Volunteer Services at MUSC Health

At MUSC Health we value our volunteers. Our volunteers are an important part of our Care Team. Volunteers serve in a variety of roles from providing directions, to companionship for our patients, to support for our clinical team, to assisting hospital staff with administrative tasks. Our dedicated and compassionate volunteers help fulfill our mission of providing the best quality healthcare for the patients and families we serve.

Volunteer Applications

We appreciate your interest in volunteering at MUSC Health.

We are not accepting applications at this time. The next application window is April 24 through 28. There will be a link to the application on this page during that time.

Learn About Our Programs

Summer College Program

A volunteer program designed specifically for undergraduate students who have availability during the summer only.  Now accepting applications or summer 2023!

Adult Volunteer Program 

Adult volunteer opportunities are offered in three categories as well as specialty placements and Hollings Cancer Center opportunities.

Arts in Healing

Changing what’s possible in health care by providing access to the inherent healing powers of the arts to improve the health and well-being of the community.

Candy Striper Program

Provide positive, energetic students who are possibly interested in health care with an environment and an opportunity to learn, help others, build friendships, and give back.

Career Exploration

The Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) recognizes the value of visitors and developing future healthcare workers. Therefore, MUHA will collaborate with a variety of partnerships to enhance the awareness and training of those interested in health careers through career exploration and development. Students and/or individuals governed by the Visitor and Career Exploration Programs policy include those participating in facility tours, job shadowing, observing, mentoring and clinical sponsorship, as deemed appropriate.

Palliative Care Program

Palliative Care helps many people, at any point in their lives, manage the effects of serious illness(es). It is not the same as hospice as it can be delivered alongside treatments intended to cure and/or manage life threatening or life limiting illness(es). Palliative Care Volunteers can provide many benefits to patients and their families who are hospitalized in both the adult and pediatric hospitals. Below are some of the volunteer roles within our Palliative Care Team. While some volunteers choose a single focus for their time, others choose to rotate between various areas of the program.

Legacy Work

Volunteers may assist with crafting style project that help with coping and connection during long hospitalization or at end of life. This assignment ranges from doing legacy work at the bedside to assisting with preparing art materials or helping with program donations.

Supportive visits

Volunteers are provided with lists of patients and families that would appreciate social visits for comfort and support.

Complimentary Therapies

Volunteers with training and licenses/certificates may provide the following modalities to patients to promote comfort – Reiki, Massage, Acupuncture. This program has extra training and supervision by the program specialist.

Compassionate Companions

Volunteers who are called in to sit with patients who are dying alone or to provide respite for the family. The role of Compassionate Companion is similar to that of a friend or caring companion during the end of life. This program requires special training. These volunteers often have other roles with the team but are also on this list to meet this need when it arises.

Bereavement

Volunteers participate in bereavement support provided to families of patients who passed away during their hospitalization. Some volunteers make phone calls to families throughout the year following a loss, this requires special training. Volunteers also assist with yearly Services of Remembrance to honor patients who have passed in the previous year.

Patient and Family Advisory Program (PFAC)

The Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFAC) are a partnership of family representatives and hospital staff members working together to meet the needs of patients and families.

Therapy Animal Program

Certified therapy dogs and their handlers are available to visit patients various times during the week.

Women's & Children's Program

There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available to adults and students over the age of 16 at our hospital.

We Are Always In Need of the Following Volunteers:

Information Desk

We need volunteers to greet and welcome patients to MUSC Health. We have availability at our multiple information desks within our downtown campus and our East Cooper Medical Pavilion in Mount Pleasant.

Volunteer Requirements

Our Application Process

We spend a lot of time developing our new volunteers and therefore, we only bring on new volunteers during certain times of the year. See application acceptance dates and orientation dates above. Upon receipt of your application, you will be contacted within five to seven business days.

We provide volunteers training and ongoing support. New volunteers are required to complete a virtual MUSC Health orientation on policies and procedures. In addition to your virtual orientation you will receive an orientation and training in your particular area of service.

Acceptance into the program is contingent upon the successful completion of the following on-boarding requirements which are at no cost to our volunteers:

• Complete application.
• Interview with one of our Volunteer Services Care Team Members.
• Completion of a criminal background check.
• Successful pre-placement health screening, immunization records for Hep B, Varicella, MMR, Tdap, Covid-19 (including booster) and flu (when in season) are required and a TB screening will be conducted at health screening.

Please note volunteers:

• Commit to a minimum of one two to three hour shift per week on the same day and time.
• Fulfill a minimum of 100 volunteer hours per year.
• Recovery and Trauma volunteers must be at least age 21.
• Junior, high school volunteers are accepted in the summer months. The minimum age is 14 to volunteer.