Staff experience of a Canadian long-term care home during a COVID-19 outbreak: a qualitative study

Hung, Lillian; Yang, Sophie; Guo, Ellen; Sakamoto, Mariko; Mann, Jim; Dunn, Sheila; Horne, Neil

doi:10.1186/s12912-022-00823-3

Cited by 27 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Despite the enormous burden of distress and potentially traumatic events experienced by HCWs in LTC homes, some studies (Blanco-Donoso et al, 2021; Dohmen et al, 2022) highlighted the positive feelings experienced by HCWs including a sense of duty and commitment to care and gratification and fulfillment working during the crisis and how their work contributed to the greater good of society. For instance, participants reported feelings of pride, satisfaction in helping others (Hung et al, 2022) and professional fulfillment in providing care to residents during the pandemic. HCWs who had more social support at work experienced higher levels of professional satisfaction despite the demanding work conditions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Healthcare Workers in Long-Term Care during COVID-19: A Scoping Review

et al. 2022

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Background: Although healthcare workers (HCWs) in long-term care (LTC) have experienced significant emotional and psychological distress throughout the pandemic, little is known about their unique experiences. Objective: This scoping review synthesizes existing research on the experiences of HCWs in LTC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, data published between March 2020 to June 2022, were extracted from six databases. Results: Among 3808 articles screened, 40 articles were included in the final analysis. Analyses revealed three interrelated themes: carrying the load (moral distress); building pressure and burning out (emotional exhaustion); and working through it (a sense of duty to care). Conclusion: Given the impacts of the pandemic on both HCW wellbeing and patient care, every effort must be made to address the LTC workforce crisis and evaluate best practices for supporting HCWs experiencing mental health concerns during and post-COVID-19.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Healthcare Workers in Long-Term Care during COVID-19: A Scoping Review

et al. 2022

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“…22 Other studies have also highlighted the psychological toll of the pandemic on staff, including increased work-related stress, fear of infection, and fear of transmission to family and friends. 23 , 24 , 25 Despite these outcomes, not all staff who reported serious effect of COVID-19 also reported the need for additional support. This may indicate staff hesitancy to ask for support when needed; in offering interventions to support workers, it may be necessary to overcome this perception.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Group Home Staff Experiences With Work and Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic in Massachusetts

et al. 2023

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ImportanceDirect reports of the experiences of staff working in group homes for people with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or intellectual or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) are rarely reported. Hearing from workers about their experiences in the COVID-19 pandemic may inform future workforce and public policy.ObjectiveTo gather baseline data on worker experience with the perceived effects of COVID-19 on health and work in the pandemic prior to initiating an intervention to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to measure differences in worker experience by gender, race, ethnicity, education, and resident population served (persons with SMI and/or IDD/DD).Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis mixed-mode, cross-sectional survey study was conducted using online then paper-based self-administration from May to September 2021 at the end of the first year of the pandemic. Staff working in 415 group homes that provided care within 6 Massachusetts organizations serving adults aged 18 years or older with SMI and/or ID/DD were surveyed. The eligible survey population included a census of staff who were currently employed in participating group homes during the study period. A total of 1468 staff completed or partially completed surveys. The overall survey response rate was 44% (range by organization, 20% to 52%).Main Outcomes and MeasuresSelf-reported experiential outcomes were measured in work, health, and vaccine completion. Bivariate and multivariate analyses explore experiences by gender, race, ethnicity, education, trust in experts and employers, and population served.ResultsThe study population included 1468 group home staff (864 [58.9%] women; 818 [55.7%] non-Hispanic Black; 98 [6.7%] Hispanic or Latino). A total of 331 (22.5%) group home staff members reported very serious perceived effects on health; 438 (29.8%) reported very serious perceived effects on mental health; 471 (32.1%) reported very serious perceived effects on health of family and friends; and 414 reported very serious perceived effects (28.2%) on access to health services, with statistically significant differences observed by race and ethnicity. Vaccine acceptance was higher among persons with higher educational attainment and trust in scientific expertise and lower among persons who self-reported as Black or Hispanic/Latino. A total of 392 (26.7%) respondents reported needing support for health needs, and 290 (19.8%) respondents reported needing support for loneliness or isolation.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this survey study, approximately one-third of group home workers reported serious personal health and access to health care barriers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts. Addressing unmet health needs and access to health and mental health services, including inequities and disparities by race, ethnicity, and education, should benefit staff health and safety, as well as that of the individuals with disabilities who rely on them for support and care.

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“…Additionally, the current situation around COVID-19 may have accelerated the presence of conditions for establishing workplace learning, because the pandemic was seen as an urgent, exceptional situation. For example, Hung and colleagues showed that there was a sense of increased solidarity between nursing staff to provide the best, safest care possible while also looking out for one another [ 37 ]. They also reported an increased level of teamwork as crucial to the nurses’ success.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to establish workplace learning in long-term care: results from a World Café dialogue

et al. 2022

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Background As long-term care continues to change, the traditional way of learning for work purposes is no longer sufficient. Long-term care organisations need to become ‘learning organisations’ and facilitate workplace learning for nursing staff teams. Therefore, insight is needed into what conditions are important for establishing workplace learning. The aim and objective of this article is to gain insight into necessary individual, team and organisational conditions for nursing staff to enhance workplace learning in long-term care settings. Methods This study is a qualitative explorative study. A World Café method was used to host group dialogues in which participants (n = 42) discussed certain questions. Group dialogues were held for the nursing home and community care setting separately due to organisational differences. Nursing staff, experts in workplace learning, educational staff, client representatives and experts in the field of work and organisation in healthcare organisations were invited to a Dutch long-term care organisation to discuss questions of interest. Data were analysed using theme-based content analysis. Results Overall themes concerning individual, team and organisational conditions for workplace learning included: facilitating characteristics (e.g. to be given time and room for [team] development); behavioural characteristics (e.g. an open attitude); context and culture (e.g. feeling safe); cooperation and communication (e.g. giving/receiving feedback); and knowledge and skills (e.g. acquiring knowledge from each other). No major differences were found between settings. Conclusions By assessing the themes at the individual, team and organisational level regarding nursing staff, the current workplace learning situation, and its possible improvements, can be detected.

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Staff experience of a Canadian long-term care home during a COVID-19 outbreak: a qualitative study

Cited by 27 publications

References 25 publications

Experiences of Healthcare Workers in Long-Term Care during COVID-19: A Scoping Review

Experiences of Healthcare Workers in Long-Term Care during COVID-19: A Scoping Review

Group Home Staff Experiences With Work and Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic in Massachusetts

How to establish workplace learning in long-term care: results from a World Café dialogue

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