Needs and Program Strengths: Perceptions of Hospice Volunteers

Breastfeeding Peer Support: Maternal and Volunteer Perceptions from a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Although the need for extensive training has not been demonstrated, specific intervention modifications have been clearly shown. As suggested by other volunteers (29), the peer volunteers in this trial would have appreciated opportunities to participate in ongoing training sessions—a finding that emphasizes the importance of maintaining developed skills and encouraging competence. Underlying this educative desire may be the explicitly stated request to meet with other peer volunteers.…”

“…This social interaction would not only provide social comparison, resulting in opportunities for self‐evaluation and enhanced self‐esteem, but also contribute to sharing vicarious experiences while increasing confidence and feelings of social integration (30). Pairing experienced volunteers with new volunteers might be highly beneficial (29), not only by providing the desired social interaction but also by indirectly rendering anticipatory guidance, which may limit the disappointment felt by some of the peer volunteers. To address these feelings further, realistic expectations of the intervention should be clearly explained during the training session.…”

Should I Stay or Should I Go

“…When AIDS hospice volunteers were asked (after 1 year of service) why they continued in hospice, the 2 most common reasons given were (1) the support they received from hospice staff members and; (2) a sense that they belonged at the hospice. 24 In a state-wide study of highly effective hospice volunteers, Scott and Caldwell 25 asked volunteers about their reasons for continuing in their hospice work. The top 3 reasons for their continued volunteerism were (1) they believed in the hospice mission; (2) the opportunity for personal growth; and (3) they felt needed.…”

Personality Traits of British Hospice Volunteers

“…All of the above studies examining the personality characteristics of hospice volunteers were either conducted in the United States 4,5,7 or in Canada. 3,12 Given the lack of studies examining the personality characteristics of British hospice volunteers and given that the overwhelming majority (80%-90%) of hospice palliative care volunteers are female, 4,17,18 the main goals of the present study were to (1) assess the personality characteristics of British female hospice volunteers using the NEO-FFI; (2) compare the personality characteristics of British female hospice volunteers to the American adult female norms for the NEO-FFI 1 ; (3) compare the personality characteristics of British female hospice volunteers to the emerging British adult female norms for the NEO-FFI reported by Egan, Deary, and Austin 2 ; and (4) compare the personality characteristics of British female hospice volunteers with the data obtained from a previously collected sample of Canadian female hospice palliative care volunteers. 3…”