The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the relationship between organizational climate and job satisfaction was examined to determine if they are redundant constructs. Second, the validity of aggregate scores on the organizational climate scale was tested. Paula Jorde-Bloom’s Early Childhood Work Environment Survey (ECWES) was sent to child care workers in Virginia to assess their perceptions of the organizational climate of their centers. An aggregate center score was derived by taking a mean of all the respondents from a particular center. The Early Childhood Job Satisfaction Survey (ECJSS) was used to assess workers’ feelings of satisfaction with their jobs. Results of correlations and factor analysis indicated that the two scales do represent distinct constructs. Results of T-tests, analysis of variance, and correlations provided partial support for acceptance of the validity of aggregate scores on the ECWES. Directions for future research included replicating the study with a larger sample size and more respondents per center, attempting to validate aggregate scores on the ECWES with existing objective rating scales, examining the relationships between center attributes and climate dimensions, and between these attributes and turnover. Implications for practice include ways child care center directors can enhance the climate of their centers. For example, directors should examine their supervisory behavior to see if they are being supportive of their staff and fostering group decision-making. / Master of Science

Darbo tikslas. Įvertinti Lietuvos sveikatos priežiūros įstaigų darbuotojų požiūrį į vakcinaciją. Metodika. Kad įvertinti Lietuvos sveikatos priežiūros įstaigų darbuotojų požiūrį į vakcinaciją, buvo atliktas paplitimo tyrimas. Buvo apklausta 1693 respondentai, dirbantys asmens sveikatos priežiūros įstaigose. Duomenys apdoroti SPSS (13) kompiuterine programa. Analizei taikytas Pearson‘o χ2 testas ir statistiniam išvadų tikrinimui pasirinktas reikšmingumo lygmuo 0,05. Rezultatai. Anketinė apklausa parodė, kad Lietuvos sveikatos priežiūros įstaigų darbuotojai teigiamai žiūri į vakcinaciją. Nors skiepijasi 54,8% bendrosios praktikos gydytojų, 55,9% terapeutų ir kitų specialistų bei 51,6% slaugytojų, visgi jie nurodė, kad vakcina žymiai efektyvesnė ir mažiau kainuoja nei kitos medicininės paslaugos – 67,0% bendrosios praktikos gydytojų, 69,1% terapeutų ir kitų specialistų bei 60,3% slaugytojų ir kad skiepai duoda žymiai daugiau naudos nei žalos (84,9% bendrosios praktikos gydytojų, 87,5% terapeutų ir kitų specialistų bei 71,7% slaugytojų). Iš dažniausiai nurodytų nesiskiepijimo priežasčių, dauguma respondentų nurodė, kad nesiskiepija nuo gripo dėl to, kad saugosi nuo gripo stiprindami sveikatą (19,3% bendrosios praktikos gydytojų, 18,9% terapeutų ir kitų specialistų bei 15,8% slaugytojų), niekada gripu neserga (20,0% bendrosios praktikos gydytojų, 17,0% terapeutų ir kitų specialistų bei 15,2% slaugytojų), įgyjamas natūralus imunitetas (22,2% bendrosios praktikos gydytojų, 8,0%... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Objective: To determine the Lithuanian health care institutions workers opinion about vaccination. Methods: In order to determine the Lithuanian health care institutions workers opinion about vaccination spread research was performed. Were polled 1693 respondents working in health care institutions. The data was analysed using SPSS computer program. There was used Pearson Chi-Square test and to check statistical reliability was choose the difference statistically insignificant 0,05. Results: Questionnaire date shows positive Lithuanian health care institutions workers opinion about vaccination. Even though only 54,8% of common practice physicians, 55,9% therapeutists and other specialists and 51,6% nurses were vaccinated themselves but they indicated that vaccination is more effective and less expensive than other medical service – 67,0% of common practice physicians, 69,1% therapeutists and other specialists and 60,3% nurses and that vaccination is more useful than harmful (84,9% of common practice physicians, 87,5% therapeutists and other specialists and 71,7% nurses). The major reason why the respondents are against vaccination, especially against influenza virus, is that they strengthen their health to protect themselves against virus (19,3% of common practice physicians, 18,9% therapeutists and other specialists and 15,8% nurses), never have flu (20,0% of common practice physicians, 17,0% therapeutists and other specialists and 15,2% nurses), and acquire natural immunity... [to full text]

