Experiences Of Care Workers Research Articles

When hidden politics become visible: Administrative burden experiences of older adults and professionals in home care

AbstractIn the context of constraining services and support within public home care, this contribution analyses how older adults and home care workers experience and navigate administrative burdens. Relying on focus groups, interviews, and a survey conducted in the province of Québec (Canada), we demonstrate that older adults face an increasing number of administrative burdens designed to alter, delay, and restrict access to public services while homecare workers experience a loss of discretion in their practice due to the introduction of administrative requirements with dubious purposes. As such, administrative burdens play a vital role in the hidden politics of the welfare state and contribute to foster cynicism and a loss of faith in essential public services.

Ambiguities in Preventing Infections in Nursing Homes: Care Workers Experiences and Implications for Future Policies

ABSTRACT Preventing infections in nursing homes is highly challenging, given the ambiguous nature of nursing homes as care institutions and places to live. Yet, little is known about how care workers experience preventing infections in this context. Understanding the ambiguities experienced by care workers in nursing homes when enacting infection prevention is crucial to preparing for future health crises. This study investigates and identifies the ambiguities care workers faced and experienced when preventing infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews and observations were combined to capture narratives and behaviors related to infection prevention and care work. By using thematic analysis, three types of ambiguity were identified: (a) an Ambiguous sense of purpose, (b) Environmental ambiguity, and (c) Information ambiguity. The findings provide a nuanced understanding of the ambiguities care workers face and experience in nursing homes when preventing infections and indicate that such ambiguities impact their behaviors and attitudes. From this study, it is possible to conclude that policymakers must consider nursing homes’ ambiguous characteristics in infection prevention programs.

Australian health care workers experience of PPE related side-effects. A cross-sectional survey.

Protection of health care workers (HCWs) is a fundamental aspect of an effective pandemic response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, frequency, and duration of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use increased. The experience of PPE-related side-effects has potential to contribute to decreased compliance resulting in breaches in infection prevention and increasing risk of HCW exposure. This study aims were to measure the frequency of PPE-related side-effects amongst HCW in Australia, and to establish if an increased frequency of adverse reactions was related to the significant increase in use and extended duration of time spent in PPE. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was used. Of the 559 respondents the majority were female (83.7%), aged 31-45 years old (33.6%). A pre-existing skin condition was reported by 266 (47.6%). Frequency of PPE related side-effects were: pressure-related 401 (71.7%), skin 321 (57.4%) and respiratory 20 (3.6%). Surgical mask use was significantly associated with pre-exiting skin conditions (β = 1.494 (SE 0.186), df (1), p < 0.001). Side effects to N95 respirator use was more commonly reported by staff working in COVID-19 high-risk areas (β = 0.572 (SE 0.211), df (1), p = 0.007) independent of work duration (β = -0.056 (SE 0.075), df (1), p = 0.456), and pre-existing skin conditions (β = 1.272, (SE.198), df (1), p < 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a significant increase in the use of PPE. While the preventative benefits of PPE are significant, adverse events related to PPE use are frequently reported by HCW. Findings in this study highlight the need for innovation in PPE design to maximize protection while decreasing adverse effects and maintaining adhere to use.

Factors Impacting Retention of Aged Care Workers: A Systematic Review.

Retention of care support workers in residential aged care facilities and home-based, domiciliary aged care is a global challenge, with rapid turnover, low job satisfaction, and poorly defined career pathways. A mixed-methods systematic review of the workforce literature was conducted to understand the factors that attract and retain care staff across the aged care workforce. The search yielded 49 studies. Three studies tested education and training interventions with the aim of boosting workforce retention and the remaining 46 studies explored opinions and experiences of care workers in 20 quantitative, four mixed-methods and 22 qualitative studies. A range of factors impacted retention of aged care staff. Two broad themes emerged from the analysis: individual and organisational factors facilitating retention. Individual factors related to personal satisfaction with the role, positive relationships with other staff, families, and residents, and a cooperative workplace culture. Organisational factors included opportunities for on-the-job training and career development, appropriate wages, policies to prevent workplace injuries, and job stability. Understaffing was often cited as a factor associated with turnover, together with heavy workloads, stress, and low job satisfaction. With global concerns about the safety and quality of aged care services, this study presents the data associated with best practice for retaining aged care workers.

