Characteristics of hospice volunteer from the nurses perspective

Introduction. Currently, the therapeutic team, holding the direct care of patients includes increasingly volunteers also. Medical institutions that the longest and most frequently cooperate with them are hospices.

Aim of the study. Development of hospice volunteer profile.

Material and methods. The study included 154 adult candidates participating in four consecutive editions of “A course for volunteers — a guardian of the sick” organized by the St. Lazarus Hospice in Krakow in the years 2009–2012, Poland. The study was conducted by the method of a diagnostic survey. Research tool was the author’s self-developed questionnaire. Results were developed using software SPSS 14 PL.

Results and conclusions. The hospice volunteer profile differ from the overall profile of the volunteer, especially in terms of age. To the hospice volunteer report more often women, usually they are: unmarried, have secondary or higher education, are economically active.

Nursing Topics 2015; 23 (1): 63–68