The non-profit sector is one that is of great importance as it responds to the needs of society, and hence gives support to various social and economic endeavours. Particularly, residential child care work is a response to the ever increasing number of children who are orphaned, abandoned, neglected and affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic. Residential child care workers provide institutional care to such children. The role of a child care worker is one that is reported to be highly pressured and involves many challenges which have the potential of impacting on the quality of care that is provided by the care giver to the children. In light of the increasing research done on the area of happiness within the workplace which shows that happiness contributes to overall organisational success and helps employees cope with challenges this study explored this construct among residential child care workers; a research area which remains under researched. The aim of the study was to explore the subjective experiences of happiness among residential child care workers using positive psychology as a conceptual framework. The study sought to gain an understanding of the perceptions and experiences of happiness among residential child care workers through Seligman’s (2002) framework of achieving happiness through pleasure, engagement and meaning. The exploration of the subjective experiences of happiness among residential child care workers was done through the use of Fredrickson’s (1998) Broaden and Build Theory. The study used a qualitative research design and residential child care workers were interviewed on their perceptions and experiences of happiness. The findings suggested that, even through the challenges that the residential child care workers faced, there was still an overall sense of happiness that the care givers experienced in relation to their work. This was generally as a result of the nature of their work and their alignment to the overall mission of the children’s home. The findings suggested also that it was through the orientations of pleasure and meaning that the greatest happiness was experienced. This experience of general happiness in their work made the residential child care workers feel as though they could deal with challenges and also contributed positively to their role as child care givers. The findings of the study contribute to the increasing body of knowledge in the area of happiness and the experiences of residential child care workers. The findings can also help managers and directors of children’s homes know which aspects to encourage and cultivate in their employees for the experience of happiness and positive work relations and experiences. This can ultimately contribute positively to overall success of orphanages and children’s homes, and also to the quality of care that is given to children. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Controversy was observed regarding the opinions of nursing managers on the role of patient care workers (PCWs) in private hospitals. These opinions ranged from praise for their contribution towards patient care to serious concerns about the impact of their role on patient safety. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the role of PCWs in private hospitals in the Cape Metropole, South Africa. A qualitative approach with a descriptive design was applied to explore the role of PCWs as perceived by unit managers, nurses and patient care workers. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from medical and surgical wards from three different private hospitals, one each from the three major private hospital groups in South Africa (n=15). Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Stellenbosch University, as well as from the private hospital organisations. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed. Six themes emerged from the data. These included PCW activities, care organisation, position in the patient care team, training, reasons for employment and concerns about the PCW role. The findings indicated strong similarities with the health care asistant role as described in the literature study. The activities of PCWs are focused on direct patient care and they spend much time with patients. They are close observers of the patient’s condition and report to nurses. PCWs seem to be well integrated into the patient care team and are mostly seen as nurses. Yet, there are concerns about their evolving role despite their limited training programmes and the lack of direct supervision. The researcher recommends that the work of PCWs should be regulated, but that the nursing profession should critically evaluate the need for another nursing category in addition to that of the enrolled nurse auxiliary. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Teenstrydigheid is waargeneem met betrekking tot die opinies van verpleegbestuurders oor die rol van pasiёntsorgwerkers (PSWs) in privaat hospitale. Hierdie opinies het variëer van waardering vir hul bydrae tot pasiёntsorg tot ernstige besorgdheid oor die impak van hulle rol op pasiënt veiligheid. Die doel van hierdie studie was dus om die rol van PSWs in privaat hospitale in die Kaapse Metropool in Suid Afrika te ondersoek. ‘n Kwalitatiewe benadering met ‘n beskrywende ontwerp is gevolg om die rol van PSWs, soos waargeneem deur eenheidsbestuurders, verpleegsters en PSWs self, te ondersoek. Doelgerigte steekproeftrekking is gebruik om deelnemers van mediese en chirurgiese sale uit drie verskillende privaat hospitale, een uit elk van die drie grootste privaat hospitaal organisasies in Suid Afrika, te kies (n=15). Toestemming om die studie te doen is verkry van die Etiek Komitee vir Gesondheidsorgnavorsing van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch sowel as van die privaat hospitaal organisasies. Vyftien semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer, woordeliks getik en ge-analiseer. Ses temas het uit die data na vore gekom. Dit sluit die aktiwiteite van PSWs, die organisering van sorg, plek in die pasiёntsorg span, opleiding, redes vir indiensneming en besorgdheid oor die rol van PSWs. Die bevindinge toon ‘n sterk ooreenkoms met die rol van die gesondheidsorg assistent soos beskryf in die literatuur. PSWs fokus op direkte pasiёntsorg en spandeer baie tyd met pasiёnte. Weens hulle nabyheid aan die pasiёnt, kan hulle die pasiёnt se toestand waarneem en bevindings rapporteer aan verpleegsters. PSWs is oёnskynlik goed geїntegreer in die pasiёntsorgspan en word meesal as verpleegsters beskou. Tog is daar besorgdheid oor die uitbreiding van hulle rol ten spyte van beperkte opleidingsprogramme en ‘n gebrek aan toesighouding. Die navorser stel voor dat die werk van PSWs gereguleer behoort te word, maar ook dat die verpleegprofessie die nodigheid van ‘n addisionele kategorie tot die assistent verpleegster, krities moet evalueer.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka stress på arbetsplatsen bland vårdpersonal och vad de anser kan vara åtgärder för att minska stressen på sin arbetsplats. Undersökningens datainsamling utfördes genom en kvalitativ metod, fem intervjuersom bestod av tio intervjufrågor. Dataanalysen genomfördes genom att innehållsanalys tillämpades. Analysen resulterade i två teman och genom dessa presenteras resultatet. Det framkom att stressorsaker bland vårdpersonalen var konflikter mellan personal, tidsbrist för vissa arbetsuppgifter och vård vid livets slutskede. Det som vårdpersonalen ansåg skulle kunna minska stressen var en bättre relation mellan personalen och att arbetsplatsen måste ha mer resurser. Slutsatsen av undersökningen är att mycket av det som beskrivits som negativt i resultatet skulle kunna bli bättre om det fanns riktlinjer, något som saknas i nuläget. / The purpose of this study was to explore and describe workplace stress among healthcare workers in a community based nursing home for elderly, dement individuals and what they considered could be measures to reduce stress at their workplace. The method used was a survey made by a qualitative interview with five respondents, consisting of ten interview questions. The data analysis was performed through content analysis. The emerging results showed that causes of stress among the nursing staffwere conflicts between staff members, lack of time for tasks and palliative care. The nursing staff identified that ways to reduce stress could be a better relationship between the staff members and that the work place needs more resources, for example in the form of more personnel. The conclusion of the study was that the work place needs guidelines as to how they should solve problems, and the presence of guidelines at the work place will most probably help to reduce stress among the staff.

