Latest revision as of 18:06, 23 January 2024

Needs and Uses of Game Tech Volunteers

Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting day-to-day tasks, allowing Game Techs to focus on higher acuity needs or projects. While each hospital program has a unique volunteer recruitment and screening process, defining specific skill sets for Game Tech Volunteers (GTVs) can be beneficial. Key attributes may include experience in troubleshooting basic technology and a keen interest or knowledge of current gaming trends. The following highlights examples of current program uses for volunteers:

Game Kart Inventory/Maintenance:
- Ensuring the upkeep and organization of the Game Kart inventory.
"Lower Priority" Bedside Sessions:
- Conducting bedside sessions for patients who are coping well but seeking entertainment.
CCTV Support:
- Assisting with CCTV-related tasks, such as distributing flyers, hosting sessions, or handling camera work.
Playroom/Teen Room Supervision and Transportation:
- Overseeing activities in playrooms and teen rooms, including transportation of materials.
Recruiting:
- Considering the demographics of daytime shifts, explore recruitment avenues such as reaching out to local colleges or participating in recruitment fairs at the start of semesters. Collaborate with the hospital's volunteer department to align efforts and attract individuals with tech knowledge and gaming interests.
- Be mindful not to poach existing volunteers; instead, work with the volunteer department to identify potential candidates interested in GTV tasks.

Training and Supervision

Training Standards:
- Adhere to hospital-specific training standards. Since GTVs may perform unique tasks, provide thorough training, and offer documentation that volunteers can reference in the future.
Supervision Guidelines:
- While supervising GTVs, offer guidance through patient referrals. Maintain a list of patients who would benefit from volunteer interactions, providing direction, especially during their initial shifts.
- Encourage independence among volunteers, allowing Game Techs to focus on other tasks without constant supervision.
Resource Section:
- Access volunteer descriptions and training assets, including examples from the [LINK TO HOSTED PDF OF LURIE MANUAL].

By strategically incorporating Game Tech Volunteers into the hospital's operations, you can enhance the gaming program's impact while ensuring volunteers contribute effectively and seamlessly.

Fliers

Lurie Children's Recruitment Flier (front)

Lurie Children's Recruitment Flier (back)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-=== Needs and Uses ===
+=== Needs and Uses of Game Tech Volunteers ===
-Volunteers can be helpful in day to day tasks and let a Game Tech focus on higher acuity needs or projects. While each hospital program has a unique volunteer recruit/screening process it can be helpful to express certain "skills sets" that would be useful for a Game Tech Volunteer (GTV) vs a typical volunteer, including experience in troubleshooting basic technology and interest/knowledge in current gaming trends. Below are examples of current programs uses of their volunteers.
+Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting day-to-day tasks, allowing Game Techs to focus on higher acuity needs or projects. While each hospital program has a unique volunteer recruitment and screening process, defining specific skill sets for Game Tech Volunteers (GTVs) can be beneficial. Key attributes may include experience in troubleshooting basic technology and a keen interest or knowledge of current gaming trends. The following highlights examples of current program uses for volunteers:
-* Game Kart inventory/maintence
+# '''Game Kart Inventory/Maintenance:'''
-* "Lower priority" (e.g. coping well but bored) bedside sessions
+#* Ensuring the upkeep and organization of the Game Kart inventory.
-* CCTV support including flier handouts, hosting, or camera work
+# '''"Lower Priority" Bedside Sessions:'''
-* Playroom/Teen room supervision and transportation
+#* Conducting bedside sessions for patients who are coping well but seeking entertainment.
+# '''CCTV Support:'''
+#* Assisting with CCTV-related tasks, such as distributing flyers, hosting sessions, or handling camera work.
+# '''Playroom/Teen Room Supervision and Transportation:'''
+#* Overseeing activities in playrooms and teen rooms, including transportation of materials.
+# '''Recruiting:'''
+#* Considering the demographics of daytime shifts, explore recruitment avenues such as reaching out to local colleges or participating in recruitment fairs at the start of semesters. Collaborate with the hospital's volunteer department to align efforts and attract individuals with tech knowledge and gaming interests.
+#* Be mindful not to poach existing volunteers; instead, work with the volunteer department to identify potential candidates interested in GTV tasks.
-=== Recruiting ===
+= Training and Supervision =
-Due to daytime shifts, most hospital volunteer programs are primarily composed of college students and retirees. While anyone can have tech knowledge and gaming interest, it tends to be more common in the younger demographic. It can be helpful to speak to your hospital's volunteer department and explore how they are recruiting from this demographic. Are they reaching out directly to local colleges? Attending recruitment fairs common at the start of semesters? These can be easy ways to either attend in person or share fliers/documentation that goes into more detail about becoming a GTV in your hospital.
-There also may be current volunteers in your hospital that have interest in tasks a GTV would help with. However it is important to speak with your volunteer department or the volunteer supervisor about sharing or adjusting the volunteers role. Volunteers, particularly good ones, can be hard to find, so you don't want to get the reputation of poaching excellent volunteers.
+* '''Training Standards:'''
+** Adhere to hospital-specific training standards. Since GTVs may perform unique tasks, provide thorough training, and offer documentation that volunteers can reference in the future.
+* '''Supervision Guidelines:'''
+** While supervising GTVs, offer guidance through patient referrals. Maintain a list of patients who would benefit from volunteer interactions, providing direction, especially during their initial shifts.
+** Encourage independence among volunteers, allowing Game Techs to focus on other tasks without constant supervision.
+* '''Resource Section:'''
+** Access volunteer descriptions and training assets, including examples from the '''''[LINK TO HOSTED PDF OF LURIE MANUAL].'''''
-=== Training and Supervising ===
+By strategically incorporating Game Tech Volunteers into the hospital's operations, you can enhance the gaming program's impact while ensuring volunteers contribute effectively and seamlessly.
-Each hospital has different standards in training, but if your GTV will be doing unique tasks, you will likely be training them to some extent. Providing documentation volunteers can keep can be helpful as a reference materiel for them in the future and being able to shadow yourself or another volunteer can help them feel more comfortable navigating the medical space and introducing self and resources. See resources section for examples of training assets.
-=== Resources ===
+==== Fliers ====
+[[File:Lurie Children's Recuirt Flier (Front).png|center|thumb|Lurie Children's Recruitment Flier (front)|304x304px]]
+[[File:Lurie Children's Recuritment Flier (back).png|center|thumb|Lurie Children's Recruitment Flier (back)|304x304px]]