Volunteer

Make a Difference at Jersey City Medical Center

volunteer reading a book to a child

Becoming a volunteer at Jersey City Medical Center is a way for you to give back to the community, develop new skills, make new friends, explore a career in health care, and/or gain hands-on work experience.

Our volunteers range from teenagers to retirees, and many in between. These are both people who love keeping busy and those who already are busy, but somehow find the time to help others.

As a volunteer, you will play an integral part in the life of our hospital, complementing the work of our professional staff and physicians and making a difference in the hospital experience of our patients.

Volunteers serve to meet the non-clinical needs of the hospital. The Volunteer Dept. does not offer internships, shadowing opportunities or permit participation in clinical care.

Opportunities

There are many opportunities for volunteers at Jersey City Medical Center. Here a just a few examples of what our volunteers do:
  • Provide companionship and support to patients of all ages hospitalized on nursing floors, in the ER or in other patient areas, so as the make their hospital stay as positive as possible.
  • Dispense information to patients, their families and guests either in person or on the telephone.
  • Act as a messenger or patient escort.
  • Perform clerical duties such as answering phones, filing or assembling patient information.

Requirements

  • Minimum age: 16
  • Volunteers must have a social security number for criminal background screening
  • To ensure safety of our patients, staff and the volunteers themselves, all volunteers must speak, read and understand English

  • Applicants must complete a medical process

Commitment

Ages Minimum hours per week Maximum hours per week Minimum duration of service
18 + 4 hours as 1 shift 20 hours 50 hours
16‑17 3 hours as 1 shift 3 hours during the school year & 20 hours during the summer 50 hours

Summer High School and College Volunteers

Jersey City high school volunteers

High school and college students wishing to volunteer ONLY during the summer months must submit their application no later than April 1st.

Those wishing to volunteer while attending school or college may submit their application at any time.

Letter confirming hours volunteered will be provided only once the minimum 50 hour commitment has been fulfilled.

Rules listed above for maximum hours per week apply.

How to Apply

Volunteers age 16-17 must download and print the completed forms:

Volunteers ages 18+ must download and print the completed form:

Completed applications should be returned via mail, or scanning and emailing to:

Volunteer Services
Jersey City Medical Center
350 Montgomery Street
Human Resources Dept., 2nd. Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Email: JCMCVolunteer@rwjbh.org

Be sure to list the complete mailing addresses for your references including the apartment number if there is one. If the references address is a place of business or a college, please include this.

Application Process and Frequently Asked Questions

Application Process / Next Steps

woman and man, wearing business attire, shaking hands

Once we receive your application, we will reach out to invite you to the next available Volunteer Orientation. There, you will have the opportunity to learn more and see if volunteering at JCMC is right for you. Only interested parties who have submitted an application will be invited to the Orientation. Paperwork for the additional steps of the application process will be distributed at the orientation.

Frequently Asked Questions

I am a Doctor, Nurse, or other medical professional from another country. I would like to practice my skills as a volunteer. Is this possible?

No volunteer at the Jersey City Medical Center or its affiliates may practice any type of medical skill with our patients, regardless of certification.

I am a licensed medical professional wishing to practice my skills as a volunteer. Is this possible?

No volunteer at the Jersey City Medical Center or its affiliates may practice any type of medical skill with our patients, regardless of certification.

If I volunteer will I get a job at the hospital?

Volunteers are welcome to apply for jobs listed on the Human Resources website. Volunteering at the hospital does not guarantee employment.

I would like to volunteer only with boarder babies (babies born with substance addictions). Is this possible?

Thankfully, we do not see these very often. As such, there are no volunteer opportunities or department that strictly deals with boarder babies.

Do you have baby cuddlers/ Hug-a-Baby program?

As JCMC has adopted national best practices to promote bonding and breastfeeding, newborns are now kept with their mothers as much as possible. Volunteers in this unit now serve a greater variety of functions, including making welcoming kits for new moms, making up informational packets, folding laundry, as well as sometimes cuddling infants. Please follow the regular volunteer application process to apply. Minimum age for this program is 16.