At Duke University Hospital and Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center, our volunteers are a very vital part of the health care we provide to the more than half a million patients who visit us each year.

Volunteers provide exceptional care and understanding by taking the time to give patients and their families the extra help and the listening ear they need so much during a hospital stay. We are grateful to our volunteers for the talents and experience they bring to our patients and their families.

We expect our volunteers to uphold the stringent standards that are the foundation of Duke University Health System. In order to provide our patients with reliable, compassionate care, we thoroughly research all potential volunteers. Once a new volunteer is taken on board, we provide job-specific training. This training is conducted by seasoned hospital staff or experienced volunteers. Age-specific training is also required in order to help our volunteers better serve and communicate with the patients in their unit. Additional training is mandatory for certain, more demanding programs.

We would like to invite you to become a part of the Duke Children's volunteer team. We are a close-knit team in which lasting friendships are built. Come enjoy the benefits of serving others. And join in our belief that health care is about people helping other people.

Volunteer Programs

We have so many volunteer programs to choose from at Duke that you are bound to find the one that best suits you. You may want to identify the program you would like to participate in by age group, job function, or hours of availability.

Click on any of the programs listed on dukehealth.org to find out more about individual opportunities and get answers to some of the general questions that pertain to all of our volunteer options.

Junior Volunteer Program

Regular volunteers at Duke must be 18 years of age or older. If you are between the ages of 15 and 17 years, however, the hospital has a Junior Volunteer program that operates during the summer months. 

Visit DukeHealth.org for detailed information about the Junior Volunteer Program.

Volunteer for Our Events

We have volunteer opportunities at our fund-raising events throughout the year and are always looking for energetic, friendly volunteers to help make our events special. To receive information about volunteering for our events or to help with clerical volunteer opportunities, please complete the online registration form.

Volunteer Policies

Volunteer Age Requirement

For safety reasons, volunteers at Duke Children's events must be age 18 or older. We greatly appreciate your volunteer efforts, however, we ask that you do not bring minor children. Although our events do benefit our young patients and their families, we are not equipped to provide child care services, nor is there an opportunity to fulfill your volunteer responsibilities while monitoring your child(ren)'s activities. This policy is designed to ensure that all volunteers and staff are able to perform their roles in a safe and productive manner and to prevent anyone from being placed at foreseeable risk.

Volunteer Tobacco and Alcohol Policies