Career Profiles
If you're a student wondering whether health care is the right path for you — or someone looking for a meaningful way to give back — volunteering at a hospital might be the opportunity you didn't know you were looking for.
At MU Health Care, the Volunteer Services program recruits, trains, schedules and supports volunteers across the organization, connecting people who want to give back with meaningful opportunities that enhance the patient and visitor experience.
Volunteers come from all walks of life. Some have been personally touched by the care they or a loved one received. Others are exploring a future in health care, or looking for a fulfilling way to stay engaged during retirement.
For high school and college students weighing their career options, volunteering offers something a classroom can’t: a firsthand look at what it’s really like to work in a hospital.
Volunteering exposes students to a variety of departments, clinical settings and health care professionals — all without the commitment of a job. That flexibility gives students the chance to see how a hospital actually operates day to day, helping them make more informed decisions about their education and career path. Along the way, they also build professional relationships and networking connections that can open doors down the road.
Volunteering doesn’t just build résumés — it builds careers. Several student volunteers at MU Health Care have gone on to become full-time employees, using their time as a volunteer to learn about the organization while giving managers a chance to recognize their strengths and potential.
This past spring alone, five volunteers from Capital Region Medical Center accepted positions within MU Health Care, continuing their journey from volunteer to health care professional.
One of them is Natalie, who helped pilot a new volunteer role in the Labor and Delivery unit before accepting a position as a care team associate and OB unit clerk. Natalie says volunteering confirmed her interest in obstetrics and helped her build confidence, practical knowledge and valuable mentorship along the way. By observing patient care, assisting with unit responsibilities and learning alongside experienced nurses, she developed skills that helped prepare her for a nursing career. Just as important, the experience introduced her to the people and culture of MU Health Care — making the decision to start her career there an easy one.
Many students spend years studying health care in a classroom before ever setting foot in a clinical setting. Hospital volunteering flips that script, offering firsthand experience from day one.
Volunteers see health care through the eyes of patients, caregivers and fellow learners, gaining a deeper understanding of what compassionate care really looks like in practice. And it’s not a one-way street — volunteers often bring fresh perspectives and new ideas that help improve the patient and visitor experience.
Great hospital volunteers share a few key qualities: they’re compassionate, dependable and service-oriented. They have a genuine desire to help others, and they consistently do the right thing — even when no one is watching.
Staff, patients and visitors especially notice the volunteers who take the initiative to find thoughtful ways to make someone’s day a little better.
One of MU Health Care’s core values is simple: “I have the time.” Volunteers bring that value to life every single day.
Whether they’re escorting patients to appointments, offering companionship, helping visitors find their way through the facility, or assisting staff with nonclinical tasks, volunteers help create a welcoming environment — and free up care teams to focus on what they do best: caring for patients.
If you’re on the fence about whether hospital volunteering is right for you, know this: many current volunteers started out the same way. People often begin volunteering because they want to serve others, but many are surprised by how much they gain in return.
The Volunteer Services team at MU Health Care works with each volunteer to find a role that matches their interests and strengths, making it easy to give back to the community while discovering — or confirming — a path toward a career in health care.
Ready to explore volunteering at MU Health Care? Reach out to the Volunteer Services team at Umhsvolunteerservi1@health.missouri.edu or 573-882-4714 to learn more about current opportunities and how to get started.