What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis study
Abstract Background Organized volunteer initiatives can reduce response times and improve outcomes in emergencies such as cardiac arrests or fires. Retention of volunteers is important to maintain good coverage and capabilities. The current study explores factors underlying volunteers’ motivation to...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-023-01101-0 |
| _version_ | 1797451719486996480 |
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| author | Erik Prytz Petter Norrblom Sofie Pilemalm Tobias Andersson Granberg Carl-Oscar Jonson |
| author_facet | Erik Prytz Petter Norrblom Sofie Pilemalm Tobias Andersson Granberg Carl-Oscar Jonson |
| author_sort | Erik Prytz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Organized volunteer initiatives can reduce response times and improve outcomes in emergencies such as cardiac arrests or fires. Retention of volunteers is important to maintain good coverage and capabilities. The current study explores factors underlying volunteers’ motivation to continue as volunteers. Methods Data from 5347 active volunteers were collected through an online survey. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify underlying factors that were then used in a regression analysis to predict intention to continue as a volunteer. Group differences based on, among others, number of alarms and prior professional experience in emergency response were explored. Results The results showed that the factors community, self-image, and competence were the strongest positive predictors for the motivation to continue, whereas alarm fatigue and negative experience were the strongest negative predictors. Volunteers with professional background had higher competence and lower Alarm fatigue. Volunteers from rural areas and small cities had higher community than those in large cities. Conclusions Alarm fatigue can make it hard to retain volunteers, which could be addressed using improved dispatch algorithms. Support after dispatch is important to prevent negative experiences. Finally, increased competence, e.g. through education and training, can improve volunteer’s motivation to continue. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:58:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e3701c441bec438f99249b91a17df67e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1757-7241 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:58:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-e3701c441bec438f99249b91a17df67e2023-11-26T14:03:54ZengBMCScandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine1757-72412023-08-013111810.1186/s13049-023-01101-0What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis studyErik Prytz0Petter Norrblom1Sofie Pilemalm2Tobias Andersson Granberg3Carl-Oscar Jonson4Department of Computer and Information Science, Linköping UniversityDepartment of Computer and Information Science, Linköping UniversityDepartment of Science and Technology, Linköping UniversityDepartment of Science and Technology, Linköping UniversityCenter for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping UniversityAbstract Background Organized volunteer initiatives can reduce response times and improve outcomes in emergencies such as cardiac arrests or fires. Retention of volunteers is important to maintain good coverage and capabilities. The current study explores factors underlying volunteers’ motivation to continue as volunteers. Methods Data from 5347 active volunteers were collected through an online survey. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify underlying factors that were then used in a regression analysis to predict intention to continue as a volunteer. Group differences based on, among others, number of alarms and prior professional experience in emergency response were explored. Results The results showed that the factors community, self-image, and competence were the strongest positive predictors for the motivation to continue, whereas alarm fatigue and negative experience were the strongest negative predictors. Volunteers with professional background had higher competence and lower Alarm fatigue. Volunteers from rural areas and small cities had higher community than those in large cities. Conclusions Alarm fatigue can make it hard to retain volunteers, which could be addressed using improved dispatch algorithms. Support after dispatch is important to prevent negative experiences. Finally, increased competence, e.g. through education and training, can improve volunteer’s motivation to continue.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-023-01101-0VolunteersMotivationCardiac arrestEmergency response |
| spellingShingle | Erik Prytz Petter Norrblom Sofie Pilemalm Tobias Andersson Granberg Carl-Oscar Jonson What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis study Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine Volunteers Motivation Cardiac arrest Emergency response |
| title | What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis study |
| title_full | What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis study |
| title_fullStr | What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis study |
| title_full_unstemmed | What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis study |
| title_short | What motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers? A survey-based factor analysis study |
| title_sort | what motivates and demotivates emergency response volunteers a survey based factor analysis study |
| topic | Volunteers Motivation Cardiac arrest Emergency response |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-023-01101-0 |
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