Department of Gerontology, The Center for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
The Graduate School, Gordon College of Education, Haifa, Israel.
J Nurs Manag. 2019 Apr;27(3):575-583. doi: 10.1111/jonm.12713. Epub 2018 Oct 18.
This study described and analyzed how older residents, professional nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) perceive the meaning and content of the job carried out by UAP in nursing homes (NHs), as a basis for job analysis.
Increasing numbers of NH beds and financial restraints have led UAP to become a significant part of the long-term care service system, yet in numerous contexts, the UAP job remains misunderstood and underexplored.
The research employed a qualitative phenomenological methodology. Data were collected from 50 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 18 UAP, 15 certified nurses and 17 older NH residents.
We identified six content dimensions in the participants' descriptions regarding the meanings of the roles and duties of the UAP: (a) care for the physical environment, (b) bodily-physical care, (c) psycho-social interpersonal care, (d) professional hierarchy and boundaries, (e) UAP personal traits and (f) UAP skills, or the need for training and professional education.
Future job definition and formal regulation of UAP should place more focus on the personal characteristics of UAP, as a prerequisite to enter the job.
The study takes a step forward toward better defining the professional boundaries delineating the meaning of the UAP position.
本研究描述和分析了养老院中的老年居民、专业护士和无执照助理人员（UAP）如何理解和感知 UAP 所从事工作的意义和内容，以此作为工作分析的基础。
养老院床位数量的增加和资金限制导致 UAP 成为长期护理服务系统的重要组成部分，但在许多情况下，UAP 的工作仍然被误解和未充分探索。
本研究采用了定性现象学方法。数据来自对 18 名 UAP、15 名注册护士和 17 名养老院老年居民的 50 次半结构化深度访谈。
我们从参与者对 UAP 角色和职责的描述中确定了六个内容维度：（a）照顾物理环境，（b）身体物理护理，（c）心理社会人际护理，（d）专业等级和界限，（e）UAP 个人特质和（f）UAP 技能，或培训和专业教育的需求。
未来对 UAP 的工作定义和正式规范应更加关注 UAP 的个人特征，作为进入该工作的先决条件。
该研究朝着更好地界定 UAP 职位的专业界限以明确其意义迈出了一步。
