Volunteer Coordinators Research Articles

Understanding the role of the volunteer in specialist palliative care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies

BackgroundVolunteers make a major contribution to palliative patient care, and qualitative studies have been undertaken to explore their involvement. With the aim of making connections between existing studies to derive enhanced meanings, we undertook a systematic review of these qualitative studies including synthesising the findings. We sought to uncover how the role of volunteers with direct contact with patients in specialist palliative care is understood by volunteers, patients, their families, and staff.MethodsWe searched for relevant literature that explored the role of the volunteer including electronic citation databases and reference lists of included studies, and also undertook handsearches of selected journals to find studies which met inclusion criteria. We quality appraised included studies, and synthesised study findings using a novel synthesis method, thematic synthesis.ResultsWe found 12 relevant studies undertaken in both inpatient and home-care settings, with volunteers, volunteer coordinators, patients and families. Studies explored the role of general volunteers as opposed to those offering any professional skills. Three theme clusters were found: the distinctness of the volunteer role, the characteristics of the role, and the volunteer experience of the role. The first answers the question, is there a separate volunteer role? We found that to some extent the role was distinctive. The volunteer may act as a mediator between the patient and the staff. However, we also found some contradictions. Volunteers may take on temporary surrogate family-type relationship roles. They may also take on some of the characteristics of a paid professional. The second cluster helps to describe the essence of the role. Here, we found that the dominant feature was that the role is social in nature. The third helps to explain aspects of the role from the point of view of volunteers themselves. It highlighted that the role is seen by volunteers as flexible, informal and sometimes peripheral. These characteristics some volunteers find stressful.ConclusionsThis paper demonstrates how qualitative research can be sythnesised systematically, extending methodological techniques to help answer difficult research questions. It provides information that may help managers and service planners to support volunteers appropriately.

THE REVOLVING DOOR: A CLOSER LOOK AT MAJOR FACTORS IN VOLUNTEERS’ INTENTION TO QUIT

In nonprofit organizations, volunteer coordinators deal with high rates of volunteer turnover due, in part, to increased levels of volunteer burnout. This study sought to identify how burnout can help explain volunteers’ intention to quit and identify two potential antecedents of burnout: voice and role ambiguity. Specifically, it is hypothesized that volunteer voice and role ambiguity affects volunteers’ intention to quit through their relationship with volunteer burnout. Data were obtained from volunteers working in an animal welfare organization in the western United States (N = 151). An online survey was administered to volunteers who responded to a variety of questions and scales concerning their experiences as volunteers in an animal welfare organization. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediation hypotheses. The findings provide tentative support that volunteer burnout mediates the relationship between two potential predictors of burnout (e.g., perception of voice and role ambiguity) and intention to quit. Consistent with conservation of resources theory, volunteers who are drained of their cognitive resources through dealing with a lack of voice and ambiguous volunteer role situations experience increased burnout. The practical and theoretical significance of these findings are discussed.

The Effects of Senior Volunteering – How Does Volunteering of the Elderly Influence Their Individual and Social life? (A Qualitative Research Study of Slovak Elderly Volunteers)

Aims: To find effects, motivation and barriers of senior volunteering in Slovak republic. To evaluate the impact on health, individual and social life of the elderly. Study Design: Grounded theory (according to Strauss & Corbin’s approach). Place and Duration of Study: The municipal district of Trnava, Slovak republic, between November 2009 and September 2010. Methodology: The research sample consisted of fifteen senior volunteers and fifteen volunteer coordinators or representatives of non-profit organizations working with volunteers. The volunteers were located in the municipal district of Trnava (Slovak republic), the coordinators were chosen from all-over the country. The sampling method used was snowball sampling and the method used for data collecting was a semistandardized interview. This data were complemented with various other textual data sources, such as documents from the NGO’s (formal and informal), electronic documents and e-mail conversations. All the collected data were analyzed with the software Atlas.ti according to the open and axial coding processes of the grounded theory approach. Results: Open and axial coding procedures helped to develop the paradigmal model of the process of senior volunteering. Conclusion: The findings support the thesis that volunteering in a higher age can Research Article Pavelek; JSRR, Article no. JSRR.2013.011 134 significantly improve the individual life of seniors, although many barriers and obstacles were identified too.