Teaching and learning the art of nursing through aged care work experience

To explore how working as an undergraduate Assistant in Nursing, in an aged care setting, contributed to the preparation of novice nurses for new graduate practice. The art of nursing, while not clearly defined reflects behaviors and actions that embody the values of nursing. The aged care setting is underutilized as a clinical learning environment but can potentially teach novice nurses the importance of human relationships and connectedness that underpin the art of nursing. This paper reports on the qualitative phase of a broader study. Semistructured interviews were used to collect narrative data. Narrative analysis was undertaken to construct meaning from stories shared by participants. The COREQ checklist was used as the reporting framework for the study. The aged care setting was found to be a valuable learning environment for novice nurses. Two primary narratives are presented: aged care as a learning environment, which describes barriers and supportive learning factors within the aged care setting; and learning the complexities of nursing care, which illustrates the significance of caring interactions and the practice of holistic care. The value of aged care work experience is in developing humanistic skills such as the importance of social interaction. These are paramount to providing care and building therapeutic relationships.

Managers' perceptions of masculinity and racialization in Swedish nursing homes

AbstractNursing homes for older people are an integral part in most postindustrial welfare states. The strong formalization and regulation of the Swedish care sector have contributed to a comparatively large share of frontline workers being native‐born Swedish women with a shorter educational background. Yet, an aging population in interplay with increased difficulties to recruit sufficient numbers of native‐born care workers has led to Sweden following an internationally observed trend with an increased reliance on not only migrant women but also migrant men as care workers in residential care facilities. However, little is known about migrant men's experiences of care work and the challenges and obstacles they might face because of their gender and skin color, not least when it comes to experiences of being exposed to gendered racism from the residents. The study builds on interviews with 21 managers employed at Swedish elder care facilities in the Stockholm area. The results suggest that both Black women and men to a greater extent than other ethnic minority workers risk being exposed to racism. At the same time, the results suggest that Black men, due to their gender and skin color, constitute the group of staff that most of all risks encountering racism in the everyday life of caregiving. Taken together, this points to the need of highlighting how stereotypes of gender and race as well as gendered racism are given and gain meaning in elder care. This points to the importance of not considering “migrant care workers” an undifferentiated category of workers when working on creating nondiscriminatory and inclusive working conditions for all visibly racialized care workers.

Health and social care workers experiences of coping while working in the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic: One year on.

The unprecedented pressure of working on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic had a demonstrable impact on the mental health and wellbeing of health and social care workers in the early stages of the pandemic, however, less research has focused on workers' experiences over the longer course of the pandemic. We set out to develop an explanatory model of the processes that helped and hindered the coping of HSCWs working over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Twenty HSCWs based in the UK took part in the study. They completed semi-structured interviews 12-18 months after the peak of the first wave in the UK. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using grounded theory methodology. The analysis identified eleven theoretical codes: personal context, organisational resources, organisational response, management, colleagues, decision-making and responsibilities, internal impacts, external impactors, safety, barriers to accessing support and temporal factors. The findings suggest that factors related to the individual themselves, their personal context, the organisation they work in, their managers, the support structures around them and their sense of safety impacted on HSCWs; ability to cope. Some factors changed over time throughout the first year of the pandemic, such as workload and staff illness, which further impacted HSCWs' coping. There were many barriers to accessing support that also impacted coping, including availability, awareness and time. The relationship between the factors that impacted coping are represented in an explanatory model. The findings extend previous studies on the mental health impact on frontline HSCWs working during Covid-19, providing novel insight by developing an explanatory model illustrating the underlying factors that impacted their coping experiences over the course of the pandemic in the UK. The findings from this study may assist in the development of improved and more effective support for HSCWs going forwards.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in nursing homes - the experience of care workers in Poland.

Background: Nursing homes in Poland are the most common formal care institutions for dependent people. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nursing homes had particularly high infection rates. In this context, it is important to ask about the experiences of the care workers working in these institutions. Methods: This research was conducted using the computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) technique in five provinces in Poland. The field research was carried out in April 2021. The research sample included, among others, nurses, care workers, therapists, social workers and the management staff of institutions whose representatives worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were asked to assess the care provided to residents. Results: It turned out that the vast majority of respondents positively assessed the fulfillment of the basic living needs of residents and the availability of care. The assessment of the organization of residents' leisure time, the fulfillment of their religious and cultural needs, and the issue of maintaining contacts with the social environment was less satisfactory. The article also describes the results of care institution employees' self-assessment of their mental health. For the majority, the most stressful factor was the need to work in a health-threatening environment and the sense of responsibility for the residents. Regarding the availability of the forms of support offered to workers experiencing deteriorating mental health due to working in the pandemic situation, more than a third said that their institution did not offer any form of assistance. Conclusions: The article lists a number of recommendations. In the light of the data obtained, it is necessary to increase the intensity of services provided to residents of nursing homes in terms of organizing their free time, meeting their religious and cultural needs and maintaining contact with the social environment.

