Adult Volunteer Opportunities at Inova Fairfax Hospital
Apply today to be a volunteer at Inova Fairfax Hospital 
Inova Fairfax Hospital, Inova Children's Hospital and Inova Heart and Vascular Institute offer many opportunities for volunteer service. To help you find the activity that suits you best, we have categorized a sample of the services according to the way current volunteers describe their primary appeal. Many services overlap, however. For example, gift shop volunteers interact most often with visitors, but also have some contact with patients. Please note that not all areas are available at any given time. In addition, most services require additional training beyond entry-level instruction.
Patient contact
Volunteers in these service areas interact to varying degrees with patients as well as with staff.
- Ambulatory Surgery Center
Help monitor outpatients recovering from surgery, provide for their needs and assist them on discharge
- Patient relations
Visit new patients to personalize hospital and introduce them to services of patient representatives
- Patient support services
Escort patients to procedures, assist in discharge, deliver flowers, charts, patient mail and laboratory items
- Gastroenterology Department
Help monitor and support patients recovering from GE procedures
- Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)
Assist older patients to help them experience a positive post-operative outcome and to return successfully to their customary routine
- Pediatrics
Assist Child Life staff by providing non-medical support to pediatric patients and their families, including bedside recreational activities and comfort
Public contact
Volunteers interact primarily with patients, families and other hospital visitors, giving information and support and serving as liaison with staff.
- Surgical waiting desk
Provide updates and other information to families and friends of patients undergoing outpatient surgery
- Gift shops
Assist visitors with selections and purchases in four onsite stores; help shop staff with other retail functions
- Medical Library
Shelve or copy materials, locate information, help visitors with Web searches, etc.
Specialized areas
Requires unique experience and/or program authorization.
- Cardiovascular pre-operative support
Provide pre-operative support to those awaiting heart surgery and help relieve anxiety of waiting families
- Animal-assisted care
Accompany trained, certified pet/human teams that are invited to visit and comfort patients
- Total joint replacement
Coach former patients or other knowledgeable volunteers to support and encourage patients following replacement surgery
- Family centered care
Assist nursing staff in newborn nursery to bathe, feed, diaper and hold infants; transport infants to and from mothers' rooms
- Transplant Center
Assist social work staff by helping transplant patients locate and enroll in programs to assist with medications and other expenses
Offsite services
These volunteer opportunities are part of hospital operations but are not housed on the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus.
- Treasure Trove shops
Assist customers with selections, receive and process donations and consignments, handle sales, create displays, perform other typical retail tasks
