Background and aims:
Return to work is often a priority goal of recovery after stroke, particularly those in the working-age group. Studies reported that survivors consistently encountered difficulties in regaining their work ability after stroke given their various degrees of physical and cognitive challenges, thus limiting their success in securing and sustaining their jobs. Inclusive volunteering has been suggested as a steppingstone for people with physical disabilities to gradually adapt to the work environment. This pilot study explored the experiences of undergraduate students and stroke survivors on an inclusive volunteering programme designed to improve the work ability of younger adults with stroke.

Methods:
A qualitative study was conducted. A convenience sample of eight undergraduate students and two stroke survivors were recruited from a university and an acute hospital respectively. The students and the stroke survivors collaborated in conducting a 6-week hybrid inclusive volunteering programme aimed at promoting psychological wellbeing of people with stroke. Grounded by Bandura’s principles of self-efficacy, the programme included six weekly sessions facilitated by a registered nurse and organised in terms of planning, rehearsing, conducting, and evaluating. Two sessions were dedicated to concerts attended by peer stroke survivors, with volunteers and participants singing songs of their own choices, sharing feelings derived from the lyrics, and discussions on strategies to better prepare for returning to work. In-depth individual semi-structured interviews were conducted after the programme. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

Results:
The undergraduate students and stroke survivors had a mean age of 19.38 (SD=5.18) and 56 (SD=2.83) respectively. The survivors had a mean of 9 (SD=1.41) months after stroke. Six peer survivors joined the concerts. Generally, the data of the undergraduate students and stroke survivors were consistent. Three themes were identified: Mutually beneficial experience, challenges encountered, and areas for improvement. Overall, the students had no prior inclusive volunteering experience. Distinct from sole servicing activities, they found the programme valuable in allowing for more mutual understanding of health needs through close collaboration, improving their communications skills, and being deeply impressed by the survivors’ perseverance in recovery. The experience made them reflect upon the need to cherish what they currently had and their role as undergraduate students in caring for others. The two survivors had no prior volunteering experience and regarded it meaningful in being able to help their peers and feeling energetic working with young people. Common challenges included poor audio functions and unfamiliarity with use of the virtual communication platform, interrupting the delivery of the sessions. Areas for improvement included technical support, more pragmatic strategies helpful for returning to work, and more experience sharing by peers on return-to-work journeys.

Conclusions:
The results informed the refinement of the inclusive volunteering programme and a large-scale randomised controlled trial will be conducted to evaluate the programme effects on young stroke survivors’ work ability. We expect that the programme will establish a new experiential learning model for undergraduate students to support vocational rehabilitation after stroke.

Keywords: Stroke, inclusive volunteering, undergraduate students.