From nuisance to helpful assistants: A qualitative thematic analysis of medical volunteers' experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran

Mohammad Hossein Sadeghian; Fatemeh  Khoshnavay Fomani; Mozhgan Moshtagh; Elham Elahi; Abdolrahman Rostamian; Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh

doi:10.18502/npt.v10i1.12258

Mohammad Hossein Sadeghian Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Fatemeh Khoshnavay Fomani Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mozhgan Moshtagh Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Elham Elahi National Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abdolrahman Rostamian Rheumatology Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh Department of Health in Disasters and Emergency, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/npt.v10i1.12258

Keywords: COVID-19; hospital volunteers; perception; Iran; qualitative research

Abstract

Background & Aim: Volunteers’ perceptions may affect their future decisions to participate in crisis intervention. Few studies in Iran have been conducted to examine the experiences of medical personnel who volunteered during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study describes the experiences of medical volunteers during COVID-19 in Iran.

Methods & Materials: A total 17 healthcare volunteers who worked in COVID-19 hospital wards were recruited using purposive sampling. All participants were recruited in the current study from the hospitals affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences if they expressed their willingness to participate and had at least two months experience of working as healthcare volunteers in COVID-19 wads. In-depth video-call semi-structured interviews were conducted from August to November 2020. The data were analyzed using the qualitative thematic analysis method.

Results: One main theme “from nuisance to helpful assistants” and four sub-themes including the “feeling of inefficiency”, “negligent managing”, “situation orientation”, and “transformation for integrity” emerged from the data.

Conclusion: Despite experiencing challenges, the volunteers and hospital staff tried to change their approaches to joint collaboration by improving their capabilities for situation awareness and creating integrity. These findings provide policymakers with a better understanding of health volunteers' challenges in hospitals during crises.