Syed I, Daly T, Armstrong P, Lowndes R, Chadoin M, Naidoo V
York University Department of Health Policy and Health Equity, Toronto, Canada.
York University Department of Sociology, Toronto, Canada.
J Nurs Home Res Sci. 2016 Jan 1;2(1):41-49.
According to the Canadian Health Care Association (1), there are 2,577 long-term care ("LTC") facilities across Canada, with the largest proportion (33.4%) located in Ontario. Most studies focus on residents' health, with less attention paid to the health and safety experiences of staff. Given that the work performed in Ontario LTC facilities is very gendered, increasingly racialized, task-oriented, and with strict divisions of labour, this paper explores in what ways some of these factors impact workers' experiences of health and safety.
The study objectives included the following research question: How are work hierarchies and task orientation experienced by staff?
This paper draws on data from rapid team-based ethnographies of the shifting division of labour in LTC due to use of informal carers in six non-profit LTC facilities located in Toronto, Ontario.
Our method involved conducting observations and key informant interviews (N=167) with registered nurses, registered practical nurses, personal support workers, dietary aides, recreation therapists, families, privately paid companions, students, and volunteers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed. For observations, researchers were paired and covered shifts between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., as well as into the late night over six days, at each of the six sites. Detailed ethnographic field notes were written during and immediately following observational fieldwork.
Our results indicate that employee stress is linked to the experiences of care work hierarchies, task orientation, and strict divisions of labour between and among various staff designations.
Findings from this project confirm and extend current research that demonstrates there are challenging working conditions in LTC, which can result in occupational health and safety problems, as well as stress for individual workers.
根据加拿大医疗保健协会（1）的数据，加拿大共有2577家长期护理（“LTC”）机构，其中最大比例（33.4%）位于安大略省。大多数研究关注居民的健康，而对工作人员的健康和安全体验关注较少。鉴于安大略省长期护理机构的工作具有很强的性别特征、种族化程度日益提高、以任务为导向且劳动分工严格，本文探讨了这些因素在哪些方面影响工人的健康和安全体验。
研究目的包括以下研究问题：工作人员如何体验工作等级制度和任务导向？
本文借鉴了对安大略省多伦多市六家非营利性长期护理机构因使用非正式护理人员而导致的劳动分工变化进行的基于团队的快速人种志研究数据。
我们的方法包括对注册护士、注册实用护士、个人支持工作者、饮食助理、娱乐治疗师、家属、私人付费陪伴者、学生和志愿者进行观察和关键信息访谈（N = 167）。访谈进行了录音，逐字转录，并进行了主题分析。对于观察，研究人员两两配对，在六个地点的每一个地点，在早上7点到晚上11点之间以及持续六天的深夜进行轮班观察。在观察性实地工作期间和之后立即撰写详细的人种志实地笔记。
我们的结果表明，员工压力与护理工作等级制度、任务导向以及不同工作人员之间严格的劳动分工体验有关。
该项目的研究结果证实并扩展了当前的研究，即长期护理机构存在具有挑战性的工作条件，这可能导致职业健康和安全问题以及个体工人的压力。