In accordance with the Social Services, all Swedish municipalities work to ensure that older people should be given the opportunity to live independently in safe conditions. For that reason they offer them extra help and support in their own homes. This help and this support is provided by the home care and their health care workers in form of assistant nurses and orderlies. The National Board of Health and Welfare emphasizes in several of its investigations that competence in elderly care is one of the major challenges in the future. They consider this a must to meet the needs that come with an aging population and to meet the current lack of quality in health care. According to The National Board of Health and Welfare, competence development is the main element to ensure quality in elderly care. Therefore they establish that all health care workers should as a minimum have basic professional skills for their work in elderly care. The aim of this study has been to investigate whether the National Board's goal that all staff in elderly care should have the basic professional skills is relevant to professional categories: assistant nurses and orderlies in home care. The study has been based on sociological theory of professions that intend to explain the relations between occupational groups, how professional status is developed and maintained within the organization. In order to meet the aim of this study a total of twelve semi-structures and qualitative interviews have been conducted with nurses and orderlies at three different home care services. The results show us how differences between the occupational groups may affect the status and reputation of the profession when questions of competence emerges.

The general intention of recent Swedish legislation concerning adults with intellectual disabilities has been to provide care and support for this group in small settings in the community. It has been shown that adults with intellectual disabilities are better equipped to exert influence over their own care and support when living in group homes in the community and other forms of independent living as opposed to large institutional settings. Recent research on this group has to a great extent concerned the study of how life is in small group homes for this group and has highlighted obstacles preventing them from participating in society. Previous research has indicated that living in institutional settings makes it difficult for them to exert influence on their lives. A small number of large institutional care settings still exist, however, in Sweden and there is a dearth of research that focuses on how adults with intellectual disabilities experience everyday life in such settings. In addition, little research has been carried out on the role of the care workers who work in such settings. The aim of this research has thus been to describe the experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities and care workers of living and working in an institutional care setting in Sweden.   An ethnographic approach including participant observation and in-depth interviews was used to gain a deeper understanding of how adults with intellectual disabilities and staff experience their everyday life in an institutional care setting. The result showed that the residents experienced;  I) a sense of belonging, which was connected to having access to a private sphere and being part of social togetherness;  II) a feeling of insecurity in relation to other residents and care workers;  III) a longing for independence and a desire to get away. The study of the staff revealed three main themes that represent their approach; I) creating a family-like atmosphere; II) making the everyday life ordered and structured; III) being exposed to stress factors.   The results revealed the importance of paying close attention to what adults with intellectual disabilities and their care workers have to say about their everyday lives when living and working in an institutional care setting. It may be concluded that adults living in an institutional care setting experience their everyday lives in existential terms such as belonging, insecurity and longing. For caring science and in caring practices of people with intellectual disabilities, it is not satisfactory that residents experience such an insecure existence in a care setting. In order to provide individual care and support, staff need to be more open and vigilant as to the residents’ vulnerability and be able to guide them in matters  concerning emotional aspects. It was seen that care workers in their everyday work with residents in an institutional care setting used experiences from their personal lives in situations where they lacked formal care training. Such experiences may have helped to create meaningfulness but at the same time risked preserving inequality and gender stereotyping. In order to avoid these risks care workers should receive clear directives from the management about the care objectives, and guidelines about how best to care for adults with intellectual disabilities and offer them individualized care. Furthermore, it also became evident that care workers need additional support, training and opportunities for reflection to cope with their complex work situation. The results of this research can contribute to a greater insight and deeper knowledge of what adults with intellectual disabilities experience in an institutional care setting in the 2000’s , enabling the staff and management to further enhance the well-being for this group of individuals. The findings can provide feedback to staff, managers and researchers working in the intellectual disabilities field.   Keywords: adults with intellectual disabilities, care, care workers, ethnography, institutional care setting, Sweden

