Adult Volunteer Opportunities
Inova Fairfax Hospital, Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children 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 - Emergency Department
Serve as resource for arriving visitors and as liaison between them and staff treating ED patients
Administrative and Clerical. Volunteers perform routine office tasks, including data processing, and assist with mass mailings and similar projects.
- Health Information Department
Work with medical records and physicians' transcription services, enter data, conduct Web research, prepare files for scanning, etc. - Various hospital departments
Copy, file, assemble chart packs, schedule appointments, answer phones, etc. Weekday volunteers especially needed. - 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 - Neonatal Intensive
Care
Be part of the Cuddler Program and hold, rock and provide physical contact to premature and other fragile newborns - 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
Offsite Services. These volunteer opportunities are part of hospital operations but are not housed on the Inova Fairfax Hospital/Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children campus.
- Transplant Center
Assist social work staff by helping transplant patients locate and enroll in programs to assist with medications and other expenses - Reach Out and Read®
Read to children visiting the Inova Pediatric Center; help educate about value of books in the home - Treasure Trove Shops
Assist customers with selections, receive and process donations and consignments, handle sales, create displays, perform other typical retail tasks
