Medical volunteers offer their skills in a number of ways. Social service agencies engage them for their professional expertise and knowledge of the medical community. During disaster planning, response and recovery, the Medical Reserve Corps volunteers provide valuable assistance to their communities by supporting public health initiatives and supporting medical operations during a disaster.
The Right Position
Medical volunteers bring a tremendous amount of technical skill to their work. However, not every physician or nurse may want to contribute their time in that manner. So it is important to talk with the volunteer about their goals and underlying reason for volunteering so that you can make the right placement for them. Understanding what someone hopes to accomplish through their volunteer work is an essential element of retaining them over the long term. Information from their application may assist you, as well.
Recruiting Sources
When recruiting medical personnel, reach out to a variety of sources with your message. Your local volunteer center may have a registry of individuals who have said that they want to volunteer their time in a particular way. Also, your local or state medical societies may be able to share your message with their members as a far of community outreach. Area hospitals may also be willing to share information about your organization with their employees or post something in their cafeterias. Lastly, in urban areas, many of the hospitals have joint committees that work on issues common to all hospitals. Offering a short presentation on your organization at one of their meetings may be an additional way to spread your message.
Be Flexible
Medical personnel have schedules that can rapidly change depending on circumstances that are beyond their control. Try to be as flexible as possible with their assignments and understanding if they are unable to attend their assignment unexpectedly. Having a roster of volunteers who have identified themselves as able to fill in at the last minute can keep things running smoothly. Include this option on your volunteer application and encourage each volunteer to recruit their own replacement if they are unable to attend their assigned time. Hand it out at each volunteer orientation so that all volunteers understand their responsibility for finding a replacement.
Clearly Define the Position
As with any volunteer position, it is very important to clearly define the volunteer’s role with the organization and any responsibilities related to their position. This may include information about when they need to report back to you, how to record their hours and where to get information if they have questions. As today’s volunteer is working on an increasingly tighter schedule, it is also important to let them know the time commitment the position will involve.
Recognition
Recognition is always very important for a successful volunteer program. Volunteers do not want to be recognized for their efforts in the same way. Successful volunteer programs incorporate several strategies to ensure that those who are contributing to their organizations are recognize in ways that are meaningful to them. The common element in their approaches is that the recognition is immediate, intermittent and appropriate to the individual. Immediate recognition refers to the sharing information about a volunteer’s accomplishments at the time that they achieve them rather than waiting months to say ‘Thank you.’ By keeping volunteer recognition intermittent, you are maintaining the sincerity of your ‘Thank you.’ Finally, keeping recognition appropriate to the individual allows them to receive your ‘Thanks’ in the way that they are most comfortable with. For instance, many volunteers do not want to attend the ubiquitous banquet but appreciate a heartfelt thank you in the break room or a gift card for a cup of coffee.
These are just a few tips for engaging professional medical personnel in your organization’s programs.