Volunteer at NYU Langone - Manhattan Campus

Department:  Therapeutic Recreation, Child Life & Creative Arts Therapy Dept.
Age Requirement:  Must be at least 18 years old
Operating Hours:  Monday - Sunday; 8am - 5pm
Shifts: Varies
Time Commitment: One four-hour shift weekly
Summary: Responsible for assisting with age-appropriate activities and resources for inpatients and family members in the 7th, 8th and/or 9th floor as well as other Kimmel spaces such as KP4 playroom and KP7 MPR.
Qualifications:
- Must have previous experience with children (e.g., babysitting, camp counselor, etc.)
- Ability to work independently but seek information when required
- Ability to demonstrate sensitivity in working with children/families under stress and those with special needs.
Tasks Performed:
- Assist in setting up and supervising activities in inpatient unit playrooms, and occasional coverage of KP4 playroom for pediatric patients on the surgical unit
- Actively play with patients and siblings of all ages, both in playrooms and at bedside
- Help with setup and supervision of special events
- Maintain cleanliness and order in playrooms; disinfect toys and supplies
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Work involves sitting/kneeling on floor, physical interactions with infants and children, lifting equipment and young children as appropriate, pushing carts, washing toys
- Must be able to communicate with children and families
- Maturity to manage working with sick and anxious children and their families

Department: Nursing
Age Requirement:  Must be at least 18 years old
Operating Hours:  Monday - Sunday; 8am - 9pm
Shifts: 9a-1p; 1p-5p; 5p-9p
Time Commitment: One four-hour shift weekly
Summary: Provide comfort and compassion by assisting patient/families with their needs Assist staff with assigned tasks.
Qualifications:
- Require minimal supervision
- Possess interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of people and situations
- Be able to work independently but seek guidance when required
- Use communication and follow-up skills to ensure patient and staff needs are met
- Compassion and empathy
Tasks Performed:
- Visit with patient who are high risk for delirium or acute confusion and provide patients, when appropriate, with things to occupy their time: word searches, coloring books, selecting TV channels/movies/music, call mediation hotline, help patient navigate menu and order food
- Proactive rounds on patient and families to maintain contact throughout patient stay utilizing CARE
- Assisting patients and families with technological resources;
- Help signup patients to MyChart
- Educate on how to utilize MyWall
- Assist patients with obtaining comfort preference items such as pillows, blankets, newspapers.
- Assist patients with organizing personal items and helping pack belongings at discharge
- Review patient list with charge RN to identify patient/family needs
- Act as liaison for patient and visitors by giving non-clinical status updates
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Stand for long periods of time
- Walk throughout hospital
- Work in environment that is fast-paced and sometimes chaotic
- Understand emotional needs of patients and their families

Department: Visitor Screening
Age Requirement:  Must be at least 16 years old
Operating Hours:  Monday – Friday; 8am – 5pm
Shifts: 8a-12p; 12p-4p
Time Commitment: One four-hour shift weekly
Summary: As a Lobby Services Volunteer, you will play a crucial role in ensuring that patients and guests feel safe, comfortable, and supported during their visit. By providing clear information and wayfinding assistance, as well as escorting patients and guests throughout the campus, you will help foster a compassionate and reassuring environment.
Qualifications:
- Deal effectively with a variety of people and situations
- Use active listening skills
- Provide information and directions verbally and if necessary, in writing
- Maintain a professional demeanor
- Demonstrate good judgment and effective problem-solving skills
- Comfortable in a position where there are periods of high and low activity
- Maintain an alert and welcoming attitude even during times of low activity
Tasks Performed:
- Pleasantly greet patient, family and visitors with a warm welcome and a smile
- Listen and acknowledge patient, family and visitors needs
- Provide directions and information.
- Accompany patient, family and visitors to their destination
- Utilize Visitor Screeners for patient rooms and more complex information
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Standing for periods of time
- Understand patients and visitors have emotional needs and we are here to help them in any way

Department: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Age Requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Operating Hours: Monday - Sunday; 24 hours
Shifts: Varies
Time Commitment: One four-hour shift weekly
Summary: Our Snuggle Squad (NICU cuddler program) trains volunteers to hold, rock, and cuddle babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, when their parents are not able to be at bedside.
Qualifications:
- Require minimal supervision
- Possess interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of people and situations
- Be able to work independently but seek guidance when required
- Use communication and follow-up skills to ensure patient and staff needs are met
- Use critical thinking skills
- Compassion and empathy
Tasks Performed:
- Provide comfort in the absence of parents/guardians: console, hold, "cuddle" and stabilize infants under the direct supervision of infant's nurse
- Parent/Guardian support: offer to be present if parent needs/wishes to leave bedside
- Restock supplies as needed.
- All other non-clinical duties as requested by the unit superiors and or/staff
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Comfort in Critical Care settings
- Positive, respectful, calm and pleasant manner
- Reliable
- Work in an environment that is sometimes fast-paced and chaotic
- Understand the emotional needs of parents
- Able to remain seated for extended periods of time

