Effects of a practical training programme on burnout among professional caregivers in a care home for older adults with dementia: a pilot study

Addressing the workforce crisis in (rural) social care: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

This scoping review identifies strategies potentially addressing the 'workforce crisis' in rural social care. The increasing global demand for social care has been coupled with widely recognised challenges in recruiting and retaining sufficient staff to provide this care. While the social care workforce crisis is a global phenomenon, it is particularly acute in rural areas.

METHODS

The review identified 75 papers which (i) had been published since 2017, (ii) were peer reviewed, (iii) concerned social care, (iv) were relevant to rural settings, (v) referenced workforce shortages, and (vi) made recommendations for ways to address those shortages. Thematic synthesis was used to derive three analytical themes with a combined 17 sub-themes applying to recommended strategies and evidence supporting those strategies.

RESULTS

The most common strategies for addressing social care workforce shortages were to improve recruitment and retention ('recruit and retain') processes without materially changing the workforce composition or service models. Further strategies involved 'revitalising' the social care workforce through redeploying existing staff or identifying new sources of labour. A small number of strategies involved 're-thinking' social care service models more fundamentally. Very few papers specifically considered how these strategies might apply to rural contexts, and evidence for the effectiveness of strategies was sparse.

CONCLUSION

The review identifies a significant gap in the literature in relation to workforce innovation and placed-based studies in rural social care systems. It is unlikely that the social care workforce crisis can be addressed through continuing attempts to recruit and retain workers within existing service models.

Online Modules to Alleviate Burnout and Related Symptoms Among Interdisciplinary Staff in Long-Term Care: A Pre-post Feasibility Study

BACKGROUND

The rising trend of providing palliative care to residents in Canadian long-term care facilities places additional demands on care staff, increasing their risk of burnout. Interventions and strategies to alleviate burnout are needed to reduce its impact on quality of patient care and overall functioning of healthcare organizations.

AIM

To examine the feasibility of implementing online modules with the primary goal of determining recruitment and retention rates, completion time and satisfaction with the modules. A secondary goal was to describe changes in burnout and related symptoms associated with completing the modules.

SETTING

This single-arm, nonrandomized feasibility study was conducted in five long-term care sites of a publicly-funded healthcare organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Eligible participants were clinical staff who worked at least 1 day per month.

RESULTS

A total of 103 study participants consented to participate, 31 (30.1%) of whom were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 72 participants, 64 (88.9%) completed the modules and all questionnaires. Most participants completed the modules in an hour (89%) and found them easy to understand (98%), engaging (84%), and useful (89%). Mean scores on burnout and secondary traumatic stress decreased by .9 (95% CI: .1-1.8; d = .3) and 1.4 (95% CI: .4-2.4; d = .4), respectively; mean scores on compassion satisfaction were virtually unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

Modules that teach strategies to reduce burnout among staff in long-term care are feasible to deliver and have the potential to reduce burnout and related symptoms. Randomized controlled trials are needed to assess effectiveness and longer-term impact.

A quasi-experimental mixed-method pilot study to check the efficacy of the "SOUND" active and passive music-based intervention on mental wellbeing and residual cognition of older people with dementia and dementia professionals' burnout: a research protocol

Purpose

The SOUND method offers an innovative blended intervention based on music circle-activities and cognitive stimulation approaches which was co-designed by musicians, health professionals, older people with dementia, family caregivers and researchers, for its application in dementia settings. The purpose of the paper is to describe the detailed procedure of the quasi-experimental pilot study.

Method

The experimental phase of SOUND uses a mixed-method design encompassing qualitative and quantitative observations, cognitive testing, self-report and interviewer-assisted questionnaires to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention for 45 people with dementia and 45 professionals (15 in every study country: Italy, Portugal, Romania).

Results

The pilot study will be the first implementation of the SOUND intervention aiming to investigate the feasibility and preliminary effects of the method.

Conclusion

The novelty of SOUND is its multicomponent method, including the most evidenced features for improving the wellbeing of participants.

The relationship between physical activity and burnout among respiratory therapists in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia

Background/objective

Burnout is a condition in which a person feels physically fatigued and mentally drained. It occurs after a long period of work-related stress and may lead to mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Therefore, healthcare providers especially require early intervention. Regular physical activity has been reported to benefit individuals with mental illness, suggesting that a relationship between physical activity and burnout might exist. Hence, this study's objective was to analyze the relationship between physical activity and burnout among respiratory therapists and student interns in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive study with respiratory therapists and interns working in public and private hospitals was conducted from November 2, 2020, to November 27, 2020. Participants responded to an electronic survey consisting of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel, which measures the burnout dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. They also completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Long Form and a demographic questionnaire.

Results

Among the 250 eligible respiratory therapists and interns, data from the 152 respondents who completed the electronic survey were analyzed. Although no association between physical activity and burnout was found, a significant effect of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on physical activity and significant associations of high burnout (emotional exhaustion) with nationality and smoking were found.

Conclusion

No association was found between burnout level and physical activity. Confounding factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic during the study's data collection and analyses, likely contributed to the study's findings.

Socioeconomic Factors Related to Job Satisfaction among Formal Care Workers in Nursing Homes for Older Dependent Adults

Population ageing is increasing the demand for dependent care. Aged care nursing homes are facilities that provide formal care for dependent older persons. Determining the level of job satisfaction among workers in nursing homes and the associated factors is key to enhancing their well-being and the quality of care. A cross-sectional survey was administered online to nursing home workers (n = 256) in an inland region of Spain over the period from February to May 2017. The questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic variables and others related to training and job satisfaction. The results show that most of the care is delivered by women with a medium level of education. A total of 68% of workers had received formal training, although a significant percentage (65%) thought this was not useful. The highest level of satisfaction was found to be related to users and co-workers. Our factor analysis revealed that the satisfaction components are decision-making, working conditions—e.g., schedule—and the work environment—e.g., relationship with coworkers—. Length of service and working with highly dependent persons are negatively associated with these components. Working in social health care is negatively related to decision-making and working conditions. Training, in contrast, is positively associated with these components. Care is a job that requires appropriate training and preparation to provide quality assistance and to guarantee workers’ well-being.