Smith Chelsea B, Wong Karen Lok Yi, Dunn Sheila, Gregorio Mario, Wong Lily, Huynh Polly, Hung Lillian
Innovation in Dementia and Aging (IDEA) Lab, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Community Engagement Advisory Network, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H5, Canada.
Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Dec 29;13(1):40. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13010040.
: Canada's long-term care (LTC) sector is struggling with a significant staffing crisis related to shortages, high-turnover rate, and challenging working conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues and emphasized the need for improved mental health support for LTC staff. Understanding and addressing the wellbeing of staff is important for ensuring quality of care and promoting a positive work environment for a healthy workforce. This study explored staff experiences in Canadian LTC homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers staff-driven recommendations to support staff mental health and retention moving forward. : We applied the Collaborative Action Research (CAR) methodology to explore practical strategies with LTC staff to inform actions for change. Sixteen staff members working in two large urban Canadian LTC homes were interviewed using remote videoconferencing and phone calls to conduct one-on-one interviews. Thematic analysis was performed. : Our analysis identified four themes: depletion, lack of support, providing resources and sense of community. The SUPPORT framework was created based on staff recommendations to improve LTC staff mental health and retention. : Urgent attention is needed to support the LTC workforce through practice change and improved policy. The implementation of comprehensive frameworks such as SUPPORT can play a pivotal role in fostering staff resilience, enhancing job satisfaction, and promoting a healthy workforce for aged care.
加拿大的长期护理（LTC）部门正面临严重的人员配置危机，包括人员短缺、高离职率和具有挑战性的工作条件。新冠疫情加剧了这些问题，并凸显了为长期护理工作人员提供更好心理健康支持的必要性。了解并解决工作人员的福祉问题对于确保护理质量和营造健康劳动力的积极工作环境至关重要。本研究探讨了新冠疫情期间加拿大长期护理机构工作人员的经历，并提出了由工作人员主导的建议，以支持工作人员的心理健康并促进其留任。我们采用合作行动研究（CAR）方法，与长期护理工作人员共同探索切实可行的策略，为变革行动提供参考。通过远程视频会议和电话对加拿大两个大型城市长期护理机构的16名工作人员进行了一对一访谈，并进行了主题分析。我们的分析确定了四个主题：精力耗尽、缺乏支持、提供资源和社区感。基于工作人员的建议创建了SUPPORT框架，以改善长期护理工作人员的心理健康并促进其留任。需要通过实践变革和完善政策，对长期护理劳动力给予紧急关注。实施诸如SUPPORT这样的综合框架，对于增强工作人员的适应力、提高工作满意度以及促进老年护理的健康劳动力队伍建设可发挥关键作用。
