Does volunteering change attitudes towards people with disabilities? A qualitative study of the experience of orthodox Jewish nursing students

• Published in: Nurse education in practice Vol. 55; p. 103141
• Main Authors: Finkelstein, Adi, Orr, Zvika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2021; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: College Students; Community Relations; COVID-19; Disability studies; Employee attitude; Equal rights; Extracurricular activities; First Generation College Students; Handicapped accessibility; Haredi Jews; Health services; Individual Needs; Jews; Medical education; Mental disorders; Minority Groups; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing education; Nursing Students; Orthodox Jews; Orthodox-religious; People with disabilities; Population; Positive Attitudes; Professional attitudes; Qualitative method; Qualitative research; Religion; Religious orthodoxy; Society; Special Needs Students; Stigma; Student attitudes; Students with disabilities; Technology Education; Volunteering; Volunteers; Israel; Qualitative method; Nursing students; People with disabilities; Volunteering; Orthodox-religious
• ISSN: 1471-5953; 1873-5223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103141

People with disabilities identify negative staff attitudes and behaviors as barriers to accessing health services. Studies show that nursing education activities specific to people with disabilities improves nursing care. This study explores the experience of orthodox Jewish nursing students volunteering with people with disabilities, how their attitudes towards this population changed.
A qualitative design was used. This research is part of an extensive ongoing study of orthodox and ultra-orthodox (Haredi) students volunteering with people with disabilities.
Data from 13 semi-structured interviews, conducted between July and September 2017, with 14 male students (two students chose to be interviewed together) and four people with disabilities were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Volunteering enhanced students' awareness of the needs of people with disabilities, changed their attitude towards this population and enhanced their confidence as nurses. The individuals with disabilities valued the help they received as well as the opportunity to change the students' prior notions and stigmas regarding disability.
Projects such as ours could improve the attitude of nursing staff towards individuals with disabilities and improve nursing care. We recommend involving people with disabilities in designing such projects.
•Student volunteers adopted a more humanistic approach towards disabled individuals.•Volunteering with individuals with disabilities changes nursing students’ perception.•Contact with individuals with disabilities develops qualities required in nursing.•Emotional support for volunteering nursing students should be provided.•Expectations of individuals with disabilities and volunteers should be clarified.