Our Mission
Palmetto Health is
committed to improving the
physical, emotional and
spiritual health of all
individuals and communities
we serve; to providing care
with excellence and
compassion; and, to working
with others who share our
fundamental commitment to
improving the human
condition.
Our Vision
To be remembered by
each patient as providing
the care and compassion
we want for our families
and ourselves.
Our Values/
Standards of Behavior
Compassion
Caring for people in need and benevolence for
people in general
Dignity
Respect for one’s worth as a human being
Excellence
Pursuing the highest level of service and
quality in all that we do
Integrity
Adherence to a code of trust, fairness and
honesty
Teamwork
Achieving common goals together
Uniform & Personal
Appearance
 Volunteers must maintain a clean, professional
appearance. This includes:
 Photo ID badge
 Uniform
 Cosmetics/Jewelry
 Phones/Valuables
 Smoking
Photo ID badges
• All which must be worn at all times, above
waist level (preferably closer to neck than
waist).
• Please have your name facing outward so
others may easily read it
• Upon termination of service, volunteers must
return the volunteer ID badge to the director
of the volunteer department
Uniform
VOLUNTEER UNIFORM:
• Personal Touch/HELP Volunteers wear blue
scrubs (purchased by the volunteer), and
Personal Touch patch and HELP badge frame
(supplied by the Volunteer department).
• Shirts and pants must be kept neat, clean and
well-pressed.
• Shirts must be tucked in.
• Flat shoes with socks/hose are required.
Tennis shoes are recommended as long as they
are well maintained and clean. No sandals or
flip flops are permitted to be worn as they do
not provide adequate protection. No opentoed shoes are permitted.
Cosmetic/Jewelry
• Hair should be kept neat and clean and if long,
pulled neatly away from the face.
• Please keep make-up to a minimum. No
sparkles please.
• Jewelry should be conservative, not excessive,
and without the potential for harm. No visible
piercings other than ears – and no more than 2
per ear.
• Nails are required to be short, neat and clean.
Artificial nails are prohibited.
• Fragrances are not allowed on duty as they
may cause allergic reactions in patients,
visitors, staff or others.
Phones/Valuables
•Personal cellular phones are to
be set to vibrate or turned off
and not used in clinical settings!
• Personal phone calls should be
limited to emergencies.
• Storage is limited for personal
belongings; purses or other
valuables may not be secured.
• No cameras are allowed in the
clinical setting.
Smoking Policy - All
Palmetto Health clinics and facilities
are tobacco free.
Policy Statement
• In an effort to continue to promote the health
and well-being of our team members, patients
and guests, Palmetto Health has made four
changes to our Tobacco-Free Workplace Policy,
effective Oct. 1, 2014.
• The definition of “team members” has been
redefined to ensure it includes anyone who
performs work for or under the direct control
of and/or represents Palmetto Health.
• Team members may not use tobacco during
paid breaks and must clock out when leaving
the workplace for non-business reasons.
• Team members must not smell of tobacco
smoke while on duty.
• E-cigarettes are included in the definition of
tobacco products.
Personal Touch
Program
When the Personal Touch Program was developed more than 23 years ago it was
the only one like it in the United States. It was developed to allow trained
volunteers to go beyond the traditional duties of hospital volunteers by
providing nonmedical comfort care and hands on assistance to patients and as
valued members of the care team, assist the nursing staff throughout patient
care areas at Palmetto Health Baptist.
Personal Touch Volunteers (PTVs) can provide emotional and physical support
for patients, of all ages, who may need a little extra tender loving care. Some
responsibilities and duties involved includes: distributing and retrieving meal
trays; feeding patients; assisting patients in walking; transporting patients in
wheelchair within the hospital and to their vehicles upon discharge;
distributing/retrieving patient specific snacks/juices as directed; offering
relaxing backrubs as trained; assisting patients with personal hygiene needs;
Newborn Nursery tasks; visiting and listening to patients; providing
companionship and diversion; reporting changes in patient behavior to staff;
and assisting staff with errands such as taking specimens to the lab which leaves
staff able to perform more medically necessary tasks.
