are wearing and look for clues
in their rooms. This will help you start a conversation.”
Jack – Starlight Team Lead

“It’s okay to ask questions if you’re unsure of something.
The Volunteer Resources staff, Child Life Specialists, and
Team Leads are happy to help.” Sabrina – 8A/6E Team Lead

BOUNDARIES EXPLAINED

If 12 year old child tells you that he is thirsty, you could offer the child some water.

FALSE – NPO, Nothing Passes Orally! Remember that volunteers should not take it upon themselves to feed
patients or give them water, juice, etc., unless checked with the nurse first. If a child is waiting for an operation,
giving them food/drink could set them back hours!

I greet acquaintances, friends and family, by kissing on both cheeks. It is fine for me to do this with the
patients and family I will be interacting with.

FALSE – Remember that the relationships you make in the hospital are professional

In all situations, sound relationships. Please treat them as such and be mindful of the boundaries
judgement and between what is personal and what is professional.

common sense are key. I should avoid rooms with pulled curtains, closed doors, and dimmed
If something doesn’t lights.

seem right be sure to

ask for help. FALSE – It can be daunting at times, but patients often close the door or pull the

curtain to separate their personal space from the hospital. That doesn’t mean we

should avoid these rooms, just approach the room with caution.

I took pictures posing with my favourite patient. Afterwards, I posted the photos on my Facebook
account and emailed them to the patient. This was okay for me to do.

FALSE – Keep in mind our policies about social media and confidentiality. This crosses the boundary between
what is personal and what is professional. You should not be exchanging any personal information with patients
and families as these are professional relationships.

If I’m visiting with a patient and a clinician comes in to talk with the patient and parents, I should
politely excuse myself and leave the room.

TRUE – That is confidential information; as a volunteer catering to non-medical needs, there is no reason for you to
stay for that conversation, and you should politely excuse yourself.

It is okay for me to visit patients from my floor on other units after they have been transferred.

FALSE – You are not trained to volunteer on other units and are not authorized to be there. If there is ever an
emergency, you have no idea what to do on that unit!

I can run down to Shopper’s Drug Mart to pick up supplies for a parent.

FALSE – While you cannot make the purchase for a parent, you can offer to stay with the child so they can run
their errands.

It is okay for me to feed or change an infant if the nurse asks me to do so.

FALSE – No washroom assistance or diaper duties! This is the job for a nurse or a parent.
An infant is crying in the room. It is okay for me to pick up the child without the nurse’s assistance.

FALSE – Babies are often attached to various medical devices and may have tubes or lines that impedes picking
them up. A nurse must pick up the children and place them in your arms or back in their crib. Make sure the nurse
call bell is accessible, especially to call the nurse when you would like to leave.

I can call and inquire about the well-being of a patient after I have left my
shift.

FALSE – Remember your professional boundaries! The relationships you make The staff on the units are
in the hospital stay here. all committed to helping!
If my unit is not busy, I can volunteer on another unit or go home early.
Check in with Child Life,
I can buddy up with another volunteer to bring a patient down to the nurses and patient
Marnie’s Lounge.
info clerks.

FALSE – If you happen to have another volunteer on your shift, there should be at least a 1:1 ratio of volunteer to
patient. There are multiple children on every unit who would love some volunteer company and if both volunteers
are off of the unit or spending time with the same child, no one is available to check in on other patients.

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION

We are immensely grateful for the contributions of all of our volunteers and show our appreciation throughout the
year by hosting unique events.

Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event

Each year we host one major appreciation event which brings together volunteers from all of our programs for a
night of awards, speakers, prizes and food.

Speaker Series

Each year we host a series of presentations and discussions with experts from throughout

the hospital on a variety of different topics. Past events have included: a panel

discussion with the Family Advisory Network (FAN), a presentation on Managing

Are you interested in Resilience: Grief and Bereavement and a Med School Lunch and Learn.

a particular topic that National Volunteer Appreciation Week

you think would make Each April, during National Volunteer Week, we show our thanks by extending our
for an interesting office hours and connecting with volunteers over refreshments in the Volunteer
Lounge. We also arrange special visits with the dogs in our PAWS program so that
event? Let us know! volunteers can have a chance to spend some time with these lovable creatures too.

VOLUNTEER AWARDS Service Excellence Award Recipient 2015 -
Sofia Sagaidak, Team Lead of the Year
All awards are presented annually at our Volunteer Appreciation Event.

Volunteer Service Excellence Awards

These awards were created in 2015 to recognize volunteers within
Volunteer Resources who exemplify the volunteer spirit and inspire
those around them through their dedication to the hospital. Each year
3-5 awards are presented to individuals who have made outstanding
contributions to the hospital.

Hours Levels

Bronze is awarded to volunteers who complete 500 - 999 hours.
Silver is awarded to volunteers who complete 1000 - 2499 hours.
Gold is award to volunteers who complete blank 2500 - 4999 hours.
Life Time Achievement is awarded to anyone who completes 25
years of service or 5,000 volunteer hours.

DONNING AND DOFFING

Donning

Doffing

GENERAL REMINDERS

Illness – If you are sick, do not come to the Hospital for your shift. Please inform your supervisor and VR. In
addition, you must call STARS at 416-813-6400 or email [email protected]. All information reported to
STARS is confidential.
Attendance – Our attendance policy is that you must maintain a minimum of 90% in order to be invited back for
future volunteer terms. If you are missing a shift you must email your VR Coordinator and supervisor.
Exams – Shifts are only excused if your exam time conflicts with your shift time. Proof may be
requested.

In addition to the core
programs SickKids has
over 20 unique programs
including: PAWS, Scouts
and Brownies, Project

Sunshine.

Our team normally
includes HR Students
who complete a four

month work
placement with us.

Meet the VR Team

Corinne Douglas - Senior Manager, Volunteer Resources

Corinne joined SickKids in 2008 as the Senior Manager of Strategy and
Operations and within 10 months was asked to lead VR. Corinne has an honours
degree from York University, and over 30 years of experience in both the private
and public sector. Corinne says that her current job is the best she has ever had!

Ashley Gelleny - Senior Program Specialist

Ashley joined VR in 2010. She has her Certification in Volunteer Administration
and has been an active volunteer for 15 years. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys
running, curling up with book, and taking ballroom dance and cello lessons.

Ashley was a competitive triathlete and hopes to complete an Ironman one day!

Julie Kuras - Program Specialist

Julie joined VR in 2014. She is a graduate of Carleton University and George
Brown College, and is currently a Masters Student at Osgoode Law School! In
her spare time, Julie enjoys volunteering, long distance running and reading.

Julie has traveled to 27 countries and loves to swap adventure stories.

Rachel Newson - Volunteer Coordinator

Rachel joined the VR 2013. She is a graduate of Brock University and Georgian
College. In her spare time Rachel loves to cook, spend time with family, and
watch her favourite sports teams!

Rachel is a certified Sommelier (wine taster) and worked for winery’s in Niagara.

Iman Fouad - Human Resources Associate

Iman joined VR 2016. She is a graduate of University of Toronto and George
Brown College. She enjoys baking cupcakes, walking her dog, and catching up
on Game of Thrones!

Iman has 41 aunts & uncles (23 on her mother’s side & 18 on her father’s side