Effective hospice volunteers: Demographic and personality characteristics

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine demographic and personality characteristics of highly effective hospice volunteers. Volunteer coordinators of all Texas Hospice Organization member hospices were asked to select their most committed and effective volunteers to participate in the study. Volunteers had above-average incomes, were predominately white, female, active in other voluntary activities, and motivated by their own experiences with death of a loved one. The largest proportion of female volunteers (27.3 percent) were extroverted, sensing, feeling, judging personality types (ESFJ), whereas, for male volunteers, the largest proportion (20.8 percent) were introverted, sensing, thinking, judging personality types (ISTJ). This information will be beneficial in recruitment, training, and retention of hospice volunteers.

Volunteer Satisfaction and Program Evaluation at a Pediatric Hospice

“…[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] This finding correlates with our study in which the vast majority of our respondents were female, and over half of them in their forties and fifties.…”

When to Say “Yes” and When to Say “No”

“…The profile of the volunteers in this study-older, married females-is consistent with that found in previous studies, [8][9][10][11][12] as is the finding that most of the present study's volunteers work/have worked in other volunteer capacities besides hospice palliative care. 9 Many of the behaviors in the present study that were categorized as ''definite boundary issues'' could be included under the set of issues identified by Rothstein 5 or under the major themes uncovered by Berry and Planalp.…”

“…9 Many of the behaviors in the present study that were categorized as ''definite boundary issues'' could be included under the set of issues identified by Rothstein 5 or under the major themes uncovered by Berry and Planalp. 1 For example, discussing a patient/family with others in the community falls under Rothstein's 5 heading of ''confidentiality.''…”

How to Attract More Males to Community-Based Hospice Palliative Care Volunteer Programs

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] As Auger 1(pp92-93) points out, ''Within the private sphere of home, community, and village, women are recognized as the primary knowers of how to care for, nurture, and support the dying.'' Middleaged and older men, however, along with members of visible minorities and younger adults tend not to be attracted to hospice palliative care volunteering.…”