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I am going to copy our job description here.
Blount Memorial Hospital Volunteer Services
Volunteer Discharge Escort Operational Instructions
March 2, 2013
- •1. Your primary responsibility is to safely transport patients being discharged from the hospital from their rooms to their transportation. You will work with 1 or 2 other volunteers and will rotate calls with them.
- •n Arrive on time for your shift, and check in at the Volunteer Office for your scheduled shift.
- •n Pick up your assigned pager; check to see that it is on and on the vibrate setting.
- •n Use the cart corresponding to your pager number, eg pager #2 & cart #2.
- •n Report to the Duty Station and be prepared to begin escort duty.
- •n Be prepared to assist in assembling patient packet if requested and time permits.
- •n Assist in the delivery of flowers, mail, magazines and books if requested and time permits.
- •2. Floor nurses will phone for patient transport.
- •n When answering the phone, use the term “Volunteer Discharge Escort” and this duty will rotate depending on who is available. Do not use “Escort or Transport Service” When a call comes in, obtain the room #, the person calling (usually a nurse) and fill in the patient log (i.e. time, room #, person calling, etc.)
- •n Write the room number on a card, and place it on the cart and take it with you when going on a call.
- •3. When arriving at the requested pick-up room, knock on the door and announce your purpose. Front of the cart enters room first.
- •n Load baggage, flowers, etc on the cart.
- •n Assist patients onto the cart. Ask for assistance if necessary.
- •n If patient is infirm or dizzy or if the patient is a child, use of the seat belt is advised.
- •n Determine where the patient’s transportation is located. If no family member is present and patient does not know, ask a nurse.
- •n Before leaving the ward, check the patient out using a computer terminal on the wall. Use 6666 to login. (Nurses can do this so it is optional; complete login and logout instructions on page 3.)
- •n When transporting patients, avoid sudden movement or turns, which could nauseate patients, especially those from Same Day Surgery.
- •n When arriving at the patient’s transportation, assist patient into the vehicle and load any patient baggage into the vehicle. Ask for assistance if needed.
- •n Return to the Volunteer Office. Record where you took the patient, i.e. OP, GOL, ER or GS.
- •4. Miscellaneous Instructions:
- •n Always set the brake on the cart before the patient climbs aboard. The brake should be set each time you are stopped/parked.
- •n There are these possible patient destinations: Out Patient (OP) on the 1st floor past the Atrium Café; Emergency Room (ER); and Garden of Life (GOL) and Gift Shop (GS) both on the ground floor. Patients and/or family members may be disoriented in the hospital and may be confused about where their vehicle is. They will frequently say, “ I am parked at the front entrance”, and this could be one of 2 or 3 different locations. Clarify this by asking: “did you walk by the Atrium Café?” or “did you walk by the Gift Shop?” Technically the proper patient discharge location is on the ground floor.
- •n If a patient’s transportation is not where the patient expects it to be, wait a few minutes and then ask for assistance from security. Security will dispatch the “golf carts” to search for the automobile.
- •n Always back your cart onto the elevators, it facilitates exit. Keep the cart inside the entrance until the vehicle appears. When the vehicle pulls up, assist the patient into the vehicle and transfer luggage, flowers, etc from the cart into the vehicle. Ask for assistance if needed.
- •n Nurses or lift staff should transport excessively overweight patients. Under no circumstance should you ever argue with a nurse or staff. (Guideline is 300 lbs.)
- •n For bariatric patients please use extreme discretion. If at any time you feel the patient is too large for you to transport, politely excuse yourself, go to the nurse and quietly ask them to handle the situation. (This is for the safety of all parties)
- •n The large oxygen cylinders on wheeled carts are not to be carried on the transport carts at any time. These cylinders should be pushed along side the cart by a visitor, family member or nurse.
- •n When you arrive at an elevator with an empty cart, patients on gurneys have the right of way, i.e. if you are on the elevator and the door opens and there is a patient on the gurney, you should exit and take the next elevator; if you are waiting for an elevator, the elevator door opens and there is a patient on a gurney, wait until the next elevator.
- •n Do not use the elevator if the fire alarm is sounding. If it is just a test, you may use the elevator but check with the operator to be sure.
- •n If you are the last volunteer available and a call comes in, take the log to the Volunteer Desk; they will answer the phone when the 2/3 escorts are out. They may page you while you are in route.
- •n If receiving a page, a room number will appear or the number 800 (Same Day Surgery) or 900 (recovery room). Proceed immediately to pick up the patient. If you receive 5609 or 5610 on the pager, that is the Volunteer Office return their call.
- •n When going to lunch, inform the person at the Volunteer Desk, as well as your co-workers, to avoid being paged.
- •n Clean your cart after each escort using gloves and alcohol wipes. Large blood spills should be called to Housekeeping (5650); they should clean the cart.
- •n At the end of your shift, record your hours both on the schedule calendar and your time card.
- •n All carts should be cleaned and then moved inside the office at the end of the shift.
- •n Clear any calls on your pager; turn it off and return it to the front desk.
- •n You are an ambassador for the hospital and your behavior makes a difference in the patient’s perception so remember to demonstrate your caring power.
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