Doing ′Conservation′: Effects of Different Interpretations at an Ecuadorian Volunteer Tourism Project

As more people volunteer in the name of 'conservation,' a careful analysis of 'conservation' and the actors' underlying ideologies becomes pressing. Volunteers work on the seemingly similar goal of 'conservation,' but differences in interpretations can have on-the-ground impacts. In this paper, I use interviews and participant interactions to: (1) analyse how volunteers, reserve managers, and volunteer coordinators at an Ecuadorian reserve articulated 'conservation' in their discourse; and (2) examine how different conservation ideologies affected interactions among actors and with the environment. Using political ecology and a modified version of ideological and cluster criticism to analyse discourse, I found actors interpreted 'conservation' differently. I identified three ideologies presented by volunteers: Type I (preservation-oriented), Type-II (mixed), and Type-III (sustainable use-oriented); managers and coordinators held similar views as each other. Different 'conservation' ideologies among actors affected the project (e.g., acceptability of sustainable logging), interactions, perceptions of locals, and general attitudes towards conservation work.

Overview of the GEMS Model of Volunteer Administration (Generate, Educate, Mobilize and Sustain)

To organize and coordinate the efforts of many volunteers, a framework for volunteer engagement is needed. The "GEMS" Model of volunteer administration was developed to assist Extension professionals and volunteer coordinators to effectively administer volunteer programs without delivering the program themselves. The GEMS Model is illustrated in a spiral, depicting the continuous process of involving volunteers in community programs and organizations. GEMS consists of 18 steps, which exist in four distinct categories, including: Generate, Educate, Mobilize, and Sustain. The GEMS Model is a tool that will help volunteer administrators and leaders achieve the goals of the organization and its clientele.

A federal partnership to pursue operational prediction at the weather‐climate interface

Earth System Prediction Capability Workshop Washington, D. C., 21–23 March 2012 A meeting to advance a federal partnership toward operational prediction of the physical environment at subseasonal to decadal time scales was held in Washington, D. C. Scientists, headquarters representatives, and program managers from the Department of Energy, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy met to discuss pressing agency requirements for extended‐range environmental prediction to inform economic, energy, agricultural, national security, and infrastructure decisions. After significant review and discussion, participants agreed that the highest potential for progress was at the interseasonal to interannual (ISI) time scales (Advancing the Science of Climate Change (2010), Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (BASC), http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12782). They agreed to pursue a joint effort, identifying five areas for near‐term demonstrations of predictability and establishing volunteer coordinators to organize the demonstration efforts. The demonstrations will establish operational extended‐range predictive skill, inform further research, enhance interagency collaboration, and push forward environmental prediction technical and computational capabilities.

Internet promotional material and conservation volunteer tourist motivations: A case study of selecting organizations and projects

Although much research has discussed why tourists volunteer abroad, little work has explored the role of promotional material (e.g., internet websites) in volunteer decisions. We examined if promotional material played a motivating role in volunteer tourists' decision to select specific organizations or conservation projects, and if so, what in the material influenced their choices. We also identified types of promotional material used and how volunteers accessed this information. To collect data, we engaged in participant observation and conducted interviews at a conservation volunteer project in Ecuador with 36 volunteer tourists, 2 managers, and 3 volunteer coordinators. Findings revealed that volunteers almost exclusively used the internet to search for volunteer tourism opportunities. Volunteer decisions to select the organization or project were influenced by both website appearance (e.g., organized, professional) and specific content (e.g., photographs, volunteer comments, project descriptions, buzzwords). We discuss implications for managers and organizations, tourism theory, and future research.

