Meta-integration of qualitative research on the real service experience of hospice care volunteers

LIU Yafei; LUO Lei; LI Rui; LIU Changlin

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2096-9058.2024.01.006

Abstract：Objective To systematically evaluate and integrate the qualitative research on the involvement of volun-teers in hospice care services, in order to optimize the environment for hospice care volunteer services and provide refer-ence evidence for better recruitment, training, support, and management of volunteers. Methods Computer searches were conducted in The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database for qualitative research on hospice care vol-unteers' experiences from database inception to May 2023. The Joanna Briggs Institute 2016 version of the Qualitative Re-search Quality Evaluation Tool was used to assess the quality of the literature, and a thematic synthesis approach was used to integrate the research findings. Results The study included 23 articles, from which 117 primary research findings were extracted and categorized into 8 themes, resulting in 3 integrated results: ①Hospice care volunteers experience posi-tive and fulfilling moments during their service, achieving a sense of self-worth; ②Volunteers face dual pressures and chal-lenges from both internal and external sources; ③Volunteers respond to pressures and challenges with a positive attitude, leading to personal growth. Conclusions Hospice care volunteers encounter various pressures and challenges while pro-viding active service. Therefore, it is recommended to pay attention to volunteers' negative experiences, provide compre-hensive support, and offer systematic training to enhance their service capabilities and resilience. Additionally, promoting hospice care volunteer services actively will contribute to the sustainable development of hospice care.