: , ' '' - * ' - . t <* * f 
,,M,, - ■ - —- ‘ - . 
HOSPITAL 
iW* 
• ■ ’ ' * ;• ' ’* ‘ 
■tjp ___ |Mk aji 
Jmw |\T 
■ * ■■, 
■ 
OCD Publication 5012 
October 1943 
Joint Statement by the United States 
Office of Civilian Defense and the 
American Hospital Association To Hospital Administrators . . . 
MEN VOLUNTEERS: A Promising Solution to a Seri- 
ous Problem 
The universal shortage of male hospital personnel is being solved 
in some hospitals by using men from all walks of life—businessmen, 
laborers, white-collar workers—to do volunteer work as orderlies, 
laboratory assistants, and kitchen, laundry, and maintenance workers. 
These men volunteers assist in the care of hospital patients and prop- 
erty as well as in maintenance work and plant operation. As a patri- 
otic war service, they give the prescribed amount of time to meet urgent 
hospital needs. In several places they are now being trained for their 
jobs by the hospitals and are wearing a distinctive coat with insigne. 
This development is a most promising one. If it is properly utilized 
by hospitals, it may eliminate the shutting down of wards and services 
because of lack of male personnel at the very time when the need is at 
its peak. 
The local Defense Councils through their Civilian Defense Volun- 
teer Offices stand ready to assist the hospital administrators in pub- 
licizing the needs of the hospitals and in recruiting men volunteers. 
The hospital administrators will be free to select those persons whom 
they regard as suitable for this work and to give them whatever training 
they deem necessary for the job. Services of these volunteers are 
supervised by the regular hospital administrative personnel. 
How to Organize to Use Hospital Men Volunteers: 
If you need Men Volunteers, it is best to have a definite plan of 
organization, like the following: 
1. Determine what tasks Men Volunteers could take over.—This 
can be done by the administrator in consultation with department 
heads. Each department will assume the responsibility for necessary 
training on the job after a period of orientation. An outline of sug- 
gestions for training will be sent to you at a later date. 
2. Determine what rearrangements of the work schedule of the male 
employees of the hospital can he made so that men volunteers can he 
used.—Certain activities might be concentrated during the evening 
and night shifts when the men volunteers are most likely to be available. 3. Get the assistance of the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office of 
the local Defense Council in recruiting the necessary number of men 
volunteers.—The Volunteer Office will canvas the sources of supply; 
appeal to the public through press and radio; arrange for speakers to 
recruit men at various organizations such as ministerial associations, 
church groups, fraternal organizations, labor organizations, civic and 
service clubs. The Volunteer Office will explain the need and the 
nature of the work to applicants, and will send to the hospitals only 
those who appear interested and qualified. The Volunteer Office will 
keep in touch with hospitals to determine whether they are satisfied 
and whether replacements are needed. In smaller communities the 
organization will be less formal but there will be a close working rela- 
tionship between the hospitals and the local Defense Council. 
4. Make arrangements within the hospital for proper selection, 
training, organization, and supervision of the men volunteers.—Effec- 
tive supervision requires a director who may himself be a volunteer. 
The choice of an effective director of volunteers, whether he be an 
existing member of the administrative staff or a volunteer, is most 
important. The director should be responsible for selecting the vol- 
unteers and for scheduling them. Special attention should be given 
to orientation of the volunteers in the traditions, ethics, policies, pro- 
cedures, and physical layout of the hospital. It is desirable to have an 
official uniform, grey twill coat of three-quarter length with a “cVd” 
sleeve insigne*, and to provide adequate locker space and other 
accommodations. 
Health and Medleal Committees: 
The War Services Board of the local Defense Council will gladly ask 
the Health and Medical Committee on which hospital administrators 
are represented to ascertain the extent of the manpower problem. A 
special subcommittee of the Health and Medical Committee may be 
appointed to do this work, consisting of representatives of the principal 
hospitals, the Volunteer Office, and the Publicity Committee of the 
Defense Council. This committee should work with the hospital 
administrators and the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office in surveying 
and solving shortages of manpower which can be relieved by the use 
of Hospital Men Volunteers. It should also approve all local publicity 
issued by the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office. 
* Official insigne of the Citizens Service Corps of the OCD. Cooperation of A. If. A. and O. C. D. 
Since the problem is Nation-wide, the American Hospital Associa- 
tion and the United States Office of Civilian Defense are cooperating 
to draw public attention to this solution of the problem and to secure 
recruitment and use of Hospital Men Volunteers. 
Examples: 
What Two Hospitals Have Already Hone: 
Problem: A large hospital had 3 7 out of 40 orderlies and other male 
employees drafted and no men were available for replacement on the 
labor market. Solution: Men Volunteers—the hospital now has 150, 
each of whom gives a 4-hour period of work per week in some depart- 
ment. A group of these volunteers is on hand at all hours, day or 
night. They report to one desk where a worker is in charge at all 
hours and where assignments and checking in and out are done accord- 
ing to a fixed schedule. 
Problem: A 1 oo-bed hospital with a continuously high census was 
unable to replace 3 men in the laundry and 4 men in the kitchen. The 
critical situation has been greatly relieved by securing Hospital Men 
Volunteers who work in the laundry from 4 to 7 p. m. and in the kitchen 
at various 4-hour periods. 
Uniform and Insignia 
It is recommended that a standard uniform of a grey coat of three- 
quarter length be adopted. Hospital Men Volunteers or hospitals can 
order uniforms direct from local stores, or ask State or local Defense 
Councils to place orders for them. The insigne for the sleeve should 
be the United States Citizens Service Corps cVd (2/4. inches in 
diameter). These can be secured through local Defense Councils. 
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16 35261-1