Volunteer Program: Emergency Department

Program Roles

The following roles are available to ED PEER Program members:

• Team Center Volunteer - Round on patients, answer call lights, assist ED personnel in maintaining an efficient and welcoming environment
• Triage/Triage Treatment Volunteer - Assist triage nurses with patients waiting to be seen, escort patients to rooms in ED, assist with visitors and families, round on patients
• Experienced ED PEER volunteers have the opportunity to train for:
  • Room Recorder - Record events as they happen in the Stabilization Room
• Potential leadership opportunities within the ED PEER program
• Opportunity to attend an educational weekly conference with nurses and medical staff
• Other tasks and special projects as needed

Why ED PEER?

In comparison to other hospital emergency department volunteer programs in the Twin Cities, the Hennepin Healthcare ED PEER program offers a more inclusive immersion into the environment of an emergency department. Hennepin Healthcare is Minnesota’s premier Level One Trauma Center and the busiest emergency department in the state. The ED PEER Program encompasses approximately 100 volunteers who are assigned to different areas throughout the emergency department and work closely with staff, patients, and other volunteers.

Volunteer Selection Procedure

Volunteers should apply online, provide two letters of reference, a background check, and a health screening. Informal interviews will then be conducted with the program coordinators. Applicants will not be invited to interview until they have completed all of the application requirements.

Volunteer Training

ED PEER Program members will be required to attend orientation sessions scheduled by the Program Coordinator. To complete the orientation volunteers will take part in a 4-hour shadow shift with an ED Health Care Assistant (HCA) or experienced ED PEER Volunteer in the emergency department.