St. Paul’s Hospital (St. Paul’s Hospital Palliative Care Volunteer)

• Background/police check requiredAppropriate for volunteers aged between 18 and 55Appropriate for volunteers aged 55 and overTraining or orientation required

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Some of the most valuable times in life are those spent with those at the end of life. Volunteers are a comfort and social support for families and patients. Volunteers must be mature, experienced and be able to make a year commitment (shifts are once a week at a regular set day and time for two hours). This is not a position for those looking to work through their own issues on death and dying, or to gain experience for future careers, but an opportunity to make the day of a patient and family very special. We are looking for volunteers who have previous experience with grief and preferably be familiar with a Palliative Care or Hospice Unit.

QUALIFICATIONS:

-Must have already completed a comparable Palliative Care Training Course for Volunteers OR have volunteered for at least 4 months at one of our Providence Health Care sites months and be willing to take our 26 hours training course (offered 1x year during evenings and weekends).

-Looking for Mature Adults, who are Emotionally Stable with Superior Communication/Listening Skills, Good Awareness of Boundaries and Sensitive to the needs of the dying and their families.

-Comfortable sitting vigil.

-Second language is an asset.

-Must be able to commit to regular weekly 2 hour shifts for at least one year.

-Must not have had a personal loss/illness/crisis within the last 12 months.