Palmetto Health Manual

1. Palmetto Health Manual

2. 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.

3. Our Vision To be remembered by each patient as providing the care and compassion we want for our families and ourselves.

4. 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

5. Uniform & Personal Appearance • Volunteers must maintain a clean, professional appearance. This includes: • Photo ID badge • Uniform • Cosmetics/Jewelry • Phones/Valuables • Smoking

6. 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

7. 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 open-toed shoes are permitted.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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. 

12. 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.

42. Personal Touch Standards: • Attendance • Volgistics • Signing IN and OUT

43. Personal Touch Standards: • Attendance • Monthly Calendars

44. Personal Touch Standards: • Attendance • Substitution Lists

45. 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!

49. Personal Touch Volunteer Do’s & Don’ts • Do’s • 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