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Lövenmark A, Hammar LM. Being used for the greater good while fighting on the frontline: care staff's experiences of working with older people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. BMC Geriatr 2024; 24:135. [PMID: 38321402 PMCID: PMC10848549 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04644-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BAKGROUND Worldwide, older people were more severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic than others. In Sweden, those living in residential care facilities had the highest mortality rate, followed by those receiving home care services. The Swedish and international literature on the working environment for assistant nurses and care aides during the pandemic shows an increase in stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress syndromes. Care organisations were badly prepared to prevent the virus from spreading and to protect the staff from stress. In order to be better prepared for possible future pandemics, the health and well-being of the staff, the care of older people and the experiences of the staff both during and after a pandemic are important aspects to take into account. Therefore, this study aims to describe the experiences of assistant nurses and care aides working in the care of older people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, their working conditions and the impact all this had on their lives. METHODOLOGY The study has a qualitative, descriptive design. The data was collected in four focus group interviews with 21 participants and analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS The results revealed the theme, Being used for the greater good while fighting on the frontline, which was then divided into three categories: portrayed as a risk for older people, not being valued and being burnt out. The worsening working conditions that the pandemic contributed to resulted in a high degree of stress and risk of burnout, with staff members both wanting to and actually leaving their employment. After the pandemic they felt forgotten again and left to cope in an even worse situation than before. CONCLUSIONS The pandemic had a major effect on assistant nurses and care aides in terms of their working environment and their private lives. To be better prepared for future pandemics or disasters, organisations with responsibility for the care of older people will need to ensure that their staff have the necessary competencies and that there is adequate staffing in place. This also means that adequate government funding and multiple interventions will be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annica Lövenmark
- The School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden.
| | - Lena Marmstål Hammar
- The School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
- Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- The School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden
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Hammar LM, Alam M, Eklund C, Boström AM, Lövenmark A. Clarity and adaptability of instructions preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its association with individual and organisational factors regarding the psychosocial work environment: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1312. [PMID: 38017458 PMCID: PMC10683104 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10320-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Sweden, older people in residential care had the highest mortality rates, followed by those who received home care, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Staff working in the care of older people assumed responsibility for preventing the spread of the virus despite lacking the prerequisites and training. This study aimed to investigate the psychosocial work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic among staff in the care of older people and examine the factors associated with staff's perceptions of the clarity of instructions and the ability to follow them. METHODS A cross-sectional study design was employed using a web survey. The staff's perceptions of their psychosocial environment were analysed using descriptive statistics. The association between organisational and individual factors, as well as the degree of clarity of the instructions and the staff's ability to follow them, were assessed using multivariate (ordinal) regression analysis. RESULTS The main findings show that perceptions of the clarity and adaptability of the instructions were primarily correlated with organisational factors, as higher responses (positive) for the subscales focusing on role clarity, support and encouragement in leadership at work were associated with the belief that the instructions were clear. Similarly, those indicating high job demands and high individual learning demands were less likely to report that the instructions were clear. Regarding adaptability, high scores for demands on learning and psychological demands were correlated with lower adaptability, while high scores for role clarity, encouraging leadership and social support, were associated with higher adaptability. CONCLUSIONS High job demands and individual learning demands were demonstrated to decrease the staff's understanding and adoption of instructions. These findings are significant on an organisational level since the work environment must be prepared for potential future pandemics to promote quality improvement and generally increase patient safety and staff health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Marmstål Hammar
- School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden.
- Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
- School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
| | - Moudud Alam
- School of Information and Engineering/Statistics, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden
| | - Caroline Eklund
- School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Anne-Marie Boström
- Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Theme Inflammation and Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
- R&D unit, Stockholms Sjukhem, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annica Lövenmark
- School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
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Chen Z, Highfill C. Emotional Stress Experience of Care Professionals for Older Adults with Dementia: A Qualitative Interpretive Meta-synthesis. SOCIAL WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 38:235-247. [PMID: 36166601 DOI: 10.1080/19371918.2022.2128138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Emotional stress is a common problem for many professionals in dementia care. Although a plethora of quantitative studies have examined the factors that affect care professionals' emotional stress, little qualitative research has provided in-depth understanding of professional stress experiences. To magnify the voices of professionals who share their experiences of stress in caring for older adults with dementia, a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis of five qualitative studies was conducted. Guided by Pearlin's stress process model, four themes were identified: (1) emotional attachments to older adults with dementia; (2) difficulties in dementia care; (3) stressful working environment; and (4) conflicts with family members of older adults with dementia. Findings further highlighted that professionals' genuine concern for the well-being of older adults with dementia reinforced the perception of stressors identified in each of the preceding themes. These results could inform the improvements of emotional support for care professionals in practice and policy arenas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhirui Chen