Department: Animal Assisted Therapy
Age Requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Operating Hours: Monday - Sunday; 10a - 8p
Shifts: Varies
Time Commitment: 9 month minimum
Summary: The Pet Therapy teams assist hospital staff (Therapeutic Recreation) while promoting teamwork and demonstrating care with sensitivity and respect for our patients, families, and visitors.
Qualifications:
- Dogs must pass behavioral screening tests and be registered with the New York Therapy Animals, Good Dog Foundation, Bide-a-Wee or Pet Partners.
- The pet handler must have highly developed dog- training and handling skills. He/she must exhibit a strong bond with his/her dog, as well as an understanding of basic animal behavior.
- Must be able to carry out volunteer assignments independently
- Be friendly, courteous and able to relate to all patients who may be under stress
- Genuine interest in people and a desire to help families
- Sensitivity to the needs or others- patients, families, staff, other volunteers
- Willingness to follow hospital regulations, accept supervision, accept the limit of a volunteer's role, and be flexible and adaptable
Tasks Performed:
- Understand and exceed customer expectations
- Keep and maintain healthy dogs for use in the program
- Ensure dog are physically and mentally sound and maintains registration with specified pet handler organization
- Ensure dog receives veterinary care and maintains medical records
- Grooms dog within 24 hours of visit to the hospital
- Reports to designated area upon arrival
- Provide bedside visits, group visits, both inpatient and outpatient, adults and pediatrics
- Pet therapy teams may participate in hospital events, celebrations, and various community outreach events. Pet therapy teams may also be asked to appear media events in support of NYULMC mission, vision, and goals.
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Pet Therapy volunteers must be able to control their dogs in any situation.
- Pet therapy activities may include climbing stairs, repetitive movements, lifting dogs and/or carrying supplies in tote bag.

Department: Integrative Health Volunteer
Age Requirement: Must be at least 16 years old
Operating Hours: Monday - Sunday; 9a - 9p
Shifts: Varies
Time Commitment: 9 month minimum
Summary: The department of Integrative Health focuses on ensuring the wellbeing of our staff and patients through the utilization of evidence informed integrative health modalities, tools and techniques. Focusing directly on the wellbeing of our Nurses while on-the-job is a priority for our department. Integrative Health volunteers assist the Integrative Health Department with sharing wellness resources to Nurses.
Qualifications:
- Require minimal supervision
- Be able to work independently but seek guidance when required
- Possess strong interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of people and situations
- Possess strong communication skills, comfort engaging and interacting with nursing staff members in high-paced, energetic atmospheres
- Possess interest in integrative health and wellness
- Be willing to learn and teach integrative health tools to promote self-care wellness activities
- Possess values of compassion and empathy
Tasks Performed:
- Proactive rounds on participating units to share integrative health wellness materials, specifically gratitude exercises, and techniques
- Demonstrate Integrative Health techniques to individual or group staff members - Ask basic non-clinical questions to staff to identify interest and understanding techniques
- Assess if staff have time to engage in gratitude exercises and share educational materials if interest is identified
- Update resource inventory sheet and re-stock supply cart
- Enter results in Qualtrics via QR code input
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Walk throughout the hospital
- Talk to staff members/Nurses
- Understand emotional needs of staff members

Department: Emergency Department Volunteer
Age Requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Operating Hours: Monday - Sunday; 10a - 10p
Shifts: 10a-2p; 2p-6p; 6p-10p
Time Commitment: 9 month minimum
Summary: The Emergency Department offers highly specialized care to treat the emergency needs of community. Volunteers provide comfort and compassion by meeting with patients/families and assisting with their needs. Assist ED staff with assigned tasks.
Qualifications:
- Require minimal supervision
- Possess interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of people and situations
- Be able to work independently but seek guidance when required
- Use communication and follow-up skills to ensure patient and staff needs are met
- Use critical thinking skills
Tasks Performed:
- Visit with patients and families and maintain contact throughout the patient stay in ED (if possible)
- Obtain comfort items such as pillows, blankets, nourishment (only if patient is allowed to eat or drink)
- Assist patients in understanding the ED process and flow as well as orient with Welcome Books
- Orient patients to MyChart and inform of programs, Virtual Urgent Care and the ability to make an appointment etc.
- Visit with patients who are at risk for delirium or acute confusion and provide these patients, if appropriate, with things to do: word searches, coloring books, selecting TV channels/movies, call meditation hotline.
- Help to label patient property i.e. patient belongings bags with patients labels
- Contact Flo- Coordinator or the Primary Nurse if a fall risk patient needs help (falls risk patients are identified by a yellow falls risk bracelet)
- Accompany patients and/or family members to other hospital areas
- Ensure patients have their belongings at the time of discharge and or admission
- Socialize and regularly touch base with admitted patients, or are within they geriatric population offering entertainment items such as newspapers, cards, coloring books, puzzles, etc.
- Act as liaison for patients' visitors by giving non-clinical status updates. Refer to the welcome book for estimated wait times
- Help keep order in wait rooms
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Stand for long periods of time
- Walk throughout hospital
- Work in an environment that is sometimes fast-paced and chaotic
- Understand the emotional needs of patients requiring emergency care and their families

