Sustainable employability of long-term care staff in self-managing teams: A qualitative study.

AIM: To discover what long-term care (LTC) staff working in self-managing teams consider necessary to remain sustainably employable. DESIGN: Qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. METHODS: In 2020, semi-structured interviews were conducted one-on-one with 25 LTC workers from a medium-large Dutch organization providing long-term care. All interviews were audio-recorded, anonymously transcribed verbatim and analysed with thematic content analysis in the software program Atlas.ti. RESULTS: LTC workers indicated a need for autonomy. They wanted their control and involvement in decisions to be strengthened. Furthermore, LTC workers indicated a need for relatedness, by experiencing support, a feeling of togetherness and more time to have attention for the residents. Lastly, LTC workers expressed a need for (assistance in) further developing their competence. CONCLUSION: In order to remain willing and able to work, LTC workers in self-managing teams want their needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence to be addressed. Working conditions are important to these LTC workers' sustainable employability since they can hinder or promote the satisfaction of their needs. IMPLICATIONS: It is important that management in LTC is aware of the importance of LTC workers' needs for sustainable employability. We recommend that management critically reflect on and invest in addressing these needs by enhancing indicators and limiting inhibitors of the needs. IMPACT: A robust LTC workforce is necessary to provide care to the aging population. In the context of the increasing implementation of self-managing teams in LTC organizations, understanding what workers in self-managing teams need in order to remain sustainably employable is crucial. For sustainable employability (i.e. to remain willing and able to work), interviewees indicated a need for autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Nearly all participants stressed the importance of belonging and feeling connected. Working conditions seemed to relate not only directly to the sustainable employability of LTC staff but also indirectly through their lack of contribution to the satisfaction of workers' psychological needs. The outcomes of this study primarily impact workers and management within LTC organizations with self-managing teams. They benefit from recognizing the significance of addressing workers' needs to ensure their essential and sustainable employability in the sector. REPORTING METHOD: The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research and the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative (COREQ) research were used. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Two LTC workers provided advice and feedback regarding the materials and set up of the interviews. These two ambassadors additionally helped in reaching our population, by disseminating information about the study.

Effectiveness of Team and Organisational Level Workplace Interventions Aimed at Improving Sustainable Employability of Aged Care Staff: A Systematic Review.

Purpose The sustainable employability of healthcare professionals in aged care is under pressure, but research into the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving employees' sustainable employability is scarce. This review therefore aimed to investigate the effectiveness of workplace interventions on sustainable employability of healthcare professionals in aged care. Methods A systematic literature search was performed. Studies were included when reporting about the effect of an intervention at work in an aged care setting on outcomes related to one of the three components of sustainable employability (i.e. workability, vitality, employability). The methodological quality of each study was assessed and a rating system was used to determine the level of evidence. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was performed, accounting for the match between the intervention's focus and the targeted component of sustainable employability. Results Current review includes 32 interventions published between 1996 and 2019. Interventions covered learning and improving skills, changing the workplace, and exercising or resting. The initial analysis showed a strong level of evidence for employability and insufficient evidence for workability and vitality. The sensitivity analysis revealed strong evidence for the effectiveness of interventions addressing either employability or workability, and insufficient evidence for vitality. Conclusions Evidence for workplace interventions on sustainable employability of healthcare professionals in aged care differed. We found strong evidence for effects of workplace interventions on employability and for those directly targeting workability. Evidence for effects of interventions on vitality was insufficient. The alignment of the interventions to the targeted component of sustainable employability is important for effectiveness.

A team level participatory approach aimed at improving sustainable employability of long-term care workers: a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Staff currently working in long-term care experience several difficulties. Shortage of staff and poor working conditions are amongst the most prominent, which pose a threat to staff's sustainable employability. To improve their sustainable employability it is important to create working conditions that fulfil workers' basic psychological need for autonomy, relatedness and competence in line with Self-Determination Theory. Since many long-term care organisations work with self-managing teams, challenges exist at team level. Therefore, there is a need to implement an intervention aimed at maintaining and improving the sustainable employability of staff on team level. METHODS: We developed a participatory workplace intervention, the Healthy Working Approach. In this intervention teams will uncover what problems they face related to autonomy, relatedness and competence in their team, come up with solutions for those problems and evaluate the effects of these solutions. We will evaluate this intervention by means of a two-arm randomized controlled trial with a follow-up of one year. One arm includes the intervention group and one includes the waitlist control group, each consisting of about 100 participants. The primary outcome is need for recovery as proxy for sustainable employability. Intervention effects will be analysed by linear mixed model analyses. A process evaluation with key figures will provide insight into barriers and facilitators of the intervention implementation. The Ethical Committee Social Sciences of the Radboud University approved the study. DISCUSSION: This study will provide insight in both the effectiveness, and the barriers/facilitators of the implementation process of the Healthy Working Approach. The approach is co-created with long-term care workers, focuses on team-specific challenges, and is rooted in the evidence-based participatory workplace approach and Self-Determination Theory. First results are expected in 2022. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register, NL9627 . Registered 29 July 2021 - Retrospectively registered.

Nursing home care for people with dementia: Update of the design of the Living Arrangements for people with Dementia (LAD)-study.

AIM: The aim of the current study is to describe the extended design of the Living Arrangements for people with Dementia (LAD)-study. BACKGROUND: The demand for long-term care in care homes increases with the growing number of people with dementia. However, quality of care in care homes needs improvement. It is important to monitor quality of care in care homes for the purposes of conducting scientific research, providing input for policy, and promoting practice improvement. DESIGN: The Living Arrangements for people with Dementia -study monitors changes in - quality of - care in care homes since 2008. With its extended design, the Living Arrangements for people with Dementia -study now also focuses on additional topics that are considered to improve quality of care: implementation of person-centred care, involvement of family carers and volunteers and reducing psychotropic drugs and physical restraints using a multidisciplinary approach. METHODS: The data collection of the Living Arrangements for people with Dementia -study entails an interview with the manager and questionnaires are completed by care staff, family carers, volunteers, and multidisciplinary team members. This study is partly funded by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, grant number 323,088 and partly funded by the participating care homes. DISCUSSION: Results of the Living Arrangements for people with Dementia -study will shed more light on variables related to quality of care in care homes for people with dementia. IMPACT: Based on the obtained information, appropriate efforts to improve quality of care can be discussed and implemented. Furthermore, the results of this study guide policy making, because it expands knowledge about the effects of changing policies and exposes topics that need further attention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable. This article does not report the results of a healthcare intervention on human participants.