Abstract Background: The high prevalence of smoking on the mines contributes significantly to the public health burden due to exposure to crystalline silica dust and high HIV and TB prevalence rates. Progressive anti-tobacco legislation that informs workplace smoking policies is in existence but there are no formal smoking interventions to achieve the objectives of such policies and to facilitate health promotion. Health care workers, in particular have a vital role to play in this regard. Objectives: The objectives of this research study were to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of HCWs regarding prevention of smoking in gold mine workers and to use this information to propose a framework for a smoking intervention programme for the mines. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) study. Data were obtained from 69 HCWs using self-administered questionnaires, from 161 occupational lung disease (OLD) and 30 medical ward admission record reviews, and from 4 informal discussions. Results: While knowledge and attitudes about smoking was good overall and 84.1% of HCWs reported that they would routinely ask smoking status and document it, this was not done in practice. An overwhelming majority of HCWs are aware that smoking is harmful to one’s health (98.6%); is harmful to mine workers’ health (97.1%), and predisposes them to acquiring lung diseases (95.7%). Half (56.7%) of the nurses, but no doctors documented smoking history on admission and poor follow up of this advice (38.5%) is an area of concern. HCWs identified a need for support structures such as workplace and community programmes that include education, training and awareness campaigns. Conclusion: Overall, HCWS are responsive to workplace smoking interventions: they are knowledgeable, and show insight and have positive attitudes towards smoking interventions, but a more enabling environment is required to establish good workplace practices. To this end a “Proposed framework for smoking interventions on the mines, incorporating the HCW programme” has been developed and partially implemented. Awareness of this study and its preliminary findings has already demonstrated a paradigm shift in thinking about tobacco on the gold mines.

This study seeks the views of care workers working with older people about what impact social support resources has on the living conditions of older people. Social support was conceptualised in the study as support received from family members or close friends of the older people. Care workers were asked to share their views about social support for older people receiving care support in institutional setting or receiving home-based support services. This qualitative investigation involved eight care workers working with older people in Sweden. It has been argued in the study that care workers proving support for older people could have useful information about the social support of older people because they would have witnessed interactions between older people and their immediate network members. Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight care workers providing care support in institutions and home-based to explore their perspectives on the impact of social support on older people. Data from the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. It was revealed from the views of care workers that both family and friends were engaged in different ways to provide support for older people, although not at all times. Managing loneliness, satisfaction with life and feeling better about themselves emerged as the ways social support impacted on the living conditions of older people. The care workers highlighted certain activities or areas that could ensure continuity of social support for older people. These included family members having regular contact with older people, older people acknowledging the need for support. Implications of the study for the practice of care for older people were highlighted.

Introduction: Home-based care is an important part of the health care sector globally. But there is a lack of studies of the working conditions for health care workers within home-based care. Aim: The aim of the study is to illuminate the different experiences of working within home-based care for healthcare workers in economically poor communities.   Method: A qualitative research, data was collected through six semi-structured interviews and data was analysed by content analysis. Results: Three categories and eight sub-categories was identified in the data analysis: The Community; Working Conditions in the Community, Safety in the Community & Attitudes in the Community, The Family; The Family Affects the Patient & The Family Affects the Work Tasks and The Health Care Worker; Helping Beyond the Work Tasks, Emotional Involvement & Job Satisfaction. Conclusion: The study presents different challenges such as safety- and attitudes in the community but also the love for the work in the community.