The Volunteer Process for Physical Therapy In Jamaica

If you are a prospective Physiotherapy student, you should know that you are required to complete 60 volunteer hours at a Physical Therapy Department before gaining entry into the programme. The 60 hours can be completed at either a public or private healthcare setting but at least 30 must be done in a public hospital. Many students have expressed that they are unsure of how to actually begin the process but fear not, we have highlighted the steps below. 

Steps To Begin The Volunteer Process:

•  Write an Application Letter requesting to volunteer.

This should include:

- Your Name

- Contact Info

- Number of hours required 

- Interested Department (Physical Therapy)

• Address the letter to the General Manager of the HR Department of the Hospital you are applying to. 

• Confirm that you are a current student.

This is typically done by getting a letter from your secondary school stating that you are a current, registered student there or presenting a Student ID from another institution that you attend. 

• Copy of National ID Card/ Passport

• Copy of Immunization Card (showing Hepatitis B and Mantoux Test)

The Mantoux Test, commonly know as TB, can be received at a private hospital at a cost or at a pubic health center near you for free. Simply ask them to speak to the doctor to get a referral to get a TB test. State that it is for school and to be able to volunteer in the hospital. The referral will be for you to go to the Chest Clinical at the General Hospital. From there, the process should be straightforward and will be explained by the nurses there. Take the referral with you of course. 

• Certificate of Character from a Police Station

Do's and Don'ts of Volunteering:

Do's:

• Dress professionally. A handout is usually given by the department/ hospital to highlight the proper dress code and all other guidelines for the volunteer process. The dress code includes wearing closed-toe shoes, neatly combed hair, minimal makeup, no flashy jewelry or excessive piercings and professional blouses, shirts, pants or skirts . 

• Be punctual. Volunteers are required to be there by 8 am and leave around 4:15 pm for the duration of the volunteer process. Try to be on time and stay throughout the allotted time each day. It is not professional nor does it give a good impression to the Physical Therapists that you are serious about the career field and the voluntary period in general if you are constantly late.  

• Ask questions. Asking questions show the Physical Therapists that you are interested in learning more about the field and it also helps to clarify any curiosities that you may have. 

• Be involved. Most times the volunteers would be asked to make up the beds, make heat packs or monitor patients but if you show willingness to cooperate, genuine interest and complete simple tasks, the Physical Therapists will take notice and begin to involve you more. You may have the opportunity to visit the wards regularly, carry out exercise plans independently with various patients and interact with the patients more.  

• Have a good disposition/ attitude. This is very important and will honestly make or break your experience. If you are genuinely passionate about the field, you would not do things begrudgingly and will be happy and excited to learn something new each day. Your interactions with the staff and patients will always be pleasant and they will actually 'like' you. This in turn will make you memorable and the recommendation given about you in the end will be a good one. 

Don'ts: 

• Do not leave early or without permission. Remember this is a place of work and as such you should act accordingly. In cases of emergency or a prior engagement, speak to the head of the department before you leave or plan to miss volunteering that day. It is very important to uphold a professional disposition while volunteering. 

• Do not complain about having to complete simple tasks such as making up beds or making heat packs. This is all part of the process. You must remember to remain humble and giving of yourself during the volunteer period. Do not think doing something like that is 'below you' but instead do it with a smile. Show the Physical Therapists that you are genuinely happy to be there and willing to help even in the smallest ways possible. 

• Do not be content with making up beds alone otherwise you will defeat the purpose of the entire volunteer period. Like everything in life, you must be able to balance completing menial tasks and growing your interest in the field. When you see a Physical Therapist doing something that is interesting to you, ask them a question or observe what they are doing. Ask if you can accompany them on the wards or ask them questions when you see them looking at x rays or making notes. 

• Do not be too clingy. Give the Physical Therapists space to assess and treat patients without asking them questions every second. As I stressed before, this is about balance. Use your discretion to decide when is the best time to ask them questions or observe what they are doing. 

• Do not forget to respect the patient's privacy. I know sometimes you may be incredibly interested in the different cases that come into the hospital but some patients may have to be draped or may not necessarily want extra persons in the room. Always ask the Physical Therapist for permission before to ensure that you are not overstepping any boundaries.  

Thank you for reading. We hope that this article has proven helpful to you and stay tuned for our next article!! Any queries or concerns, contact us using any of the following social media platforms below. 

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