noun Informal. a person, often a teenager, who works as a volunteer in a hospital.

What is a candy striper?

: a usually teenage volunteer worker at a hospital.

What are Candy Stripers called now?

Today, this active group is known as Junior Volunteers, and they wear teal polo shirts and khaki pants. But up until about 25 years ago, those volunteers wore iconic pink and white striped pinafores that quickly identified them as junior volunteers.