Should I Stay or Should I Go

Forty-one hospice palliative care volunteers (from 6 community- and 3 hospital-based programs) participated in informal group discussions regarding (1) what aspects of their work provide them with the most (and least) satisfaction; (2) why they continue to volunteer; and (3) why they might stop. In 5 of the 9 programs, volunteers said that feeling appreciated by the patients/families they support gave them great satisfaction. Boundary issues and/or role ambiguities were among the least satisfying aspects of their work, mentioned by volunteers in 4 programs. Volunteers in all 9 programs mentioned that they continue to volunteer because it makes a difference/helps others/meets a need in other people's lives. Among the reasons given for potentially stopping volunteering were a family crisis, burnout, old age, and other commitments.