From the time you submit your volunteer application, it may take up to six weeks to fully complete the screening process. Our goal is to match your interests and availability with our needs. With over 450 volunteers at Palomar UC San Diego Health, we do our best to match each department’s volunteer needs based on your interests, availability and skills. It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of our patients through a thorough screening process.

• Complete and return volunteer application document package
• Attend an online interview
• Attend an online orientation session
• TB Test (annual requirement)
• Background check
• Complete online safety test (annual requirement)
• Onsite visit to receive uniform, badge, parking sticker, pay processing fee and determine assignment

The online interview process allows us a chance to determine whether we can meet your interest and expectations as a volunteer and ensure a great experience with Palomar UC San Diego Health. This is a great opportunity for volunteer candidates to ask questions and ensure they want to join our volunteer team. All volunteer applicants are interviewed by a member of the Volunteer Services Interview Committee.

Yes. We have determined that these are discussions with the volunteer candidate that involve commitments or hospital procedures and feel that an adult should be present as a witness and for their own awareness.

We welcome student applicants who will fit in with our core values of Integrity, Trust, Compassion, Teamwork, Excellence and Service. Historically we have had issues with students not following their schedule and lack of communication for unexpected absences. Having a school counselor/advisor who we can include in communications if we see a problem will raise the accountability of our volunteers. Volunteer services at Palomar UC San Diego Health offers students a lot of opportunities to learn about healthcare and serve their community. We are looking for students who are serious about their commitment to volunteer once they join our team. Ultimately, we want the students to be successful.

We can confirm your reported hours but we do not do progress reports or an end-of-term evaluation.

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old.

The processing fee partially covers the cost of the Tuberculosis (TB) screen, background check and funds the account for purchasing uniforms and badge parts.

It is a QuantiFERON Gold blood draw test.

If you have had a TB test done elsewhere within the last 90 days, you can send a copy of the test results to Volunteer@PUCSD.org and we will ask Employee Health if it is acceptable. A TB Skin test done elsewhere requires two TB tests within the last year — one of them MUST be within the last 90 days. A Blood Draw TB test (QFT) can be within the last 90 days and only requires a single test.

Not necessarily. If your results show positive, Employee Health will want to take a chest x-ray to see if it is active. If you expect this to be the case, let Employee Health know when you are tested and perhaps they can schedule the x-ray for the same time to save you a second trip.

Our volunteer program follows the CDC guidelines for healthcare workers. The COVID vaccination isn’t currently required to volunteer. But we still have to track who has been vaccinated or not. So we ask all volunteers to send a copy of their vaccination card (or a screenshot of the digital version). For volunteers who have not been vaccinated, we have a Vaccination Declination form to be signed.

All volunteer applicants are required to complete a background check prior to being accepted into the program. At Palomar UC San Diego Health, we take the safety of our patients, families and staff very seriously. For this reason, every prospective volunteer must complete a thorough online background check. You will be provided a link to complete the background check and the results will be reviewed by our team.

Yes. If you feel you cannot uphold this service commitment, we encourage you to explore volunteering opportunities elsewhere.

You can only volunteer at one location at a time.

We do not accept volunteers with court-ordered short term or one time community service.

Volunteering in the Palomar UC San Diego Health Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as a baby cuddler is an advanced opportunity that is only available to our current volunteers. To be considered for placement in the NICU Baby Cuddling program, interested individuals must first volunteer a minimum of 100 hours in another area, preferably the Birth Center. There are also immunization requirements specific to this assignment.

Some roles within Volunteer Services require additional training and experience.

• Volunteers need to have served a certain number of hours before moving into an advanced role.
• Volunteers in advanced roles require extra training specific to the role they are serving in.
• Volunteers must be mature and self-starters.

Once you reach 100 service hours, we are happy to write a letter of recommendation for our volunteers who are applying to school, for a scholarship or for employment. If you wish to continue to volunteer past the 100-hour minimum requirement, we encourage our volunteers to do so. We have volunteers who have served for over 30 years and hope you will find the same fulfillment as these dedicated individuals.

It is a letter of recommendation given, when requested, to volunteers in good standing who have completed 100 hours of service. It is sometimes required for an academic class, or school application or employment.

We ask that you commit to volunteer four hours weekly, but you are welcome to do much more. Volunteers who serve the minimum weekly service hours usually take about 6 months to complete the 100-hour requirement. If you want to volunteer more than four hours weekly, that is always an option.

Yes. Junior Volunteers (age 16 to 17) can optionally do a four-hour shift every other week.

Yes, all volunteers are required to wear a uniform. We have an established dress code that applies to all individuals volunteering at Palomar UC San Diego Health. The uniform consists of a teal smock, polo shirt or t-shirt that is provided to volunteers. White, black or khaki (tan) long pants and black or white closed toe/closed heeled shoes are also required and are the responsibility of the volunteer. The only exception is Chaplain service volunteers who wear professional attire.

The uniform and badge are recognized by Security and other hospital staff and allow unobstructed entrance into the hospital buildings. For the safety of staff and patients, we need to manage who has access to our facilities.

You may complete your high school senior project at Palomar UC San Diego Health but must be willing to commit to the 100-hour service requirement. Keep in mind that we do not do internships with periodic reports of your hours and progress, nor will we complete an end-of-term evaluation.

An unpaid internship here at Palomar UC San Diego Health is coordinated through the Pathmaker Internship program. Please visit the Pathmaker Internship webpage for more information.

If your overall goal and objective is to have a career at Palomar UC San Diego Health, please visit the Careers Page to view job postings. In the meantime, we would love to have you volunteer with us.

Volunteer Services follow hospital protocols which are directed by the CDC. At present, masks are not required due to COVID-19. However, during flu season masks are required as an alternative to getting the flu vaccine from late October to the end of March.

Phone – 442.281.4073 (Escondido) 858.613.4659 (Poway)
E-mail – Volunteer@PUCSD.org