요양보호사 인권 침해 경험 연구

The purpose of this study is to examine the actual situation of the human rights violation experience of care workers by the service target and their families and to improve understanding of contextual and environmental situations. For this study, quantitative and qualitative data were used. For quantitative data, a sample of 506 care workers was extracted from long-term-care facilities in Incheon, and for qualitative data, interviews with 14 care workers were used. This study used quantitative data to examine whether there are differences in social recognition satisfaction, Perception of Professionalism, and Turnover Intention among caregivers according to the presence or absence of human rights violations. For this purpose, the differences between groups were analyzed by using cross-analysis and t-test. In addition, We also used interview data to cover more in-depth stories that could not be explored in quantitative analysis results.As a result of the study, the care worker’s experience of human rights violations was associated with a low perception of professionalism and job satisfaction. Also, it was positively associated with turnover intention. In addition, it seems that the human rights violations of care workers are caused by a combination of low social recognition, service target’s functional problems, and non-fulfillment of their care needs. These findings suggest that it is necessary to prevent the workers from violence and make a coping method according to the problem situation. Additionally, it is required to offer job training to acquire high-quality nursing skills, as well as education for target subjects and their families.

La place de la religion/spiritualité dans la reconstruction du sens du travail de soin : le cas des infirmiers algériens

IntroductionAs part of an academic research, we are interested in how do Algerian nurses deal with their care work experience and its impacts on their relationship with patients through the study of the mechanisms mobilized by these professionals. Method and resultsWe have conducted semi-structured interviews that revealed reasons for job dissatisfaction related to working conditions, relationship conflicts, therapeutic failure, patient death and lack of recognition. Job satisfaction was linked to the success of the therapy and to the satisfaction/recognition of the patient and his “prayers”; thus, for caregivers the satisfaction of the patient and his “prayers” allowed them to get closer to the divine, a kind of “a divine rapprochement/benefit”, “a protection for them and their family”, they argued thus by insisting on the role of the patient and caring in the Muslim religion. DiscussionAccording to the religious texts discussed, the patient is given a “sacred status” since he or she is closed to God. When experiencing patients suffering, or even their distress, these professionals will transpose the sacred into the act of care taking and bind themselves to a higher power to deal with this painful experience, death and finitude. The meaning found through religion/spirituality would thus allow caregivers to find a psychological appeasement and stability and to face existential questions related to their work. ConclusionDealing with existential distress, “religious/spiritual” responses, which originate in the social imagination, allow caregivers to transcend the painful reality, the absurdity and incoherence of daily life and “find meaning”, which is assimilated by several authors to “sublimation”.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in nursing homes - the experience of care workers in Poland.

Background: Nursing homes in Poland are the most common formal care institutions for dependent people. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nursing homes had particularly high infection rates. In this context, it is important to ask about the experiences of the care workers working in these institutions. Methods: This research was conducted using the computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) technique in five provinces in Poland. The field research was carried out in April 2021. The research sample included, among others, nurses, care workers, therapists, social workers and the management staff of institutions whose representatives worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were asked to assess the care provided to residents. Results: It turned out that the vast majority of respondents positively assessed the fulfillment of the basic living needs of residents and the availability of care. The assessment of the organization of residents' leisure time, the fulfillment of their religious and cultural needs, and the issue of maintaining contacts with the social environment was less satisfactory. The article also describes the results of care institution employees' self-assessment of their mental health. For the majority, the most stressful factor was the need to work in a health-threatening environment and the sense of responsibility for the residents. Regarding the availability of the forms of support offered to workers experiencing deteriorating mental health due to working in the pandemic situation, more than a third said that their institution did not offer any form of assistance. Conclusions: The article lists a number of recommendations. In the light of the data obtained, it is necessary to increase the intensity of services provided to residents of nursing homes in terms of organizing their free time, meeting their religious and cultural needs and maintaining contact with the social environment.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in nursing homes – the experience of care workers in Poland

