Miller Vivian J, Anderson Keith, Fields Noelle L, Kusmaul Nancy
Department of Human Services, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA.
School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
J Gerontol Soc Work. 2022 May-Jun;65(4):450-464. doi: 10.1080/01634372.2021.1978027. Epub 2021 Sep 12.
Nursing home social workers are on the frontlines during COVID-19 responding to individual resident needs, the needs of staff, and larger health needs of the nursing home. However, it is unclear whether nursing home social workers feel adequately trained and prepared in responding to disasters, such as COVID-19. To explore this, we used a study cross-sectional survey distributed via social media focusing on 1) prior training on disaster preparedness, 2) any content social workers wish had been a part of their education, and 3) suggestions for educators/academics to serve social workers on the frontlines. Data in this study are based on a sample of 63 (N=63) nursing home social workers. Demographic data were analyzed using SPSS and qualitative data were analyzed using the RaDar (rigorous and accelerated data reduction) technique. Findings revealed that most social workers had little to no training in disaster preparedness, and shared areas of future education initiatives. Participants also shared the need for bridging the research to practice gap through open access articles and support from academics. Findings from the present study reveal areas social work programs can expand gerontology-focused course offerings. Additionally, developments promoting practitioner support from academics is worth consideration.
在新冠疫情期间，养老院社会工作者处于应对居民个体需求、员工需求以及养老院整体健康需求的前线。然而，目前尚不清楚养老院社会工作者在应对诸如新冠疫情这样的灾难时，是否觉得自己接受了足够的培训并做好了准备。为了探究这一问题，我们通过社交媒体开展了一项横断面研究调查，重点关注：1）以往的灾难准备培训；2）社会工作者希望纳入其教育内容的任何方面；3）对教育工作者/学者为前线社会工作者提供服务的建议。本研究的数据基于63名养老院社会工作者的样本（N = 63）。使用SPSS分析人口统计学数据，使用RaDar（严格加速数据缩减）技术分析定性数据。研究结果显示，大多数社会工作者在灾难准备方面几乎没有接受过培训，并分享了未来教育举措的领域。参与者还表示需要通过开放获取的文章以及学者的支持来弥合研究与实践之间的差距。本研究的结果揭示了社会工作项目可以在哪些领域扩展以老年学为重点的课程设置。此外，促进学者对从业者支持的发展值得考虑。
