title: 'End of life could be on any ward really': A qualitative study of hospital volunteers' end-of-life care training needs and learning preferences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over half of all deaths in Europe occur in hospital, a location associated with many complaints. Initiatives to improve inpatient end-of-life care are therefore a priority. In England, over 78,000 volunteers provide a potentially cost-effective resource to hospitals. Many work with people who are dying and their families, yet little is known about their training in end-of-life care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore hospital volunteers' end-of-life care training needs and learning preferences, and the acceptability of training evaluation methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative focus groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volunteers from a large teaching hospital were purposively sampled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five focus groups were conducted with 25 hospital volunteers (aged 19-80 years). Four themes emerged as follows: preparation for the volunteering role, training needs, training preferences and evaluation preferences. Many described encounters with patients with life-threatening illness and their families. Perceived training needs in end-of-life care included communication skills, grief and bereavement, spiritual diversity, common symptoms, and self-care. Volunteers valued learning from peers and end-of-life care specialists using interactive teaching methods including real-case examples and role plays. A chance to 'refresh' training at a later date was suggested to enhance learning. Evaluation through self-reports or observations were acceptable, but ratings by patients, families and staff were thought to be pragmatically unsuitable owing to sporadic contact with each.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gaps in end-of-life care training for hospital volunteers indicate scope to maximise on this resource. This evidence will inform development of training and evaluations which could better enable volunteers to make positive, cost-effective contributions to end-of-life care in hospitals.
authors.affiliation: 1 King's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, Department of Palliative Care, Policy, and Rehabilitation, London, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa Jane
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Brighton
authors.affiliation: 1 King's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, Department of Palliative Care, Policy, and Rehabilitation, London, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koffman
authors.affiliation: 1 King's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, Department of Palliative Care, Policy, and Rehabilitation, London, UK.
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: 2 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Shaheen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: 1 King's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, Department of Palliative Care, Policy, and Rehabilitation, London, UK.|2 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.|3 St Christopher's Hospice, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: 1 King's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, Department of Palliative Care, Policy, and Rehabilitation, London, UK.|4 King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burman
authors.affiliation: 1 King's College London, Cicely Saunders Institute, Department of Palliative Care, Policy, and Rehabilitation, London, UK.|5 Bristol Randomised Trials Collaboration, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy Ellen
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Selman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006758:Hospital Volunteers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Volunteers; education; hospital volunteers; palliative care; qualitative research; terminal care