Appraisal of knowledge of the pupils attending schools in Krakow about a hospice and volunteering

Abstract

APPRAISAL OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE PUPILS ATTENDING SCHOOLS IN KRAKOW ABOUT A HOSPICE AND VOLUNTEERING

Introduction. Hospice is a place where people who cannot be treated by contemporary medicine  are staying. It offers different actions which are directed towards bio-psycho-social sphere as well as spiritual sphere of a patient and which aim is to improve quality of ill person’s life and also the life of his/her family. People with interdisciplinary education take care of the patients; but among professional medical staff, volunteers play very important role in hospices.
Everyone who is above 13 and is willing to devote their time, work, their skills, interest, and heart voluntarily to people who are waiting for help, and in case of hospice to people who are near death, can become a volunteer.

Aim. Learning how much the pupils attending the schools in Krakow know about a hospice and volunteering.

Material and methods. The research was carried out in a sample of a hundred pupils of the schools in Krakow. The method of diagnostic survey was used applying a 21-question questionnaire developed by the author of this thesis. Working on the outcome, Excel table was used in which “N” stands for the number of respondents and the result is shown as a percentage.

Results. More than 50% (N=50) of the respondents have neither thought nor talked about volunteering. One third of the respondents are of the opinion that the hospice care is free of charge. Sixty percent (N=60) of the respondents think that the palliative care that covers the comprehensive care of the sick people in the final days of their lives can be defined as thorough nursing care of a dying man.. Ninety-five percent (N=95) of the respondents try to be nice, smiling and compassionate when they are with the sick. According to the respondent youngsters, they have learnt about volunteering at school, while mass media has been the source of knowledge about the hospice care. Forty-eight percent (N=48) of the respondents are of the opinion that a volunteer should be physically and mentally mature to help the others.

Conclusions. Preponderance of the pupils who participated in the survey learnt about the hospice care from mass media and about volunteering at school. Most of them think that the hospice care is free of charge, and perceive the sick as lonely. Starting his/her work, a volunteer should be trained, and should be physically and mentally mature.