Department: Guest Services Volunteer
Age Requirement: Outpatient - 16 years old | Inpatient - 18 years old
Operating Hours: Monday - Friday; 9a - 5p
Shifts: 9a-1p; 1p-5p
Time Commitment: 9 month minimum
Summary: Provide a friendly and comfortable experience by assisting patients and their partners with non-clinical needs. Help liaison between patients, their partners, and staff.
Qualifications:
- Require minimal supervision
- Possess interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of people and situations
- Be able to work independently but seek guidance when required
- Use communication and follow-up skills to ensure patient and staff needs are met
- Use critical thinking skills
Tasks Performed:
- Pleasantly greet all patients and their partners with a warm welcome and a smile
- Assists with check-in, as needed
- Provide directions to waiting areas, accompany as needed
- Provide non-clinical updates when waiting
- Round in waiting area, offer refreshments to patients and their partners
- Help keep waiting area clean and safe providing comfort items tissue boxes, Purell, etc.
- Relay questions or concerns from patients/their partner to the appropriate staff
- Utilize front desk, leads, and supervisor for more complex information that you may not have
- Reassure patient and their partner that we are here to assist
- Listen, acknowledge, and address patients' needs
- Provide feedback to team on areas of marketing/communication materials based on feedback received from patients.
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Standing for periods of time
- Understand patients/partners have emotional needs and we are here to help them in any way

Department: Maternal Medicine Volunteer
Age Requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Operating Hours: Monday - Sunday; 9a - 9p
Shifts: 9a-1p; 1p-5p
Time Commitment: 9 month minimum
Summary: Patients engage with our volunteers to receive evidence-informed tools, exercises, hand-outs and special gifts to encourage relaxation, joy and mindfulness during their gestational journey.
Qualifications:
- Require minimal supervision
- Background or interest in maternal healthcare
- Possess interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of people and situations
- Be able to work independently but seek guidance when required
- Be willing to learn and teach integrative health tools to promote self-care wellness activities
- Use communication and follow-up skills to ensure patient needs are met
- Use critical thinking skills
- Compassion and empathy
Tasks Performed:
- Review patient list with charge RN to identify patient/family needs.
- Visit with patients to demonstrate integrative health wellness techniques.
- Obtain comfort items such as pillows, blankets, nourishment (only if patient is allowed to eat or drink).
- Ask basic non-clinical questions to staff to identify interest and understanding techniques
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- Standing for periods of time
- Understand the emotional needs of patients

Department: Reiki Practitioner Volunteer
Age Requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Operating Hours: Monday - Sunday; 9a - 9p
Shifts: Varies
Time Commitment: 9 month minimum
Summary: Reiki Practitioners working with the department of integrative health will be performing Reiki session on individuals to promote their wellbeing. Reiki sessions are provided both in chairs and on Reiki tables and can be shared individually and in group sessions.
Qualifications:
- Reiki Level 2 and higher
- Require minimal supervision
- Possess interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of people and situations
- Be able to work independently but seek guidance when required
Tasks Performed:
- Sharing the practice of Reiki with Staff Members both individually and in group sessions.
- Co-facilitating with Integrative health staff members to teach Reiki trainings and workshops.
- Working with departmental staff to set up, and provide Reiki treatments for both group settings called "Reiki Circles" on pre-determined units with the permission of the Nurse Managers.
- Provide individual sessions with staff members
- Float on units and provide Reiki to interested and available staff
- Assist with teaching classes, trainings and online courses
- Attend wellness fairs and wellness activities in the hospital
Physical/Emotional Demands:
- No touch required
- Reiki practitioners are trained to cope with emotional aspects of treatments Understand the emotional needs of patients