Hospital volunteer

Hospital volunteers also known as candy stripers work without regular pay in a variety of health care settings, usually under the direct supervision of nurses. Most hospitals train and supervise volunteers through specialized non-profit organizations known as auxiliaries. Directors of auxiliaries are most often paid employees of the hospitals.

The term candy striper is derived from the red-and-white striped pinafores that female volunteers traditionally wore in the United States, and are culturally reminiscent of candy canes. The term and its associated uniform are less frequently used in current clinical settings.

Another hospital volunteer organization sponsored by the American Red Cross, was the "Blue Teens" who wore blue-and-white striped pinafores. The female adult volunteers of this organization were known as "Grey Ladies" and wore light grey uniforms.

In the United States, volunteers' services are of considerable importance to individual patients as well as the health care system in general. Some people volunteer during high school or college (and more rarely at the middle school level), out of curiosity about health-care professions, an interest in learning to be of service in a community volunteer organization, or in order to satisfy community service requirements as required by some schools. Additionally, other people choose to volunteer at later stages in their life, particularly after retirement.

Candy Stripers originated as a high-school civics class project in East Orange, New Jersey, in 1944. The uniforms were sewn by the girls in the class from material provided by the teacher – a red-and-white-striped fabric known as "candy stripe". The students chose East Orange General Hospital as the home for their class project.

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