Ehrenamt im Krankenhaus - Tradition oder Thema der Zukunft? : Die Sicht von Leitungskräften, Personal und Ehrenamtlichen auf das Ehrenamt in der akutstationären Versorgung

Volunteer services are a traditional part of hospitals. To cope with future tasks, politicians and experts value volunteer services as an integral component of the health care mix. However, little is known about how volunteering is perceived within hospitals and among staff. This study focuses the goals and expectancies of hospital leaders, hospital staff and volunteers. The results of group discussions in four German hospitals indicate that volunteer services are perceived as valuable complement to medical care and nursing care, especially with regard to patient orientation. Some topics inhibiting motivation or use of volunteer services were identified. As the relevance of voluntary work is increasing, integration of volunteers into the health care system should be improved. Moreover there is a need for initiatives to increase the appeal for volunteering and the knowledge of voluntary work in hospitals. Politics should give greater attention to volunteer services in hospitals and better support. To enhance the requirements, there is a need for more in-depth research on the effects of volunteer services in health care.