Background: Nursing homes in Poland are the most common formal care institutions for dependent people. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nursing homes had particularly high infection rates. In this context, it is important to ask about the experiences of the care workers working in these institutions. Methods: This research was conducted using the computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) technique in five provinces in Poland. The field research was carried out in April 2021. The research sample included, among others, nurses, care workers, therapists, social workers and the management staff of institutions whose representatives worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were asked to assess the care provided to residents. Results: It turned out that the vast majority of respondents positively assessed the fulfillment of the basic living needs of residents and the availability of care. The assessment of the organization of residents' leisure time, the fulfillment of their religious and cultural needs, and the issue of maintaining contacts with the social environment was less satisfactory. The article also describes the results of care institution employees' self-assessment of their mental health. For the majority, the most stressful factor was the need to work in a health-threatening environment and the sense of responsibility for the residents. Regarding the availability of the forms of support offered to workers experiencing deteriorating mental health due to working in the pandemic situation, more than a third said that their institution did not offer any form of assistance. Conclusions: The article lists a number of recommendations. In the light of the data obtained, it is necessary to increase the intensity of services provided to residents of nursing homes in terms of organizing their free time, meeting their religious and cultural needs and maintaining contact with the social environment.

The costs of care: An ethnography of care work in residential homes for older people.

The cost of social care, the work conditions experienced by care workers and the quality of care provided by residential homes for older people are all linked, yet we know very little about how this relationship works in practice. Drawing upon an ethnography of two differently priced residential care homes for older people in Southern England, I examine the implications of different financial regimes for care-giving practices. I show how the scheduling and allocation of resources-conveyed, for example, in formal routines and staffing levels-structure the care workers' time, tasks and activities in each setting. This acts to symbolically demarcate what, or who, is valued. I argue that the availability of resources facilitates and impedes the symbolic culture of care work, shapes care workers' ability to afford dignity to the individuals in their care and affects how care workers experience, and relate to, their labour. I conclude by discussing how current practices of funding and pricing social care have effects seeping beyond the practical and measurable, and into the realm of the symbolic.

Affording managed opportunities for independence to build looked-after young people’s resilience: perceptions and experiences of care workers

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the contribution of what the authors have termed, “managed opportunities for independence” (MOI) in building the resilience of young people in care.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a qualitative, grounded theory methodology. Nine child and youth care workers were purposively sampled from various child and youth and care centres in South Africa.FindingsFindings indicate that MOI contribute to the development of resilience of young people in care.Originality/valueCare-leaving literature recognizes that too much protection does not adequately prepare young people for independent living. There is also increasing attention to the resilience processes that enable care-leavers to thrive during the transition from care to independent living. However, there is limited empirical research that looks at how in-care programmes develop young people’s resilience. In addition, very little is said about what it means for child and youth care practice. This study’s focus on the contribution of “managed opportunities for independence” in building the resilience of young people in care provides a foundation for understanding the care-leaving process better.

Exploring vaccine hesitancy in care home employees in North West England: a qualitative study

ObjectivesCare homes have experienced a high number of COVID-19 outbreaks, and it is therefore important for care home employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, there is high vaccine hesitancy...

Client Violence Experience of Care Workers and Their Attitudes toward Older People

요양보호사는 업무 특성상 돌봄 노인과 물리적으로 밀접한 거리에서 장시간 돌봄서비스를 제공하게 된다. 이러한 과정에서 돌봄 노인으로부터 공격적이고 폭력적인 대우를 받는 상황에 맞닥뜨리게 될 가능성이 크다. 요양보호사가 경험한 클라이언트의 폭력 경험은 요양보호사의 노인에 대한 태도에 영향을 미칠 수 있는데, 이를 살펴보기 위하여 274명의 요양보호사를 대상으로 클라이언트 폭력 경험과 노인에 대한 태도를 묻는 온라인/오프라인 설문조사를 실시하였다. 자료 분석 결과, 요양보호사의 클라이언트 폭력 경험은 노인에 대한 태도에 영향을 미치는 것으로 드러났으며, 구체적으로 폭력 경험을 많이 했던 자일수록 ‘노인에 대한 편견’이 더 심하게 나타났고, ‘노인에 대한 배제’도 더 심했다. 이러한 결과에 따라 클라이언트 폭력에 대한 효과적인 대응 전략이 필요함을 강조하였고, 이를 예방하기 위해 노인시설에서 노화에 따른 질병 특성 관련 교육이나 클라이언트 폭력 발생 시 요양보호사 대처를 위한 매뉴얼 마련의 필요성을 제언하였다.

