Abstract
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical universities worldwide, including the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, launched student volunteering projects (SVPs). We examined our student volunteers' perceptions on the conditions, safety, costs and benefits of their participation in the SVP. Using this information, we attempted to assess the viability of SVPs as a solution for health professions education during and after the pandemic. The main research tool was a questionnaire on students' perceptions of their participation in the SVP. As a complementary qualitative method, we used semi-structured interviews with the volunteers. Our respondents (n = 158) perceived conditions and safety generally positively: most reported having personal protective equipment (89.24%), technical support (88.61%), and induction training (79.11%). Only 38.61% said they had access to psychological support. In our view, benefits (e.g., an opportunity to make new contacts or receiving positive reactions from patients and staff) seemed to outweigh costs. 65.82% of the respondents agreed that they learnt new interesting things. A majority noticed the development of their soft skills (social 86.08%; organisational 78.48%; stress management 68.99%), while 40.51% – the development of their medical skills. The interviews pointed to additional benefits for students such as gaining insight of the healthcare system, and costs such as distress caused by some patient interactions. We conclude that student volunteering could become a viable solution for health professions education. To maximise its educational potential, volunteers' needs must be explored, psychological support ensured, and opportunities for mentoring and reflection provided. The organisational framework of a SVP should be culturally sensitive.
Highlights
In many parts of the world, student volunteering (SV) as a form of community engagement is an important part of the mission of higher education, and a curricular activity forming an important part of experiential learning [1]
With reference to the conditions and safety of their service, most of the respondents reported that they had necessary equipment/tools (93.04%; n = 147) and personal protective equipment (PPE), were able to take rest breaks while working (92.41%; n = 146), had access to technical support (88.61%; n = 140), and had received induction training (79.11%; n = 125)
We checked if there were any differences regarding student volunteering project (SVP) conditions between those volunteers who declared that they had direct contact with patients and those who did not
Summary
In many parts of the world, student volunteering (SV) as a form of community engagement is an important part of the mission of higher education, and a curricular activity forming an important part of experiential learning [1]. What distinguishes SV from other forms of student engagement such as servicelearning or internships is the focus and intended beneficiary of the engagement. The focus is on the service provided and the beneficiary is the service recipient (e.g., the patient receiving care). The main focus is learning, and the primary beneficiary is the student who learns. Under the Polish law, volunteering is distinct from mandatory forms of experiential learning such as internships [4, 5]. While Polish medical universities widely endorse various SV initiatives, they do not treat them as a teaching tool that could support student learning
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