Regulations for Observers and Volunteers

Introduction

Date of Last Review 5/19/08
SME: Director of Public Information & Education

This topic provides regulations for observers and volunteers.

Definitions

Observers
Persons wanting to view how a unit operates.
Examples:

Research volunteers

Unaffiliated students

Staff family members or friends

Volunteers
Persons wanting to donate their time to help with unit or hospital operations.

Permission

Observers
Must have permission from the following while at the UTHCPC facility:

Hospital administrator or the Director of Public Information or Medical Director

Volunteers
Must do the following:

Contact the Public Information and Education (PIE) Department

Register in the Volunteer Program

General restrictions

UTHCPC forbids observers or volunteers access to the following without written permission:

Patient care units - Volunteers are under the direction of the Registered Nurse/designee and the Director of Volunteers when in the patient care area

Patients

Hospital data

Reason: To avoid confidentiality and liability concerns.

Specific restrictions

Observers
Have the following restrictions:

Four-hour time limit

Close supervision by the physician-in-charge

Volunteers
May only perform activities specified in the Volunteer Program.

Examples of compliance

The following are examples of approved observer and volunteer activities on the units:

Observers on a tour hosted by PIE or with permission from administrative leadership.

Registered volunteers on the units operating the candy cart or reading to patients.

Students or trainees with affiliation agreements scheduled to be at UTHCPC.

Example of non-compliance

A physician or other staff member allows a non-approved person to visit or observe on a unit or elsewhere in the hospital (i.e. rounds, group sessions) is an example of non-compliant behavior.

Consequences of non-compliance

The following are possible results of non-compliance:

Security escorts unauthorized observer or volunteer off of the property.

Supervisor subjects employee(s) allowing unauthorized access to disciplinary action.

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