The Role, Measurement, and Impact of Volunteerism in Hospitals

Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly - Tập 43 Số 6 - Trang 1111-1128 - 2014
Renee B. Hotchkiss1, Lynn Unruh2, Myron D. Fottler2
1#N# 1Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, USA
2#N# 2University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA

Tóm tắt

Volunteer programs are expected to positively impact the organizations in which they exist. This article reviews the literature on volunteerism, including what volunteers do, how their contributions can be measured, and the financial- and quality-related outcomes of volunteer programs. The focus is on volunteerism in health care settings, particularly hospitals. The article summarizes the existing theoretical and empirical literature concerning the roles of volunteers, the economic value of volunteers, cost–benefit analysis of volunteer labor, and the impact of volunteers on quality and patient satisfaction. The review indicates that the use of volunteers offers significant cost savings to hospitals and may positively impact profit margins. Volunteers are also likely to enhance quality indicators such as patient satisfaction and safety. Implications of these findings for management and future research are discussed.

Từ khóa


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Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

Tập 43 Số 6

1111-1128

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