As you can gather from this list of service opportunities, PTVs contribute
significantly in enhancing the quality of care at Palmetto Health to our inpatient
and outpatient care units and are recognized by staff members as important
resources in providing the personal touch for patients and their families.
Personal Touch Standards:
Attendance
 Volgistics
 Signing IN and OUT
Personal Touch Standards:
Attendance
Monthly Calendars
Personal Touch Standards:
Attendance
Substitution Lists
Personal Touch
Standards:
Attendance
Notify your unit and the Volunteer
Services office if you will not be
able to make your scheduled shift.
If you need to change your
schedule, you must contact the
volunteer services office – not
your unit.
WE DON’T DO NO
SHOWS!
Personal Touch
Volunteer
Do’s & Don’ts
Do’s
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Sign IN and OUT
Be Punctual
Confidentiality
Report any changes in the patient’s
condition to the patient’s nurse
• Contact the PT office regarding
changes in schedule or unit choice
• COMPLETE YOUR CHECKLIST
Don’ts
• Do not administer any treatment or
medications
• Don’t offer medical information or
advice
• Do not wear perfumes, colognes or
aftershaves in the hospital
• Do not discuss your personal
problems
• Don’t cash checks, handle money or
accept valuables from patient or
family
Nurses Improving Care
for Health system Elders
(NICHE) The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)
Normal aging creates changes in the physical and mental functioning that may increase
the risk of developing health related problems in the older adult population.
Hospitalization can be a pivotal point in the life of an older person. All too often,
hospitalized older patients experience decline in their physical and mental
abilities which make it difficult for them to fully recover from their illness, and
return to their previous ability to function.
The NIICHE program was the basis for developing a volunteer training program aimed
at improving care of hospitalized older adults. The Hospital Elder Life Program
(HELP} is an innovative model program designed to improve the hospital
experience of older patients. HELP volunteers assist nurses and other hospital
staff to provide personalized interventions that assist in meeting the individual
patient needs.
HELP volunteers help to create a friendly hospital environment by providing
sympathetic support, encouragement and companionship to older patients and
their families in addition to playing a crucial role in the NICHE program by
carrying out interventions directly at the bedside. HELP gives volunteers a level of
patient contact and responsibility that is unique amongst traditional hospital
programs.
Some responsibilities and duties involved includes: Using the activity cart; orienting
patients to situation and surroundings; engaging patients in reading, writing,
drawing, puzzles, and music; checking that eyeglasses are available and clean;
simple exercises- ankle pumps wiggle toes, clench and release fists; reinforcing
fall precautions ;setting up meal trays - assisting with cutting and opening
packages as needed; providing companionship during meals; filling water
pitchers; and assisting patient to relax before bedtime.
Daily Visitor Program
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Orienting Communication
Orientation Protocol (keeping patient informed about
what will be happening to them)
Closing the Session (close the session with patient by
summarizing the visit, open curtains, doors)
Procedures for Special Situations (hearing or vision
impaired, cognitively impaired, uncooperative patient)
Hospital unit and patient room orientation
Case study
Competency based checklist
Therapeutic Activities
Program
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One-to-one visit guidelines
Current events guidelines
Trivia guidelines
Relaxation Guidelines
Sleep enhancement guidelines
Case study
Competency based checklist
Early Mobilization
Program
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Principles of body mechanics
Helping the patient to walk
Care of the falling patient
Active range of motion exercises
Wheelchair mobility
Case study
Competency based checklist
Feeding Assistance
Program
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Assisting with the menu
Creating the mealtime environment
Providing feeding assistance
Encouraging fluids
Safety precautions
Recording food and fluid intake
Terms and special diets
Case study
Competency based checklist