Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21860/j.15.1.2
Readiness of Healthcare Institutions in the Republic of Croatia to Include Volunteering
Gordana Šimunković
orcid.org/0000-0003-0341-7066
; University of Rijeka
Abstract
Volunteering is recognized as having a significant contribution to the broader community, as well as in specific areas such as the healthcare system. This contribution is evident at both the patient level and the level of healthcare institutions. However, despite this, healthcare institutions in the Republic of Croatia are perceived as resistant to volunteering. Starting with the idea that this resistance is driven by a low level of readiness among healthcare institutions to involve volunteers, a study was conducted to determine the level of readiness of Croatian healthcare institutions to include volunteering and to create guidelines for advancing said readiness to a higher level. A mixed research approach was employed, which included conducting an online survey and interviews. The research was based on the community readiness model. The survey included 28.85% (N = 45) of public healthcare institutions,
excluding pharmaceutical services and dental medicine. Interviews were conducted with the leadership of healthcare institutions that include volunteering (N = 10), employees of healthcare institutions that involve volunteering (N = 7), and individuals who volunteer in healthcare institutions (N = 10). The findings revealed that healthcare institutions are at the “Vague Awareness” level (the third out of nine levels of readiness), with the lowest score in the Resources dimension. Thematic analysis followed the themes according to the dimensions of the community readiness model. The main direction for advancing to a higher level of readiness was identified as taking responsibility to incorporate volunteering as a resource within a healthcare institution, adopting the stance: “This is important. What can we do?”
Keywords
volunteering; involvement of volunteering; volunteering in healthcare institutions; community readiness model
Hrčak ID:
321226
URI
Publication date:
6.10.2024.
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