Hospice volunteer turnover: a measure of quality assurance in the utilization of volunteers.

Abstract

Descriptive data on volunteer turnover were collected from inactive volunteersat afull hospiceprogram in the Midwest. Twenty-four inactive volunteers (85 percent female, mean age45.25) responded to a checklist of reasons for volunteer turnover developedfrom literature on volunteer turnover. Reasons were coded according to two categories: administratively uncontrollable and controllable. Frequency distributions and percentages were tabulatedfor the data. Volunteers reported 46 reasons that were coded administratively uncontrollable (74.3 percent) and 16 reasons that were potentially controllable (25.7percent). Fifteen volunteers (62.5percent) considered themselves temporarily inactive with plans to return to active service. The use of turnover data in the evaluation of the volunteerprogram is discussed.