The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care managers' intention to quit

Abstract

BackgroundThe SARS-CoV-2-pandemic poses major demands for long-term care, which might have impacted the intention to quit the profession among managers of long-term care facilities.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data of an online survey of German long-term care managers from outpatient and inpatient nursing and palliative care facilities surveyed in April 2020 (survey cycle one; n = 532) and between December 2020 and January 2021 (survey cycle two; n = 301).ResultsResults from the multivariate logistic regression analysis, including all variables simultaneously, showed that the pandemic-specific demands [OR = 1.034; CI = 1.011-2.057] and the general demands [OR = 1.023; CI = 1.001-1.045] were significantly associated with the intention to quit the profession. This association was significantly stronger for general demands in survey cycle two compared with survey cycle one. The results highlight the pandemic's immediate impact on long-term care. The interaction term between survey cycle and demands indicated that the association between general demands and the intention to quit the profession significantly rose between survey cycle one and two [OR = 1.036; CI = 1.000-1.072], whereas the association between pandemic specific demands and intention to quit the profession did not significantly vary by survey cycle [OR = 0.975; CI = 0.940-1.012].ConclusionsIn view of the increasing number of people in need of care and the already existing scarcity of specialized nursing staff, the results highlight the need for initiatives to ensure the provision of long-term care, also and especially in such times of crisis.Key messages The intention to quit the profession among German managers of long-term care facilities has significantly increased during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic.During the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic the perceived general demands as well as those directly related to the pandemic have increased significantly.