FOR HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS ... a suggestion for solving a serious problem... HOSPITAL MEN VOLUNTEERS To remedy the shortage of nonprofessional male personnel in hospitals O. C. D. Publication 5013, December 1943 Under the Joint Auspices of the U. S. OFFICE OF CIVILIAN DEFENSE and the AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION 16-37638-1 Where Hospital Men Volunteers Can Be Used Employ This as a Chech List to Locate Your Greatest Needs Ward workers. Laboratory helpers. X-ray helpers. Physical therapy helpers Pharmacy helpers. Ambulance helpers. Diet kitchen helpers. Dining room helpers. Housekeeping helpers. Laundry helpers. Linen room helpers. Storeroom helpers. Heating plant helpers. Powerhouse helpers. Engineering helpers. Odd-job helpers. Plumber helpers. Electrician helpers. Carpenter helpers. Painter helpers. Elevator operators. Admitting clerks. Clerical workers. Accounting helpers. Switchboard helpers. Porters. Dishwashers. Window washers. Wall washers. Yard men. Messengers. Typists . . . etc. How Are Men Volunteers Secured? Consult the local Civilian Defense Volunteer Office and discuss your needs with them. They will recruit men for you. Must the Hospital Accept All Recruits? No. The hospital interviews all candidates and selects only those whom it regards as satisfactory. Who Trains the Volunteers? The hospital conducts and is in full control of all training of volunteers. Who Supervises the Volunteers’ Work? The hospital provides supervision of volunteers through its regular personnel. May Men Volunteers Serve on Female Wards? No. Hospital male volunteers are permitted to serve only male patients on the wards. Are Volunteers Covered in Case of Accident? Liability and workmen’s compensation coverages for volunteers will depend upon the insurance policies carried by each individual hospital and by regulations and requirements of each State. 16—37638'■I May Men Volunteers Wear Insignia? As members of the U. S. Citizens Service Corps, volunteers are entitled to wear a lapel button (cVd) on their street clothes. Where May Additional Information Be Obtained? (a) "Volunteer Aide Services in Hospitals’’ published by the United Hospital Fund, 370 Lexington Avenue, New York City (limited supply available, upon request) ; (£) "Volunteers in Health, Medical Care and Nursing,” published by the Office of Civilian Defense (available from the local Defense Council) ; (c) The preliminary report of the Committee on Volunteer Workers, Council on Association Development, entitled "Guide for the Use of Volunteer Service in Hospitals” (available from the American Hospital Association, 18 East Division Street, Chicago, 111.). How to Organize a Men Volunteers Service 1. Appoint a director of volunteers to have charge of the program. A paid director employed on a full-time or half-time basis is the ideal arrangement. Where funds are not available for this purpose, a carefully chosen, competent volun- teer may prove equally satisfactory. 2. Survey the manpower situation in all departments of the hospital to lo- cate points of greatest need. Decide how many hours of help are needed on each job. Consider 3 or 4 hours (or whatever unit seems most practical in your community) as the basic service unit and deter- mine the number of men volunteers needed to satisfy the requirements of your hospital. Many volunteers find it possible to give several 3-hour periods of service weekly. 3. Communicate with your local Ci- vilian Defense Volunteer Office for assistance in recruiting Men Volun- teersi. The Defense Council’s Health and Medical Committee, or a special committee which it may appoint and on which the hospitals of the community should be represented, will serve as liaison between the hos pitals and the Defense Council. This committee will plan publicity to popularize the program and will assist hospitals in the arrangements for the use of Men Volun- teers. The Civilian Defense Volunteer Office will re- cruit volunteers who appear to be suitable and will direct them to the hospital. 4 Carefully select suitable Men Vol- unteers from among those recruited. The hospital has a definite responsibility to itself, the volunteers and the patients to exercise great care in the selection of volunteers. Each candidate should be interviewed by the hospital’s director of volunteers who will select only those who seem to have the necessary qualifications for service and who meet the hospital’s requisite health standards. The Civilian Defense Vol- unteer Office should be notified concerning those who are not acceptable so that other opportunities can be provided for them to serve elsewhere. 5. Arrange to give such pre-service and in-service training as may be nec- essary to all those selected as Men Volunteers• All should take an orientation course consisting of one or two sessions and preferably given 16—37630-1 by the hospital administrator. It should include brief explanations of the place of the hospital in the com- munity wartime health program, the relationship of the hospital to the Defense Council, the rules of the hospital, its code of ethics, its personnel and its admin- istrative set-up. Each group of volunteers should also be taken on a carefully planned, conducted tour of the hospital to familiarize them with its facilities and layout. Specific training for duty will vary from job to job. Some work will require little didactic training and will be entered upon almost immediately; other types will require considerable theoretical training before prac- tical work can be done. Training should, however, be as practical as possible, with emphasis upon demon- strations and individual experience rather than upon lectures. In general, volunteers should start with the simpler tasks and go on to the more complex as they develop skill and acquire experience. Training should he rigorous. It may be desirable to arrange a session in which to prepare the paid staff for the inauguration of the volunteer service, so that they may understand their respective roles and cooperate rather than resent the innovation. In some instances, it has been found desir- able not to have paid and volunteer workers assigned to the same tasks, but turn over whole units of work to each for accomplishment as separate groups. 6. Make out schedules of work and specific assignments for each volun- teer. Have them check in to a specific place and person on arrival and on departure and report daily on work accomplished. ASSIGN LOCKER SPACE AND OTHER FACILITIES. Insist upon punctuality, regularity of attendance and high standards. If a vol- unteer is forced to be absent, it should be regarded as his responsibility to make certain that a proper substi- tute or alternate is provided. 7. Procure standard uniforms and official insignia; arrange for the De- fense Council to induct volunteers into the Citizens Service Corps with appro- priate ceremony. It is recommended that a standard uniform, a three-quarter length grey coat with Citizens Service Corps insignia on the left sleeve at the shoulder level should be adopted. Other colors may, of course, be continued in use if the plan is already in operation and a different color has been chosen. Volunteers or hospitals can purchase uniforms direct from local stores or can ask the State or local Defense Council to place orders for them. When a volunteer has rendered sufficient service to merit an OCD Award for Service, it should be fittingly presented by the local Defense Council. U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16 37638-1