The Philippine Red Cross Volunteer

IN SO many ways, the donor will want to come back and donate more blood if he/she feels important to the cause. And f course, this can be achieved by duly recognizing the efforts of the donor.

In the discussion during the orientation-seminar, donors may be a part of a milestone for the Philippine Red Cross. A collection of badges or pins that will make the donors feel that they are part of the Red Cross’. It will be more important to them if these badges and pins are given to them in a ceremony.

Other forms of donor recognition is for the Philippine Red Cross to remember the donors’ birthdates and sending them birthday cards of Christmas cards or any occasion card for that matter.

It will also be appropriate that the donors be given updated information and educational reading materials.

These are just some of the factors that will make the donor feel at home with the Philippine Red Cross and make them a member of the Red Cross family.

The workers will also have to ensure that no harm comes to the donor during the donation process. Aside from giving the donors a pleasant donation experience.

In the process, the workers will have to ensure that the donated blood meets the required standards, in terms of volume, bacterial contamination, labeling, storing and transporting.

The worker-volunteer must be friendly, competent and efficient, with good communication skills. The worker-volunteer must also be equipped with the proper training in donor selection and blood donation process.

What the worker-volunteer does in the Red Cross office, the barangay volunteer will do the same in his/her level.

These are all part of extending to the donor the utmost quality care. These will include a convenient location inside an office, in an appropriate time convenient to the donor.

Making the donor feel important would also mean maintaining the cleanliness and tidiness of the environment where he/she will be in the duration of donating the blood and ensuring that all information pertaining to his/her donation is kept a secret with the objective, DONOR SATISFACTION IS THE KEY TO DONOR RETENTION.

Donor records system

The system maintained by the Red Cross worker-volunteer must spell accuracy, clarity and must be up to date.

These records are treated with utmost care thus giving limited access to authorized staff only as they have to maintain confidentiality which is critical in management of donor records to protect donors, to maintain trust between the donor and the Red Cross worker, to maintain the integrity and credibility of the BTS.

The process does not end at where the donation is over. There are still some activities to be made for the donor.

After-donation care:

Right after the donating activity, the donor should leaving the band-aid on for a minimum of 4 hours. He/she must apply pressure for 2 – 5 minutes on the venipuncture, in case of recurrence of bleeding; and he/she must lie down with legs elevated, if the donor feels dizzy or lightheaded.

The worker-volunteer must ensure that the donor will refrain from smoking for at least 4 hours after the donation. The donor will have to be informed that he/she needs to drink more than the usual amount of fluids (or about 8-10 glasses/day).

He/she must avoid lifting heavy weights or strenuous activities for 24 hours.

It is important that the donor be taken cared of throughout the process to make him/her feel with suitable, safe facilities. Standard Operating procedures will be implemented to the letter.

BE A RED CROSS DONOR.