Effectiveness of a Volunteer Training Program on the Learning Support of Children in Hospice Palliative Care

• Published in: American journal of hospice & palliative medicine 2020-02, Vol.37 (2), p.100-107
• Main Authors: Niinomi, Kazuteru, Soejima, Masakazu, Hiraga, Kentaro, Kodama, Shoko, Okazaki, Shin, Nakao, Shigeki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Child; Clinical Competence; Education, Medical - methods; Female; Hospice Care - methods; Humans; Japan; Male; Palliative Care - methods; Surveys and Questionnaires; Volunteers - education
• ISSN: 1049-9091; 1938-2715
• DOI: 10.1177/1049909119860249

Background: Volunteers are expected to play a key role in children’s hospice. However, there is a lack of information about how to cultivate effective volunteer training programs. Objective: To verify the effect of a training program on volunteers’ confidence in providing learning support and sharing experiences with children with life-threatening conditions and their families in a children’s hospice. Methods: In this pre–post study, participants were 48 undergraduate and graduate students from 3 universities in Japan. They received 5 lectures on children’s hospice learning support. They evaluated the training program by rating their self-confidence in meeting each of the 15 program goals on a questionnaire. Results: An exploratory factor analysis of the questionnaire yielded 12 goals in 4 factors: understanding of one’s own and others’ mental state, accommodating the learning needs of children with life-threatening conditions, understanding and accommodating the physical state of children with life-threatening conditions, and understanding the significance of children’s hospice. A paired t test revealed that participants’ self-confidence had increased significantly in 3 of these 4 factors after the program. However, the score for accommodating the learning needs of children with life-threatening conditions decreased but not significantly. Conclusion: Although it needs some improvements, the program was effective for improving volunteers’ self-confidence in and understanding of learning support and sharing experiences with children with life-threatening conditions.