Motivations, barriers and ethical understandings of healthcare student volunteers on a medical service trip: a mixed methods study.
BACKGROUND
The motivation to volunteer on a medical service trip (MST) may involve more than a simple desire for philanthropy. Some volunteers may be motivated by an intrinsic interest in volunteering in which the context of the volunteer activity is less important. Others may volunteer because the context of their volunteering is more important than their intrinsic interest in volunteering. Furthermore, MSTs may pose a variety of ethical problems that volunteers should consider prior to engaging in a trip. This study evaluated the motivations and barriers for graduate health care students volunteering for an MST to either the Dominican Republic or Mississippi. Volunteers' understanding of some of the ethical issues associated with MSTs was also assessed.


METHODS
Thirty-five graduate health professions students who volunteered on an MST were asked to complete an online survey. Students' motivations and barriers for volunteering were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale and Fisher's exact test. Ethical understanding of issues in volunteering was assessed using thematic analysis.


RESULTS
Students' motivations for volunteering appeared to be related to the medical context of their service more than an inherent desire for volunteer work. Significant differences were seen in motivations and barriers for some student groups, especially those whose volunteer work had less opportunity for clinical service. Thematic analysis revealed two major themes and suggested that students had an empirical understanding that volunteer work could have both positive and negative effects.


CONCLUSIONS
An understanding of students' motivations for volunteering on an MST may allow faculty to design trips with activities that effectively address student motivations. Although students had a basic understanding of some of the ethical issues involved, they had not considered the impact of a service group on the in-country partners they work with.
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50311, USA. John.Rovers@drake.edu.
John
J
Rovers
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50311, USA.
Kelsey
K
Japs
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50311, USA.
Erica
E
Truong
Des Moines University, 3200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50312, USA.
Yogesh
Y
Shah
D000328:Adult; D004293:Dominican Republic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008493:Medical Missions / Q000941:ethics*; D008922:Mississippi; D009042:Motivation; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Barriers; Ethics; Medical missions; Medical service trips; Medically underserved; Motivations; Students; Volunteers