Volunteer opportunities at Sharp Memorial Hospital
We are accepting applications from adults. Please read the information below regarding requirements.
We are currently not accepting applications from high school students. Please check back in late spring 2026 for updates.
It feels good to give back
As a volunteer at Sharp Memorial Hospital, you will give back to the community and meet new people. Other benefits include learning and career exploration, education and wellness forums, recognition prizes, free parking, discounted uniforms and a $6 cafeteria meal credit during each shift.
We make it easy and flexible to schedule your volunteer hours. All of our clinical departments utilize a live, cloud-based scheduling program that's accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Choose the opportunity that speaks to you
Whether it's exercising your creativity in our Arts for Healing Program, helping out in nursing units or assisting guests at our concierge desk, we will work with you to meet your needs and desires. Here are a few more examples of available opportunities:
Family Resource Center/concierge
Integrative healing services, including Healing Touch or reiki (prior training required), hand massage, pet therapy, pet therapy escort, or creating personalized “get to know you” posters with patients
Nursing units
Occupational and Physical Therapy (shifts are weekdays only, between 9 am and 4 pm)
Pharmacy (does not work with medications)
Postoperative areas
Volunteer requirements
At Sharp, we're committed to the highest levels of health and safety. To become one of our volunteers, we ask that you meet our volunteer requirements and obtain the following health clearances for your safety and that of our patients, visitors and staff.
Dedicate a minimum of 6 months/100 hours of volunteer service
Commit to at least one shift per week for the same day, time and length (usually two to four hours
Attend a 30-minute online volunteer information session and participate in ongoing training
Purchase a uniform top
Complete a health screening, including providing vaccination records. Flu vaccination is available during flu season, but not required.
New volunteers will be required to complete a background check
If your application is accepted, you will be invited to register for an information session. Attendance at this session is a requirement within the selection process. After the session, you can sign up for an interview.
If you are invited to join our team after your interview, you will need to complete a health screening before your volunteer position begins.
We are currently not accepting applications from high school students. Please check back in late spring 2026 for updates.
Please review the following requirements:
Minimum GPA of 3.25 (unweighted) and no D's within the last year
Must provide official grade transcript for last two full semesters
Must be at least 15 years old
Commit to a minimum of 6 months/100 hours of service with three-hour shifts scheduled the same day, time and one shift per week; maintain an attendance rate of 80% or higher
Attend a 30-minute online volunteer program information session
New volunteers start in guest ambassador or concierge positions and can possibly earn transfers into nursing units
Participate in ongoing training
Purchase a uniform top
Complete a health screening, including providing your vaccination records
Volunteers in all areas must meet the following health clearance requirements:
A tuberculosis (TB) blood test given at Sharp Employee Occupational Health Department (EOHD), your college's student health services or personal physician's office. You must bring your TB test receipt to our EOHD nurse. TB blood testing is provided by Sharp EOHD at no charge.
Documentation of two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
Documentation of one dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine given in 2012 or later.
We suggest not receiving any vaccines (such as MMR, Tdap or varicella) until an EOHD nurse has explained your requirements. It's best to locate your immunization record if you plan on applying to volunteer. The COVID-19 vaccine is not required to volunteer in our program.
All volunteers are required to be vaccinated or to sign a declination form by Nov. 1 of each year
Flu vaccines are provided by Sharp EOHD at no charge
Frequently asked questions
Want to learn more about volunteering with Sharp? Check out the most common questions for volunteers of Sharp Mary Birch, Sharp Memorial and Sharp Mesa Vista hospitals.
If you still need answers, please give us a call at 858-939-3588 or send us an email.
You will be evaluated at each of the following three steps. Based on our assessment, we will either invite you to proceed to the next step or decline your application. The steps are as follows:
The essay answers on your online application
Your participation, professionalism and attentiveness at the information session
Your one-on-one personal interview
Most shifts last three to four hours, the same day and time each week. We make it easy and flexible to schedule your volunteer hours. All of our clinical departments utilize a live, cloud-based scheduling program that's accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week and allows opportunities for flexible scheduling and self-scheduling make-up shifts for missed shifts. A few volunteer roles allow for twice a month scheduling.
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide short-term volunteer opportunities for students that are only in San Diego during the summer.
Shift times are scheduled in three- or four-hour increments with starting times as early as 6 to 8 am and most shifts ending by 8 pm. There are a few exceptions of shifts ending between 10 pm and midnight. Some departments offer weekend shifts and some departments only offer shifts Monday through Friday between 8 am and 4 pm.
There are a few roles within Integrative Healing that have shorter volunteer shifts and possibly variable days such as two-hour shifts every other week.
Current roles within Integrative Healing and Arts for Healing programs include:
Reiki or Healing Touch — prior training required
Pet therapy or pet therapy escort
Comfort hand massage and aromatherapy
Art-at-the-Bedside
What’s Your Story — creating personalized “get to know you” posters with patients
Sound healing — training and instruments provided
Patient preferred music listening
Live music performance in public areas and/or patient rooms; audition required
Our goal is to provide assistance where it is most needed. We can't guarantee specific departments but we work hard to accommodate your main interests.
After your department training checklist has been turned in to Volunteer Services, you can utilize our cloud-based scheduling program to self-schedule one extra shift each week.
This is determined on a case-by-case basis, and depends on your performance and attendance.
You can investigate transferring to other departments after completing six months in your first department. This is determined on a case-by-case basis, and depends on your performance and attendance.
Radiology, Surgery, Trauma, Laboratory, EKG, Medical Records, Coding and Billing, Research, Respiratory Therapy, Nutrition, Peer Counseling, Social Work, Imaging, IT, Accounting and Finance do not have volunteer roles. We do not have a pediatrics department or opportunities involving children or babies.
Only after you complete the minimum commitment of 100 hours for adult or high school volunteers, can we provide a letter that reflects which department or departments you were assigned, what your duties/responsibilities were, start date and end date (or if you are still active) and how many hours you volunteered. This is the extent of information that we can provide.
No, unfortunately this is not available within our volunteer program.
No, unfortunately this is not available within our volunteer program.
We cannot provide externship or internship opportunities within the volunteer program and we cannot sign any type of contract or verification regarding hours for those types of educational programs.
You cannot use your medical licenses or medical skills while volunteering and your licenses are not used to determine where you can volunteer.
Parking is available free of charge in one of our parking garages.
All leave of absences of two weeks or more must be arranged through the volunteer office. Your same schedule and same department cannot be guaranteed if you are reinstated into the program.
Although volunteerism is a great way to gain experience, utilize existing skills and understand the culture of Sharp HealthCare, it does not improve your chances or guarantee you will get a job at Sharp. Volunteers must go through the same application and interview process as general applicants.