Volunteer Opportunities

Why Be a Volunteer?

Volunteering is a tremendously rewarding experience and people choose to volunteer for many different reasons. Volunteers at Northridge Hospital are part of a unique team of individuals dedicated to making a difference in the lives of patients, families and the community.

The personal rewards of volunteering at Northridge Hospital are many:

  • You may develop an interest in a medical profession or a particular skill.
  • Volunteering provides valuable observation or service experience that you may need when applying for jobs, scholarships and college admissions.
  • You might want to try something new.
  • You will be contributing to patient care and customer service.
  • You can be a role model and mentor for your work ethic and skills.
  • You can make a difference and give back to your community.
  • You can make lifelong friends.

What Do Our Volunteers Do?

Volunteers perform essential services in nearly all departments at Northridge Hospital. Your volunteer assignment will be based on your interests, abilities, opportunities available, and your schedule. Some of the areas where you can provide valuable assistance are:

  • Community Outreach
  • Emergency Department (18 or older)
  • Hospital Departments, including ICU, Telemetry, PACU, Pharmacy, Lab, PT, OT, Radiology
  • Escort Office – Patient discharge
  • Nursing Units
  • Pet Therapy - must have a certified dog
  • Spiritual Care
  • Volunteens: 16 – 17 years old

What Are the Requirements?

Volunteers must:

  • Be at least 16 years of age
  • Be fluent in English (reading, writing and speaking)
  • Be able to commit to donating a minimum of 100 hours per year (a minimum of four hours per week)
  • Adhere to patient confidentiality and hospital policy and procedures
  • Be willing to work in a team with staff and other volunteers for the benefit of patients and their families
  • Adhere to the volunteer dress code of white, blue or black shoes, white, blue or black pants or scrubs and a purple polo shirt or jacket (you will need to purchase your shirt/jacket from our Volunteer Office)

Are You Interested In Joining Our Volunteer Team?

If you are interested in joining our Volunteer Team, please click on the blue button below and fill out the Volunteer Program Application Form.

If you meet our qualifications, you will be contacted for an interview and undergo a background check. At your one-on-one interview, you will discuss which department you would like to volunteer in and what days and hours work best with your schedule. We will then try to provide you with opportunities in the best department that match your requests.

You will then receive a welcome packet and attend our volunteer orientation.

Volunteer Office phone numbers:

(818) 885-8500 Ext. 55327
(818) 885-8500 Ext. 22961

Volunteer Opportunities

Northridge Hospital volunteers are our stars—always there when you need them. Individually and collectively they touch lives and light up each and every room.

The opportunities to make a difference are numerous, and the rewards are countless. Unique volunteer opportunities include:   

High School Students - 16 & 17 years old

We are proud to host and offer educational opportunities for high school students. These school partnerships within our community offer students a career-based experience in the health care field, assisting them to realize their future goals. 

Hospital Department Volunteers

Whether they welcome patients or offer assistance to nursing staff or patients, these volunteers provide a personal touch in many areas of the hospital including Radiology, Medical/Surgical Units, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech, ICU, Emergency Room (must be over 18), Spritual Care, and other departments.

Volunteer Escort Office

Discharge patients, hospital deliveries to other units and patients, work on mailings and med cards for nursing administration.

Pet Therapy Program

While our dedicated hospital staff treats medical conditions, these four-legged friends care for our patients' souls and warm their hearts. A dose of puppy love is sometimes just what the doctor ordered.

A visit from a friendly dog can be just the right medicine. Consider the milestone a young patient made after receiving a visit from a pet therapy dog at Northridge Hospital ... the patient spoke for the first time since his injury when a pet therapy dog visited him.

Pets can easily invoke feelings of comfort, joy and playfulness -  a natural connection between dogs and humans, especially children. Perhaps that’s why Paws That Refresh, Northridge Hospital’s pet therapy program is such a success. Accompanied bya trained owner-volunteer, a pet therapy dog visits most of the medical floors delivering unconditional love to the bedside of our patients.

These dogs are no ordinary pets—the docile and affectionate animals have participated in special training before qualifying as a pet volunteer. All of them must be certified insuring they are trained, good-natured and enjoy the attention.

Just call (818) 885-8500, ext. 55327 for a pet therapy visit. Take a look at "Molly to the Rescue" a short video that shows how our special volunteers care for our patients.

Volunteens: Summer Program - 50 hour minimum 

Northridge Hospital offers opportunities to teens ages 16 and 17 from numerous high schools in the area. Young adults learn to care for others while receiving an introduction to medical careers. Please note: No weekend opportunities are available.

Interested?

Most volunteer shifts are 4 hours long. Scheduling is flexible. All volunteers must fill out an application, be interviewed, complete a background check (for those over 18 yrs old), be up to date with childhood vaccinations (MMR, Varicella, TDap, Hep B) and have a TB test done within 30 days of your starting to volunteer.