No abstract

Among police officers, high frequency and the need for medical treatment of injuries is associated with an increased risk of adverse mental health. High frequency of injuries may also increase alcohol consumption among police officers.

Purpose: this study examined the associations between increased alcohol consumption and work-related violence among police officers. Data consisted of a representative sample of Finnish police officers (N = 1,734), who responded anonymously to a postal questionnaire. Methods: binary logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios and their 95 per cent confidence intervals (CIs) for increased alcohol consumption. Results: 5 per cent of the study group rated that they had increased their alcohol consumption due to violence. The odds ratios of the increase were 6.96 (95 per cent CI = 2.08–23.25) for lack of debriefing, 2.18 (95 per cent CI = 1.26–3.78) for shortage of patrol personnel, and 1.71 (95 per cent CI = 1.11–2.62) for lack of training to handle violent situations. Conclusions: those who lacked debriefing, patrol personnel, and training to handle violent situations all seem to increase their alcohol use due to violence. Increased alcohol consumption may reflect attempts to cope with some intolerable emotions or situations originating from violent encounters in their work.

Kotihoidon organisaatioissa yleistynyt toiminnanohjaus edustaa hoito- ja hoivatyön johtamiselle ominaista medikaalis-manageristista suuntausta, jossa korostuu työn kustannustehokkuus tietojärjestelmiä hyödyntämällä (Wrede & Henriksson 2004; Henriksson & Wrede 2008). Artikkelissani kysyn, mitkä työntekijän taidot korostuvat ajankäyttöä ja kirjaamista yhdenmukaistavassa toiminnanohjauksessa ja miten toiminnanohjaus sopii yhteen hoivan logiikan (Mol 2008) eli asiakkaan tarpeet kokonaisvaltaisesti ja yksilöllisesti huomioivan työntekijäihanteen kanssa. Aineiston analyysi perustui 24 kunnallisen kotihoidon esihenkilön ja heidän työparinaan toimivan palveluohjaajan haastatteluihin. Analysoin vuosina 2010–2011 toteutetut haastattelut laadullisen deduktiivisen sisällönanalyysin metodein. Käytin aineiston sisällönanalyysissä käsitteitä näkyvyys, kontrolli ja vertailtavuus (Bowker & Star 1999). Ne ovat tietoteknisen luokittelujärjestelmän ja johtamisen periaatteita, jotka ohjaavat työntekijöiden työtä toiminnanohjauksessa. Toiminnanohjaus korostaa hoivatyötä teknisenä, kirjallisena ja ajanhallinnallisena taitona, ei niinkään kokonaisvaltaisena ja ruumiillisena taitona. Onkin tärkeää tukea työntekijän mahdollisuuksia arvioida ja sovittaa itse työtään toiminnanohjaukseen, jotta työntekijöiden hoivan logiikan mukaiset taidot säilyvät toiminnanohjauksen määrittämässä työssä. The skills of a good worker in elderly home care regulated by enterprise planning system  Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are widespread in home care organizations and represent medico-managerial management of care work, emphasizing cost-effective organization of care work by using information systems (Wrede & Henriksson 2004; Henriksson & Wrede 2008). Based on a content analysis of interviews with middle managers from two municipal homecare organizations in Finland and their service adviser colleagues, this study examines which worker skills are emphasized in ERP that standardizes the use of time and documentation of care work, and how ERP supports the worker ideal according to a logic of care (Mol 2008). This ideal refers to a worker who takes care of customers’ needs holistically and individually. The analysis uses the concepts of visibility, control, and comparability (Bowker & Star 1999), which are the principles of the classification systems of information infrastructures as well as management, and principles which direct workers’ work in the ERP. ERP emphasizes documenting and time management skills, which partly contradicts holistic worker conduct. ERP also emphasizes technical and written skills of care workers, not so much embodied and situational skills. It is, therefore, important to support workers’ discretion and possibilities to adjust their work to ERP, so that they can retain worker skills consistent with the logic of care while engaging in work determined by ERP.