Negotiating the volunteer role: a qualitative study of older volunteers’ experiences in woodland conservation

This paper explores the exchange relationship between older conservation volunteers (aged over 50 years) and paid group organisers. Using qualitative interview data from seventeen adult volunteers and four organisers recruited from three conservation groups in the North West of England we argue that the psychological contract is important for understanding how organisations can manage and retain volunteers. Our findings highlight the importance of the psychological contract between volunteers and the group organiser, with each party recognising the mutual benefits they bring to the relationship. Participants’ accounts revealed that they chose to take on the often physically challenging conservation work because the natural environment was important to them, but also because there was no obligation for them to attend. Thus, being a conservation volunteer allowed them to retain control over their voluntary time commitment and avoid the pressures of responsibility associated with having people depending upon them. At the micro-level, organisers appreciated the expectations and abilities of individual volunteers, managing and adjusting their own practices accordingly to encourage volunteer retention. We consider the implications of our research in terms of both volunteer and psychological contract theory and discuss the potential implications for organisations in terms of managing and retaining older volunteers

Silence as an element of care:A meta-ethnographic review of professional caregivers’ experience in clinical and pastoral settings

Background: In interactions between professional caregivers, patients and family members at the end of life, silence often becomes more prevalent. Silence is acknowledged as integral to interpersonal communication and compassionate care but is also noted as a complex and ambiguous phenomenon. This review seeks interdisciplinary experience to deepen understanding of qualities of silence as an element of care. Aim: To search for published papers which describe professional caregivers’ experience of silence as an element of care, in palliative and other clinical, spiritual and pastoral care settings and to synthesise their findings. Design: Meta-ethnography: employing a systematic search strategy and line-of-argument synthesis. Data sources: PsycINFO and seven other cross-disciplinary databases, supplemented by hand-search, review of reference lists and citation tracking. No date range was imposed. Inclusion criteria focused on reported experience of silence in professional caregiving. Selected papers (n = 18) were appraised; none were rejected on grounds of quality. Results: International, interdisciplinary research and opinion endorses the value of silence in clinical care. As a multi-functional element of interpersonal relationships, silence operates in partnership with speech to support therapeutic communication. As a caregiving practice, silence is perceived as particularly relevant in spiritual and existential dimensions of care when words may fail. Conclusion: Experience of silence as an element of care was found in palliative and spiritual care, psychotherapy and counselling supporting existing recognition of the value of silence as a skill and practice. Because silence can present challenges for caregivers, greater understanding may offer benefits for clinical practice

Caregiver experiences, attitudes and perceptions about feeding toddlers and preschool children in Switzerland: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Young children depend upon caregivers to make healthy food and beverage choices on their behalf. Research to understand caregiver perspectives may help develop interventions to improve diets and offer new insights for healthcare professionals and future nutrition studies. The main study aim was to explore caregiver feeding experiences, with a focus on portion sizes and attitudes towards beverages, for the first time in Switzerland, and contribute to the European perspective in this field. METHODS: Inductive, qualitative study with purposive sampling of 19 male and female caregivers (low-high income, 20–46y) of children (1–5y) using in-depth interviews. The model, “Food Choice Process over the Life Course”, was used as a theoretical framework. Full transcripts underwent a thematic analysis. Key themes were developed from the data. RESULTS: Key themes were a) Rules and routines b) Tacit knowledge c) Explicit knowledge d) Managing. Rules about foods and beverages to encourage/limit were widespread. Participants struggled to explain how they portioned foods but offered volume-estimates of beverages portions. Perceptions about health effects of beverages influenced choices. Managing time and budget influenced purchases and meal preparation. There was good agreement with the theoretical framework. CONCLUSIONS: Rules and routines reflected anti-obesity recommendations and food-choice values. Perceived health effects of certain beverages, cultural classifications of snacking and the influence of income and time highlight multi-level determinants influencing dietary choices about feeding young children. Health-care professionals may wish to consider these emergent themes when advising on early-childhood feeding. Future studies are required to understand more about the attitudes and perceptions of beverages in the diets of toddlers and preschooler, along with perceptions related to snacking behaviours

Viewing patient need through professional writings: a systematic 'ethnographic' review of palliative care professionals' experiences of caring for people with cancer. at the end of life.

Aim: A systematic review of palliative care professionals' written accounts of caring for people with cancer who are knowingly facing death; in order to provide another source of evidence on patients' needs. Methods: Systematic review methodology was utilised to locate published 'reflective narratives' (not original research) written by palliative care professionals from a variety of disciplines and institutional settings, which focused on the experiences of caring for patients with cancer as they approached their death. The search strategy yielded 2224 texts which were reduced to a dataset of 202 after the application of the inclusion/exclusion criteria. A quantitative analysis was conducted on the full data set and a qualitative analysis was performed on a selected sub-sample. Main results: Professionals identify a wide range of needs of people with cancer at the end of life. They write particularly forcefully about: patient autonomy; choice and control; access to information; and full participation in decision-making about patient care. However, closer examination of the texts demonstrates that professionals may also have fixed expectations about: management of patients' emotion; over emphasise choice and control; lack recognition of power in the patient–professional relationship; and tend to homogenise patient needs. Conclusions: The research raises questions about professionals' interpretation of patient needs and suggests that the care received by people with advanced cancer is still firmly framed within biomedical culture and the social organisation of medicine, which struggle to acknowledge individual autonomy and meet the diversity of individual end-of-life needs

Narrative research methods in palliative care contexts : two case studies.

Narrative methods have played a minor role in research with dying patients to date, and deserve to be more widely understood. This article illustrates the utility and value of these methods through the narrative analysis of semi-structured interview data gathered in a series of interviews with two terminally ill cancer patients and their spouses. The methods and findings associated with these two case studies are outlined and discussed. The authors' contention is that an analytical focus on the naturalistic storytelling of patients and informal carers can throw new light on individuals' perceived illness states and symptoms, care-related needs, behaviors, and desires. In addition, the juxtaposition of two cases that share a number of markers of risk and need at the end of life illustrates how the narrative analysis of patients' experiential accounts can assist in uncovering important distinctions between cases that are of relevance to care management

Sandplay, clay and sticks:multi-sensory research methods to explore the long-term influence of childhood play experience on mental well-being.

In this contribution we discuss the advantages of using multi-sensory methodologies in our study into the long-term mental health effects of different kinds of childhood play space. Working with a small group of young people aged 16-21 years old; we used a multi-method approach including practical workshops where the young people took part in a day of woodland activities and artwork sessions. We argue that use of such practical methodologies is particularly appropriate in research with teenagers and young adults, helping to overcome their self-consciousness and supporting their need to explore and articulate memories, feelings and ideas