Improving volunteer retention efforts in public library systems: how communication and inclusion impact female and male volunteers differently

Although volunteer levels are near all‐time highs, volunteer coordinators are increasingly spending more time on retention efforts. The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of organizational communication and inclusive behaviors on volunteers' intention to continue volunteering. Through a survey of 472 volunteers in three library systems, research revealed that two organizational communication theories can improve the effectiveness of volunteer coordinator efforts. Specifically, structural equation modeling revealed that social group inclusion and overall participation in organizational events were the strongest predictors of female volunteers' future intentions to volunteer whereas event participation, being included in the organization's information network, and participating in decision making were the strongest predictors for male volunteers. Relationship indicators successfully predicted which volunteers were most likely to continue volunteering. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Assessing the Readiness of Hospice Volunteers to Utilize Technology

Although hospice volunteer programs contribute to patient care, little is known about their utilization and adaptation of technology. A survey was posted to the Hospice Volunteer Association Web site to assess technology use among volunteer coordinators and volunteers. Results revealed that participants have access to computers, Internet, and e-mail at the hospice agency and routinely use cellular phones and e-mail. Despite the use of technology, communication problems with volunteers hindered the coordinator's ability to manage scheduling, training, and volunteer assignments for patient care. Coordinators and volunteers felt comfortable utilizing technology but were less comfortable using technology in the patients' home. Several areas are identified for development and integration of advanced technology in volunteer programs. Future research is needed to ease technology implementation and increase volunteer acceptance.

Moving Beyond the “I” in Motivation

Much research has examined why volunteer tourists volunteer abroad. However, little work has explored (1) if and how destination and organization attributes motivate volunteers or (2) manager perceptions of volunteer motivations. We identified attributes that pulled conservation volunteer tourists to the country, organization, and volunteer project. We compared these motivations and reasons for volunteering abroad with manager and volunteer coordinator perceptions of volunteer motivations. To collect data, we engaged in participant observation and conducted interviews with 36 volunteer tourists, 2 managers, and 3 volunteer coordinators at an Ecuadorian conservation volunteer project. Volunteers listed a range of motivations for their choices (e.g., reserve mission, price). Managers and coordinators correctly identified some motivations for volunteering abroad and selecting the destination, organization, and project (e.g., travel, price). However, they mentioned fewer reasons than volunteers and overlooked several major factors, especially altruistic and project-specific reasons. We discuss implications for managers and organizations, tourism theory, and future research.

