Frequently Asked Questions for Student Volunteers:
What is this initiative?
We are health professional students and aspiring health professional students (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, etc.) who want to help healthcare providers in NYC with temporary urgent household needs while they perform essential clinical duties during COVID-19.
Who is organizing?
We are a group of health professional students and aspiring health professional students looking for ways to link various parts of our student community to those healthcare families who are seeking help. However, this is NOT an official activity associated with any medical school or institution.
Will I be monetarily compensated for my time?
No, this program is voluntary and compensation is not to be expected, as we want to lessen the burden on those in the front lines of healthcare in the setting of COVID-19.
What if I get paired with a family and their requests are outside of my comfort zone or the hours are too much for me to handle at this moment?
We have intentionally placed you in pods of 3-5 students to serve 1 healthcare family in order to minimize the burden on each student. However, if you are facing difficulties or requests that are beyond your scope, please reach out to the student coordinators at nyccovidsitter@gmail.com and we will work with you and the family to either come up with a plan that works for everyone, or repair you. We value your health and well-being at the utmost.
What will the pairings look like?
As we expect the time needs of families to be larger than any individual student could/should manage on their own, we hope to create small “pods” of 3-5 students that will work together to fill the scheduling needs of 1 healthcare family in your geographic area. After you and families fill out the intake form, we will work to create these groups based on matching characteristics and location and will send an introduction email to the family and the student group. It will then be the responsibility of the family to let the students know their time requirements and the students to coordinate to best cover the requested shifts.
What is the time commitment needed?
Any time you are able to contribute is incredibly appreciated. There is no minimum or maximum time limits for volunteering. Our families will surely appreciate any and all help that you can provide them. With this being said, please remember to take care of yourself during this time!