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The volunteer program in a Children's Hospice
Shalu Duggal1, Peggy Farah, Lynn Patricia Straatman
1Canuck Place Children's Hospice, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Insights
Canuck Place Children's Hospice (CPCH) offers a successful pediatric volunteer program, highlighting unique roles and support for clinical teams. Continuous improvement in training and feedback is key for this vital service.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Palliative Care
- Hospice Volunteer Programs
- Healthcare Support Services
Background:
- Canuck Place Children's Hospice (CPCH) is a world-leading pediatric palliative care provider.
- Established in 1995, CPCH offers complimentary hospice care to children with life-threatening conditions and their families.
- Pediatric palliative hospice care is an emerging field, with limited literature on volunteer program development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the distinct volunteer roles and experiences at CPCH.
- To illustrate how volunteers support the clinical team's efforts.
- To address challenges and propose strategies for the CPCH volunteer program.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a descriptive research design.
- Gathered insights through interviews with the founding volunteer director and current CPCH volunteers.
- Included perspectives from a current CPCH volunteer detailing their program experience.
Main Results:
- The CPCH volunteer program is integral to supporting the lives of children and families.
- Effective volunteer selection and comprehensive training are foundational to program success.
- Volunteer roles are diverse, encompassing direct and non-direct care support.
Conclusions:
- Volunteer selection and training are crucial for a cohesive and confident workforce.
- Areas for enhancement include volunteer feedback mechanisms and training for non-direct care roles.
- CPCH values and acknowledges the diverse talents and ongoing contributions of its volunteers.
Background:
Canuck Place Children's Hospice (CPCH) is regarded as one of the leading pediatric palliative care systems in the world. Since 1995, it has been providing hospice care free of charge to children and their families living with life-threatening conditions. The pediatric palliative hospice is a relatively new practice in health care, in comparison to the longstanding adult model. As a result, development and implementation of volunteer programs in pediatric hospices is not currently represented in literature. With over 300 volunteers at present, CPCH has built a successful program that can serve as a model in pediatric volunteer services.
Objective:
To present the unique volunteer roles and experience at CPCH, and share ways volunteers work to support the efforts of the clinical team. Strategies to address current challenges in the volunteer program are also addressed.
Design:
Descriptive design.
Setting/Subjects:
A current CPCH volunteer discusses the volunteer program. Interviews were conducted with the founding volunteer director of CPCH and current volunteers.
Conclusions:
The volunteer program at CPCH fully embraces the life of each child and family. Volunteer selection is the groundwork for ensuring a cohesive work force, while training equips volunteers with the knowledge to carry out their role with confidence. Areas of improvement that have been recognized include offering effective feedback to volunteers and delivering adequate level of training for non-direct care roles. The talents of volunteers at CPCH are diverse, and CPCH aims to recognize and thank volunteers for their continuous contributions.
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