Co-Chairs: Create Your Own Story

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderASHA Convention Coverage1 Sep 2011Co-Chairs: Create Your Own Story Kathy Coufal andPhD, CCC-SLP Bob NovakPhD, CCC-A Kathy Coufal Google Scholar More articles by this author , PhD, CCC-SLP and Bob Novak Google Scholar More articles by this author , PhD, CCC-A https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.ACC2.16092011.23 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In The compelling story told in the movie “The King’s Speech” has put communication sciences and disorders and our discipline in the public spotlight, illuminating the often powerful and mutually inspirational relationship between clinician and client. Add to that powerful connection the realization that each of us stands on the shoulders of our professional predecessors—their research, teaching, supervision, mentoring, and foundational support. The annual Convention is a time to step away from our busy lives and reflect on what we know, new discoveries, and connections among social and professional “stories.” Although it is a challenge to personalize a convention that attracts more than 12,000 members, we have sought to do so through the program, special events, and the opportunity to tell the story of a member colleague who has inspired you. Some of the new, personal options include an easy-to-use scheduling tool that lets you download sessions and your own meetings directly onto your PDA. Multiple lounges throughout the convention center will provide gathering places to meet and greet. Don’t forget the newly added welcome reception, a communications lounge (Twitter feeds all day long!), our cyber café, and a closing party—all perfect opportunities to meet with and learn from friends and colleagues. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists, this is your San Diego story, and we want it to be memorable. Start planning by looking at the many innovations and exciting program. We listened to your suggestions, and have worked to develop the most dynamic menu of program opportunities possible. We also have been very conscious of once again making the Convention equally appealing to audiologists/hearing scientists and SLPs/speech and language scientists: “two professions, one discipline.” New Features Premier sessions, a new type of session designed specifically to be of cross-disciplinary interest, will be offered Thursday and Friday. With Convention located in the western home of the country’s Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, it is certainly fitting that the premier sessions will focus on the special inter-professional assessment and rehabilitation needs of returning war veterans and other individuals with speech, language, hearing, and cognitive processing challenges secondary to head injuries. We have added early-evening offerings—our new “twilight sessions”—that allow you to maximize your CEU opportunities and encourage local SLPs and audiologists who are not available during the day to participate. Convention planning requires many exceptional volunteer coordinators leading outstanding committee members in the process of inviting speakers, reviewing submissions, and selecting the most informative content. We are especially grateful to the many topic coordinators and topic committee members for their exceptional work in developing this outstanding program. We’ve highlighted only a few of the exciting sessions planned for this year (see sidebar below). With a record-breaking 2,500 submissions for consideration, the Program Committee members did an outstanding job of selecting those that would best meet the objectives of the Convention—to provide a diverse and high-quality learning experience for all. More highlights will be included in e-news communications; detailed information can be found on the Convention website. We look forward to welcoming you to sunny San Diego in November for the ASHA 2011 Convention! Author Notes Kathy Coufal, PhD, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathology co-chair, can be reached at [email protected]. Bob Novak, PhD, CCC-A, audiology co-chair, can be reached at [email protected]. Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 16Issue 9September 2011 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Sep 1, 2011 Metrics Downloaded 30 times Topicsasha-topicsleader_do_tagleader-topicsasha-article-typesCopyright & Permissions© 2011 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...

Human milk banking in the volunteer sector: Policy development and actuality in 1970s Australia

Objectiveto describe the development of rigorous milk banking policies in the voluntary sector in Australia, 1975–1979, by the non-government organisation, the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia (now the Australian Breastfeeding Association), and the eventual abandonment of milk banking by the organisation. Designhistorical article. SettingAustralia in the years 1975–1979. Conclusionsduring the period in which the policy development described here took place, conducting a milk bank to the rigorous standards set by the organisation required too heavy an investment of hours by unpaid volunteer coordinators to be sustainable. Implications for practicein establishing and continuing a successful milk bank, models which depend less on volunteer hours may be more sustainable.

Utilizing Volunteers during an Oiled Wildlife Response: The M/V Cosco Busan Oil Spill

ABSTRACT This paper provides an introduction to components of the volunteer management system used during oiled wildlife responses within the State of California. A case study is presented of the volunteer management system utilized during the M/V Cosco Busan Oil Spill in San Francisco Bay, November 2007. Wildlife collection and care were administered through a partnership between the State of California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) and the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) based at the Wildlife Health Center, University of California, Davis. The OSPR and OWCN volunteer coordinators managed approximately 1850 volunteers who contributed to the oiled wildlife response. Volunteer notification and response, emergency volunteer center activation, specific challenges of managing both trained and convergent volunteers, and wildlife operations are discussed. Program changes for improved future volunteer management and communication during oiled wildlife respo...

How they Cope

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the coping techniques utilized by hospice volunteers. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 hospice volunteers who had at least 1 year of experience, working as a hospice volunteer with direct patient care. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed utilizing qualitative research methods. The results indicated the volunteers used problem-focused coping (seeking advice from members of the hospice interdisciplinary team), emotion-focused coping (talking with others, going to funerals), meaning making through appraisal (religious beliefs, downward comparison), and physical techniques (walking, deep breathing). The most significant coping mechanism utilized for the volunteer was talking with the volunteer coordinator. Implications for hospice volunteer coordinators are also discussed.

The Stresses of Hospice Volunteer Work

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the interpretation of stress, the appraisal of the stressors, as well as the top stressors experienced by hospice volunteers. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 hospice volunteers. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed, using qualitative research methods. Although the results indicated that the hospice volunteers did not perceive their work as stressful, 2 main themes regarding challenging experiences did emerge. Hospice-related issues and personal issues were of concern to the volunteers. In addition, the timing of the stressors revealed that the most stress was felt at the beginning of their volunteer services, which has implications for hospice volunteer coordinators as they support their volunteers in the field.