- School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Christine Highfill
- School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
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Maqsood S, Sohail M, Naeem F, Nazri M, Fatima D. Psychosocial safety climate and self-efficacy: Moderating role of job-related expectations in Pakistani private-sector employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1016050. [PMID: 36926534 PMCID: PMC10011180 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1016050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The labor force in Pakistan comprises 59.8 million individuals. The employees have faced major changes in work dynamics and psychosocial safety climate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the current study is to find the relationship between psychosocial safety climate, self-efficacy, and job-related expectations. It explores the moderating role of job-related expectations on the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and self-efficacy. It was hypothesized that there is likely to be a significant relationship between psychosocial safety climate, self-efficacy, and job-related expectations, job-related expectations are likely to moderate the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and self-efficacy, and there are likely to be differences between married and unmarried employees; men and women; satisfied and unsatisfied employees with respect to psychosocial safety, self-efficacy, and job-related expectations. A correlational research design and a convenience sampling strategy were used. A total of 281 employees (M = 30.74 years, SD = 10.99) of the private-sector (including educational, industrial, and IT) organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic were part of the study. Results show that psychosocial safety climate had a positive significant relationship with job-related expectations and self-efficacy. Job expectations also significantly correlated with self-efficacy. There were significant differences in measures of study variables with respect to gender, marital status, and employee satisfaction. This research has implications for administration, managers, policymakers, and organizational psychologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saira Maqsood
- Department of Psychology, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Marva Sohail
- Department of Psychology, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Fatima Naeem
- Department of Psychology, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mohammad Nazri
- Faculty of business and economics, Department of Management, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Deep Fatima
- Department of Psychology, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan
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Relationship Between Dementia Knowledge and Occupational Strain Among Staff of Residential Facilities for Older Adults: A Cross-sectional Survey. AGEING INTERNATIONAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12126-023-09523-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
AbstractWorking with people living with dementia in residential facilities for older adults can be challenging, and this is exacerbated when staff have a limited understanding of dementia. However, the relationship between knowledge of dementia and strain in caring for people with dementia among residential facility staff is unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between dementia knowledge and strain in caring for people with dementia. A questionnaire containing the Dementia Knowledge Assessment and Strain in Dementia Care Scales was administered in 2017 and 2019 to 141 staff in three southern Australian residential facilities for older adults. Bivariate and hierarchical regression analysis examined inter-scale relationships and the power of dementia strain to explain knowledge variance. It was found that staff had substantial gaps in dementia knowledge (mean score 32/50) and low strain in dementia care (mean score 4/16). A positive relationship was found between higher dementia knowledge and greater strain in dementia care (rs = 0.319, p < .001), particularly with feeling that residents are not receiving appropriate care from colleagues (Factor 1 Frustrated Empathy; rs = 0.392, p < .001). Frustrated Empathy explained a significant amount of variance in dementia knowledge beyond demographic variables. The findings suggest that more comprehensive dementia knowledge is associated with higher strain in care of people with dementia, particularly in the context of perceived lapses in the quality of care provided by colleagues. Arguably, organisational-wide dementia education to address identified gaps should be supported by facilitating staff enaction of their knowledge to improve care.
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Carnemolla P, Taylor P, Gringart E, Adams C. Indicators of job quality in the Australian aged care workforce: A scoping review. Australas J Ageing 2021; 41:e94-e102. [PMID: 34964242 DOI: 10.1111/ajag.13030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE As governments grapple with ageing populations, there is a need to understand more about the aged care workforce and how it is managed. METHODS We undertook a scoping review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Scopus and PubMed were used to identify papers published between 2010 and 2020. We mapped the breadth and scale of the evidence base according to the QuInnE indicators of job quality. RESULTS Out of 642 titles and abstracts that were screened, 122 were selected. Outcomes were measured across a range of domains, including wages, employment quality, education and training, working conditions, work/life balance and consultative participation and collective representation. These were distributed unevenly, revealing evidence gaps. CONCLUSIONS We identified significant knowledge gaps regarding Australia's aged care workforce at a time when the sector is coming under fresh scrutiny and projections indicate that it will face critical labour shortfalls going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillippa Carnemolla
- Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Philip Taylor
- Federation Business School, Federation University Australia, Churchill, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eyal Gringart
- School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Claire Adams
- School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Shrestha S, Alharbi RJ, Wells Y, While C, Rahman MA. Caring self-efficacy of direct care workers in residential aged care settings: A mixed methods scoping review. Geriatr Nurs 2021; 42:1429-1445. [PMID: 34649101 DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The caring self-efficacy of direct care workers in residential aged care has been explored in the literature mostly as a predictor rather than the focus of interest. This scoping review aimed to provide an overview of the existing literature on aged care workers' caring self-efficacy and factors that influence it. A systematic search was performed in six electronic databases. All primary studies were included. A total of 41 studies met the inclusion criteria. Caring self-efficacy was most often described by aged care workers as their capacity to deal with difficult situations. The self-efficacy scores of direct care workers were high across studies. Self-efficacy was positively influenced by access to resources, relationships with residents and their families, the support of supervisors and co-workers, job satisfaction, and training opportunities, and negatively affected by work pressure and burnout. Findings indicate possible avenues for intervention to improve direct care workers' self-efficacy in aged care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumina Shrestha
- Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
| | - Rayan Jm Alharbi
- Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Yvonne Wells
- Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Christine While
- Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Muhammad Aziz Rahman
- Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia; School of Health, Federation University Australia, Berwick, Victoria, Australia; Department of Non-communicable Diseases, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences (BUHS), Dhaka, Bangladesh; Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
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Urashima S, Greiner C, Ryuno H, Yamaguchi Y. Factors affecting the quality of dementia care at acute care hospitals: A cross-sectional study. J Clin Nurs 2021; 31:2198-2207. [PMID: 34490678 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.16036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AIM AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate which factors are associated with the quality of dementia care in acute care hospitals. BACKGROUND The number of people with dementia who are admitted to acute care hospitals is increasing. Improving the quality of dementia care in acute care hospitals is an important issue. Prior studies have demonstrated that not only knowledge and nursing experience, but also psychological factors and the nursing practice environment are related to high-quality care on general wards. DESIGN Cross-sectional hypothesis-testing design. METHODS Participants were nurses providing care to people with dementia at acute care hospitals. Questionnaires were distributed to 300 acute care hospitals in Japan, 10 copies each and 773 valid responses were received. Based on the hypothesis model, variables were tested using multiple regression analysis. The model described the relationship between quality of care, personal attributes and the nursing practice environment. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist was used. RESULTS Almost 90% of the study sample was female, the mean age was 37.4 ± 9.3 years, and the mean nursing experience was 14.0 ± 8.7 years. The results showed that nursing foundations for quality of care, staffing and resource adequacy, specialist consultation, promoting systematic recreation and exchange, knowledge, and feelings towards people with dementia were associated with the quality of dementia care in acute care hospitals. The adjusted coefficient of determination was 0.367. CONCLUSION This study identified factors associated with the quality of dementia care in acute care hospitals. Knowledge and feelings towards people with dementia are important, and the nursing practice environment plays an important role in improving the quality of dementia care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Not only improving nurse's practical ability but also a supportive nursing practice environment enhances the quality of dementia care in acute care hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Urashima
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka Suma-ku, Kobe-City, Japan
| | - Chieko Greiner
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka Suma-ku, Kobe-City, Japan
| | - Hirochika Ryuno
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka Suma-ku, Kobe-City, Japan
| | - Yuko Yamaguchi
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka Suma-ku, Kobe-City, Japan
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Quality of care in Hunan Province nursing homes: relationship to staffing and organizational climate. Geriatr Nurs 2021; 42:427-432. [PMID: 33684627 DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Our objective was to examine the quality of care perceived by nursing staff and its relationship with the staffing and organizational climate in nursing homes. The participants in this cross-sectional study included 358 nursing staff from 26 nursing homes in Hunan Province, China. This study found that the interaction effect between nursing staff to resident ratio and physician to resident ratio exerted a significant effect on quality of care (p < 0.05). Higher scores on the relationships and communication scale (OR = 4.771, p = 0.002) and lower scores on the work stress scale (OR = 0.980, p = 0.050) were also associated with better quality of care. More work experience was related to lower quality of care (OR = 0.944, p = 0.048), and work experience was associated with relationships and communication (Beta = 0.172, p = 0.002) and work stress (Beta= = 0.259, p = 0.000). Staffing level, work experience, work stress, relationships and communication are key factors in providing higher quality of care in nursing homes.
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Livingston G, Sommerlad A, Orgeta V, Costafreda SG, Huntley J, Ames D, Ballard C, Banerjee S, Burns A, Cohen-Mansfield J, Cooper C, Fox N, Gitlin LN, Howard R, Kales HC, Larson EB, Ritchie K, Rockwood K, Sampson EL, Samus Q, Schneider LS, Selbæk G, Teri L, Mukadam N. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care. Lancet 2017; 390:2673-2734. [PMID: 28735855 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31363-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3419] [Impact Index Per Article: 488.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gill Livingston
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | | | - Vasiliki Orgeta
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sergi G Costafreda
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Jonathan Huntley
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Department of Old Age Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David Ames
- National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, University of Melbourne, Kew, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Sube Banerjee
- Centre for Dementia Studies, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Alistair Burns
- Centre for Dementia Studies, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jiska Cohen-Mansfield
- Department of Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Heczeg Institute on Aging, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Minerva Center for Interdisciplinary Study of End of Life, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Claudia Cooper
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Nick Fox
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Laura N Gitlin
- Center for Innovative Care in Aging, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Helen C Kales
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; VA Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Eric B Larson
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karen Ritchie
- Inserm, Unit 1061, Neuropsychiatry: Epidemiological and Clinical Research, La Colombière Hospital, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kenneth Rockwood
- Centre for the Health Care of Elderly People, Geriatric Medicine Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Elizabeth L Sampson
- Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Quincy Samus
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bayview, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lon S Schneider
- Department of Neurology and Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioural Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Geir Selbæk
- Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Aging and Health, Vestfold Health Trust, Tønsberg, Norway; Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Old Age Psychiatric Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway
| | - Linda Teri
- Department Psychosocial and Community Health, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Naaheed Mukadam
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
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