becoming an older volunteer a grounded theory study成为一个老志愿者扎根理论研究.pdfVIP

Hindawi Publishing Corporation Nursing Research and Practice Volume 2011, Article ID 361250, 8 pages doi:10.1155/2011/361250 Research Article Becoming an Older Volunteer: A Grounded Theory Study Janet Witucki Brown,1 Shu-li Chen,2 Linda Mefford,1 Allie Brown,1 Bonnie Callen,1 and Polly McArthur1 1 Knoxville College of Nursing, The University of Tennessee, 1200 Volunteer Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37996-4180, USA 2 Caylor School of Nursing, Lincoln Memorial University, 6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway, Harrogate, TN 37752, USA Correspondence should be addressed to Janet Witucki Brown, jwitucki@ Received 21 September 2010; Revised 27 November 2010; Accepted 2 December 2010 Academic Editor: Alan Pearson Copyright © 2011 Janet Witucki Brown et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This Grounded Theory study describes the process by which older persons “become” volunteers. Forty interviews of older persons who volunteered for Habitat for Humanity were subjected to secondary content analysis to uncover the process of “becoming” a volunteer. “Helping out” (core category) for older volunteers occurs within the context of “continuity”, “commitment” and “connection” which provide motivation for volunteering. When a need arises, older volunteers “help out” physically and financially as health and resources permit. Benefits described as “blessings” of volunteering become motivators for future volunteering. Findings suggest that older volunteering is a developmental process and learned behavior which should be fostered in older persons by personally inviting them to volunteer. Inter