Building a better workplace for teen volunteers through inclusive behaviors

AbstractFacing a decline in the number of hours donated to nonprofit organizations, volunteer coordinators must strive to determine the most effective strategies for retaining volunteers. Relationship management theory provides a framework to gauge the well‐being of an organization's relationship with its stakeholders. Through surveys administered to 317 teenage volunteers at three library systems, this study found that of four factors—trust, commitment, satisfaction, and control mutuality—trust had the strongest ability to predict intent to continue volunteering. Further analysis revealed that trust could be enhanced by including teenagers in work groups throughout the organization, seeking their input on organizational decisions, and ensuring they receive formal and informal organizational communications.

Motivations of Hospice Volunteers

To recruit and retain volunteers, coordinators need to understand volunteers' motivations. In this study, 351 volunteers from 32 hospices in the western United States answered questions on a mailed survey about their motivations. The motivations reported were, in order of overall importance: to help others and learn, foster social relationships, feel better, and pursue career goals. Younger volunteers reported stronger career motivations, and retired and unemployed volunteers reported stronger social motivations. Volunteer coordinators should consider these motivations in communicating with potential and current volunteers, with special emphasis on compassion for those in need and the importance of helping, on fostering hospice volunteering as a learning experience, and in accessing and building social networks around hospice volunteering.

Keeping hospice palliative care volunteers on board: Dealing with issues of volunteer attrition, stress, and retention

This article explores the issues of hospice palliative care volunteer attrition and retention (i.e., why volunteers leave and how to keep them interested). In addition, common sources of stress for volunteers will be identified and suggestions for alleviating stress will be offered. Volunteers are special people; patients and families greatly appreciate the care and support they provide and the other staff members' (e.g., nurses) jobs are often made easier because of them. Thus, maintaining a committed group of volunteers is an extremely important task for volunteer coordinators. The literature reviewed in this article focused mostly on North American studies and was limited to research that specifically involved hospice palliative care volunteers as participants.

Hospital volunteer's role and accident-prevention systems: a nationwide survey of Japanese hospitals

This study aimed to examine the scope of activities performed by hospital volunteers. A survey was conducted on 3055 hospitals, randomly selected throughout Japan. Attention was also paid to the accident-prevention systems instituted by those facilities. Almost one-third (36.5%) of all hospitals had some hospital volunteers. About 60% (59.9%) of hospitals conducted volunteer activities more than once a week. Recreation (50.1%) was the most common role of the volunteers. The other activities in decreasing order were: conversation partners (45.8%), music and entertainment (43.7%), wheelchair pushing (41.8%) and helping administration (36.3%). Both direct and indirect contact between volunteers and patients was prevalent. Less than half of the hospitals had accident-prevention systems, such as guidelines for volunteer activities (except for Volunteer Insurance). Hospitals that had a volunteer coordinator tended to have significantly more accident-prevention systems. It is, therefore, important to establish volunteer coordinators in order to prevent accidents during hospital volunteer activities.

So No One Dies Alone: A Study of Hospice Volunteering with Rural Seniors

This paper summarizes the results of a qualitative study of hospice volunteering in the rural communities of northwestern Ontario. In this region, there are 13 independent and active hospice volunteer programs serving communities ranging in population from 1,000 to 15,000. The 13 volunteer coordinators in these communities participated in a phone interview in which they described the role of hospice volunteers in their community and the kinds of clients they serve. The results indicate that the hospice volunteers in this rural region spend a large part of their time visiting medically frail and lonely seniors who are at risk of dying alone or without adequate care and companionship at the end of life. Long-term visiting to build relationships of trust and genuine caring are considered the ideal in these communities. Implications for end-of-life care for rural seniors are discussed.