Hospital volunteers: An innovative pipeline to increase the geriatrics workforce

Objectives: There is an urgent need to expand the geriatrics workforce. By providing volunteers meaningful experiences with older adults, we hoped to stimulate interest in geriatrics.Design: Electronic mixed methods survey of volunteers from April 2018-October 2019Setting: Academic medical centerParticipants: 32 volunteersMeasurements: We conducted a mixed methods survey of volunteers to understand their experiences in the program, in part using a Likert scale. Two coders independently compared themes to ensure consensus.Results: Thirty-six percent (n = 32) completed surveys; 69% (n = 22) were women; most (59%) were first in their family to work in healthcare, and 81% (n = 26) had prior healthcare experience. Volunteers found patients to be engaging, and recognized that older adults need attention. Almost half (47%, n = 15) expressed interest in working with older adults before starting the program, which increased to 63% (n = 20) after the program. Most volunteers (n = 30, 94%) answered 'definitely yes' or 'probably yes' for feeling appreciated by patients, and 88% (n = 28) felt appreciated by patients' families.Conclusion: A volunteer program pairing companions with older age inpatients increased interest and appreciation for older adults. While additional research should examine whether such experiences influence career choices, this intervention proposes an innovative pipeline to increase the geriatrics workforce.