News and notices Pānui

Hospital chaplaincy assistants celebrating Volunteers Week

25 June 2021

The BOPDHB have a wonderful team of volunteer chaplaincy assistants (VCAs) who are trained to complement the work of the Chaplains by assisting with the spiritual or pastoral support and care of patients, their whānau and hospital staff.

There are currently 12 active VCAs in Tauranga and two in Whakatāne of which all the volunteers have gone through a rigorous training schedule. They spend 12 weeks learning policies and protocols, learning how to interact with people, and how to respect different faiths and cultures. Training concentrates on equipping volunteers to be competent in pastoral listening skills in order to support the spiritual well-being of the patients they visit.