<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_sjph-2019-0021_s_006">
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>To explore Hospital Volunteers’ (HVs) motivations and experiences, as well as the strategies they adopt to overcome challenging situations during volunteering and the needs they perceive.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2019-0021_s_007">
<h3>Methods</h3>
<p>Eleven Italian HVs were purposively approached between January and July 2016, using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the descriptive phenomenological approach.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2019-0021_s_008">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>Hospital volunteering emerged as a complex experience characterised by five themes: (a) becoming a volunteer; (b) developing skills; (c) experiencing conflicting emotions; (d) overcoming role difficulties by enacting different resources and strategies; and (e) addressing emerging needs.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2019-0021_s_009">
<h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>According to the findings, hospital policies aimed at promoting volunteer integration in daily care are needed and should be based on (a) a shared vision between the hospital and the volunteer associations regarding the HVs’ role and skills; (b) the development of integrated models of care combining different workforces (i.e. professionals and volunteer staff); (c) appropriate training of HVs at baseline; (d) individualised continuous education pathways aimed at supporting HVs both emotionally and in the development of the required skills; and (e) tailored education that is directed to health-care staff aimed at helping them to value the service provided by HVs.</p></sec>
</abstract>

Objective
To explore Hospital Volunteers’ (HVs) motivations and experiences, as well as the strategies they adopt to overcome challenging situations during volunteering and the needs they perceive.

Methods
Eleven Italian HVs were purposively approached between January and July 2016, using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the descriptive phenomenological approach.

Results
Hospital volunteering emerged as a complex experience characterised by five themes: (a) becoming a volunteer; (b) developing skills; (c) experiencing conflicting emotions; (d) overcoming role difficulties by enacting different resources and strategies; and (e) addressing emerging needs.

Conclusions
According to the findings, hospital policies aimed at promoting volunteer integration in daily care are needed and should be based on (a) a shared vision between the hospital and the volunteer associations regarding the HVs’ role and skills; (b) the development of integrated models of care combining different workforces (i.e. professionals and volunteer staff); (c) appropriate training of HVs at baseline; (d) individualised continuous education pathways aimed at supporting HVs both emotionally and in the development of the required skills; and (e) tailored education that is directed to health-care staff aimed at helping them to value the service provided by HVs.

Hospital volunteering experiences suggest that new policies are needed to promote their integration in daily care: Findings from a qualitative study

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Izkušnje v zvezi z opravljanjem prostovoljnega dela v bolnišnicah nakazujejo, da so potrebne nove politike za promocijo vključevanja teh izkušenj v dnevno oskrbo: Rezultati kvalitativne študije

Objective
To explore Hospital Volunteers’ (HVs) motivations and experiences, as well as the strategies they adopt to overcome challenging situations during...

Hospital volunteering experiences suggest that new policies are needed to promote their integration in daily care: Findings from a qualitative study

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Oct 01, 2019

Page range: 164 - 172

Received: Feb 28, 2019

Accepted: Jul 29, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2019-0021

Keywords
health and social care, health human resources policy, hospital resources, Italy, qualitative methodologies, volunteers

© 2019 National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Hospital volunteering experiences suggest that new policies are needed to promote their integration in daily care: Findings from a qualitative study

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Oct 01, 2019

Page range: 164 - 172

Received: Feb 28, 2019

Accepted: Jul 29, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2019-0021

Keywordshealth and social care, health human resources policy, hospital resources, Italy, qualitative methodologies, volunteers

© 2019 National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
health and social care, health human resources policy, hospital resources, Italy, qualitative methodologies, volunteers