Laboratory of International Health, Department of Preventive Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Department of Hypertension, Angiology, and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Front Public Health. 2021 Jan 26;8:633888. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.633888. eCollection 2020.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical universities worldwide, including the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, launched student volunteering projects (SVPs). We examined our student volunteers' perceptions on the conditions, safety, costs and benefits of their participation in the SVP. Using this information, we attempted to assess the viability of SVPs as a solution for health professions education during and after the pandemic. The main research tool was a questionnaire on students' perceptions of their participation in the SVP. As a complementary qualitative method, we used semi-structured interviews with the volunteers. Our respondents ( = 158) perceived conditions and safety generally positively: most reported having personal protective equipment (89.24%), technical support (88.61%), and induction training (79.11%). Only 38.61% said they had access to psychological support. In our view, benefits (e.g., an opportunity to make new contacts or receiving positive reactions from patients and staff) seemed to outweigh costs. 65.82% of the respondents agreed that they learnt new interesting things. A majority noticed the development of their soft skills (social 86.08%; organisational 78.48%; stress management 68.99%), while 40.51% - the development of their medical skills. The interviews pointed to additional benefits for students such as gaining insight of the healthcare system, and costs such as distress caused by some patient interactions. We conclude that student volunteering could become a viable solution for health professions education. To maximise its educational potential, volunteers' needs must be explored, psychological support ensured, and opportunities for mentoring and reflection provided. The organisational framework of a SVP should be culturally sensitive.
针对 COVID-19 大流行，全球许多医科大学，包括波兹南医科大学，都启动了学生志愿者项目 (SVP)。我们调查了学生志愿者对参与 SVP 的条件、安全性、费用和收益的看法。我们利用这些信息，试图评估 SVP 作为大流行期间和之后卫生专业教育解决方案的可行性。主要研究工具是一份关于学生对参与 SVP 看法的问卷。作为一种补充性的定性方法，我们对志愿者进行了半结构化访谈。我们的受访者（=158）普遍对条件和安全性持积极看法：大多数人报告说拥有个人防护设备（89.24%）、技术支持（88.61%）和入职培训（79.11%）。只有 38.61%的人表示他们可以获得心理支持。在我们看来，收益（例如，有机会结识新朋友或获得患者和工作人员的积极反馈）似乎超过了成本。65.82%的受访者同意他们学到了新的有趣的东西。大多数人注意到他们软技能的发展（社交 86.08%；组织 78.48%；压力管理 68.99%），而 40.51%的人则注意到他们医疗技能的发展。访谈还指出了学生的其他收益，例如深入了解医疗体系，以及一些患者互动带来的困扰等成本。我们得出结论，学生志愿服务可以成为卫生专业教育的可行解决方案。为了最大限度地发挥其教育潜力，必须探索志愿者的需求，确保心理支持，并提供指导和反思的机会。SVP 的组织框架应该具有文化敏感性。