The Spanish home care workers between job vulnerability and happiness in times of crisis

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the well-being experience of home care workers regardless of the service management model. It also aims to analyze their emotional experiences of their activity and working conditions.Design/methodology/approachThis study, using a mixed qualitative and quantitative analysis, allows a combined analysis for a better understanding of the well-being experience of home care workers.FindingsHome care workers experience intrinsic job satisfaction and demonstrate this with positive emotions regardless of their work situation.Practical implicationsCaring for the carer should be a business value. Measures oriented toward workers’ comfort generate greater happiness and commitment, which is automatically transferred to the quality of the care provided and reduces the psychosocial risks of their professional activity.Social implicationsVisualizing the social reality of an essential profession through research generates verifiable evidence that will help to improve the working conditions of home care workers in Spain.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this pioneering study in Spain introduces a greater understanding of how home care workers in Spain experience their work reality.

Understanding and addressing Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in residential care in Northern Ireland using a qualitative case study design: The residential social care worker perspective

BackgroundChildren in state care are one of the most vulnerable group of young people for sexual exploitation in today's society, with those in residential care being particularly vulnerable. The links between being in residential care and sexual exploitation are well recognised but are not well understood. ObjectiveThis exploratory qualitative case study aimed to reflect the perspective of residential social care workers in Northern Ireland regarding the challenge of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in residential care and to identify strategies to protect these children. Participants and settingSix semi-structured interviews were conducted with residential social care workers, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. MethodsData was analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-step methodology for reflexive thematic analysis. ResultsSix themes were identified: (i) risk; (ii) reasons to engage/agency; (iii) vulnerability; (iv) identifying child sexual exploitation; (v) responding to child sexual exploitation; (vi) the residential social care workers experience. ConclusionThe findings indicate that sexual exploitation is a common concern amongst residential social care workers in Northern Ireland but that they often feel unable to successfully intervene. Further, current safeguarding procedures may require significant revision as a result of the internet generally and social media in particular increasing predatory access to children in residential care. The study highlights an urgent need for easier access to psychological support for children in residential care, outreach support services, and more clinical psychological input for residential social care workers. Purposely assembled support teams for children in residential care may be necessary.

Health care workers experiences in emergency obstetric care following implementation of an in-service training program: case of 2 Referral Hospitals in Botswana

Background: Maternal mortality rate remains a challenge in many developing countries.&#x0D; Objectives: This study explored experiences of Health Care Workers on Emergency Obstetrics Care (EMOC) in-service training and its effect on maternal mortality.&#x0D; Methods: Descriptive qualitative study design was conducted using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Par- ticipants were EMOC trained midwives and doctors purposively selected from the 2 referral hospitals in the country. Data were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analysed using Grounded Theory approach.&#x0D; Results: Four themes emerged including training, EMOC implementation, maternal death factors and EMOC prioritisation. The duration of training was viewed inadequate but responsiveness to and confidence in managing obstetric emergencies improved post EMOC training. Staff shortage, HCWs non-adherence and negative attitude to EMOC guidelines; delays in instituting interventions, inadequate community involvement, minimal or no health talk to women and their partners and communities on sexual reproductive matters and non-prioritisation of EMOC by authorities were concerns raised.&#x0D; Conclusion: Strengthening health education at health facility levels, stakeholders’ involvement; and prioritising EMOC in-service training are necessary in reducing the national maternal mortality.&#x0D; Keywords: Maternal mortality; health care workers; EMOC, in-service training.

Health care workers experiences in emergency obstetric care following implementation of an in-service training program: case of 2 Referral Hospitals in Botswana.

Maternal mortality rate remains a challenge in many developing countries. This study explored experiences of Health Care Workers on Emergency Obstetrics Care (EMOC) in-service training and its effect on maternal mortality. Descriptive qualitative study design was conducted using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Participants were EMOC trained midwives and doctors purposively selected from the 2 referral hospitals in the country. Data were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analysed using Grounded Theory approach. Four themes emerged including training, EMOC implementation, maternal death factors and EMOC prioritisation. The duration of training was viewed inadequate but responsiveness to and confidence in managing obstetric emergencies improved post EMOC training. Staff shortage, HCWs non-adherence and negative attitude to EMOC guidelines; delays in instituting interventions, inadequate community involvement, minimal or no health talk to women and their partners and communities on sexual reproductive matters and non-prioritisation of EMOC by authorities were concerns raised. Strengthening health education at health facility levels, stakeholders' involvement; and prioritising EMOC in-service training are necessary in reducing the national maternal mortality.