Initial Motivations of Hospice Volunteers and During their Ministry

Abstract

Hospice volunteering is a very specific type of volunteering connected with care for the sick and dying in the terminal period of the disease. The subject of the article are the motivations of hospice volunteers: the ones they had when they came to the hospice and those they have after a period of service. The aim is not only to describe and compare them, but also present their outlook depending on the age of volunteers, the length of their ministry and the type of ministry. Thanks to this research, motivations emerge as to why someone might choose to become a hospice volunteer, as well as what makes someone able to persevere in this service. This is an important question for those responsible for recruiting new volunteers. In the theoretical part of the article, the basic notion connected with hospice volunteering and motivations to take it were shown. The research part is the analysis of results obtained through the survey method. The fruit of the research are statements regarding the motivation at the beginning of the ministry, currently, and differences in motivation depending on age, and the length and type of ministry of the respondents.

Keywords

• wolontariat hospicyjny
• motywacja
• wolontariusz
• wytrwanie w posłudze
• altruizm