Medical students as the volunteer workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic: Polish experience

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic medical students in different countries were mobilized to support healthcare systems during the emergency. This study presents the experience of 580 students of a single medical university in Poland who served as volunteers at different healthcare units during the first six months of the first case being recorded in the country (March-September 2020). The mean±SD hours and days spent on volunteering in the studied group were 52±36 and 144±126, respectively, the collective number of worked hours amounted to 83,460 h. Compared to other fields of study students of medicine engaged in volunteering for more hours and for more days. The main tasks performed by the surveyed group included triage, servicing call-centers for patients and working at the admission ward, hospital clinics, emergency departments and diagnostic labs. The level of fear at the beginning of volunteering was relatively low in the studied group and did not increase over the course. The majority of students received positive feedback from families, friends, patients and healthcare workers, revealed a high level of satisfaction from volunteering (also when experiencing COVID-19-related prejudice), while gaining professional experience and a sense of giving real aid were among the most frequently indicated benefits. The results of the present study demonstrate that although medical students are not essential workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they can be of real assistance to healthcare systems during times of emergency, and should be considered as such in the future in case such a need arises again.

To Volunteer or Not? Perspectives towards Pre-Registered Nursing Students Volunteering Frontline during COVID-19 Pandemic to Ease Healthcare Workforce: A Qualitative Study

“…Their motivation was accounted for by Clary and Snyder [ 18 ] as six personal and social functions that can be applied to other volunteering contexts in various crisis situations: (1) increasing expression of values such as altruism, (2) seeking learning opportunities and experiences to understand world-views during health crises, (3) enhancing personal growth and psychological development, such as through the fulfillment of their calling and passion pursuit, (4) gaining career-related clinical skills and experiences, (5) fortifying social relationships with peers and beneficiaries (e.g., migrant workers), and (6) protecting oneself from feeling bored, purposeless and guilty for not helping. As is consistent with observations made by our lecturers, Bazan et al [ 19 ] reported that Polish medical students characterized by curious, sensitive, calm, and sociable personalities were more likely to volunteer. Individuals with such traits, linked to extraversion, agreeableness, and openness, have more salient helping identities, and are associated with a greater propensity to volunteer [ 20 ].…”

Factors Associated With the Intention to Participate in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Frontline Prevention Activities Among Nursing Students in Vietnam: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

“…In the United Kingdom, the hospitals have successfully integrated medical students into nursing teams (4). The experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland have shown that medical students who have worked voluntarily in frontline health services reported a low level of fear and received positive feedback from family, friends, patients, and healthcare workers (5). In the US, medical students can deploy to local health agencies to implement rapid testing, join student outbreak response teams, implement critical preventive policies, or be staff of community call centers that offer guidance and services to individuals with symptoms of or exposed to COVID-19 (6).…”

Resilience and Critical Educational Valences during the Pandemic

“…In the fight against the COVID-19 virus, medical students from different countries participated as volunteers in supporting the health system. According to a study conducted in Poland [16], the volunteer activities of medical students included triage activities, call-center service for patients, working in hospitals and clinical laboratories. The volunteer students received positive feedback from patients, families, friends, as well as from healthcare personnel.…”