As a valued volunteer at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), Paul McLaughlin offers calm and steady support to families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where emotions often run high, he plays a key role in helping loved ones navigate uncertainty, communicate with care teams and feel less alone.
“As a volunteer, you are an essential contributing member of our health-care team. You are needed and depended upon,” says McLaughlin.
His weekly shifts in the ICU focus on supporting people in the waiting room, guiding them through unfamiliar processes and providing a reassuring presence. He greets and orients families, answers questions when appropriate and relays concerns to staff.
“My goal is to be a bridge and liaison, facilitating communication and cooperation between family members waiting outside in the family room and the people inside the ICU.”
McLaughlin adds he has learned the importance of boundaries while working closely with families during times of crisis. He credits experienced ICU volunteers and the support of the unit’s social workers for helping him understand how to maintain healthy emotional balance.
“At every encounter, I have the feeling of gaining insight into human perspectives, always fascinating and never the same,” he says. “This closeness with family who will share information if they wish is less like an emotional attachment and more like accompanying another on a journey at the end of which parting is inevitable. Some things simply must be experienced. The biggest reward is in the heart. I get as much, or more, out of helping the families as they hopefully get from me.”
McLaughlin believes the purpose of volunteering is supporting people during difficult moments and creating small human connections that matter.
“As a volunteer, you provide an additional level of support and assistance to patients and families, ensuring their well-being and providing comfort during their hospital stay. However short or long.”
Half a century later, volunteering is still teaching McLaughlin new lessons.
“I have been volunteering for over 55 years and have been learning and benefiting from it since my teenage years up to last week.”
With the new year approaching, he says many people are looking to set goals around community involvement or personal growth, and volunteering offers the perfect opportunity for both.
“When people identify you as a volunteer, they see you are giving back. There is a sense of connection with people when they say ‘thank you’ and being recognized and appreciated will make you feel good, it really does.”
“Volunteering will challenge you. You are contributing to something larger than oneself, which creates a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment.”
He adds, KHSC’s volunteer community is a strong and supportive one.
“Everyone at KHSC involved in volunteering is filled with an exceptional attitude of kindness combined with a deep sense of dedication and commitment. You will be part of a dynamic team of people who are making a difference in the lives of others.”
And he should know. Even after five decades, McLaughlin’s love for volunteering keeps growing, a quiet commitment he renews with every shift and every person he meets.
