A patient care training program for volunteers

Properly trained and interested volunteers can perform basic nursing skills in a clinical setting. Staff development educators should 1) assess the needs of the area; 2) assess the skills of the volunteers available to them; 3) construct goals and objectives for a thorough orientation program geared to people with nonmedical backgrounds; 4) select appropriate course content and methods of presentation based on the framework provided by the goals and objectives and on the regulations governing the institution in which the volunteer will work; 5) implement the course; and 6) evaluate the adequacy and thoroughness of the program and the competency of the volunteers trained. The potential service that qualified and adequately trained volunteers could offer in patient care areas that are understaffed in nursing personnel is great. Similar programs can be used to supply needed assistance in facilities with limited nursing personnel.