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Dementia care worker stress associations with unit type, resident, and work environment characteristics: a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project (SHURP)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2016

Barbara Vogel ,
Sabina De Geest Open the ORCID record for Sabina De Geest [Opens in a new window] ,
Katharina Fierz Open the ORCID record for Katharina Fierz [Opens in a new window] ,
Sonja Beckmann  and
Franziska Zúñiga Open the ORCID record for Franziska Zúñiga [Opens in a new window]
Barbara Vogel
Affiliation:
Pflegewissenschaft - Nursing Science (INS), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Sabina De Geest
Affiliation:
Pflegewissenschaft - Nursing Science (INS), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Katharina Fierz
Affiliation:
Pflegewissenschaft - Nursing Science (INS), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Sonja Beckmann
Affiliation:
Pflegewissenschaft - Nursing Science (INS), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Franziska Zúñiga*
Affiliation:
Pflegewissenschaft - Nursing Science (INS), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Franziska Zúñiga, Nursing Science (INS), Departement Public Health (DPH), Faculty of Medicine, Universität Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056 Basel, Switzerland. Phone: +41 (0)61 267 09 13; Fax: +41 (0)61 267 09 55. Email: franziska.zuniga@unibas.ch.
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Abstract

Background:

Although caring for residents with dementia in nursing homes is associated with various stressors for care workers, the role of the unit type, and particularly the proportion of residents with dementia, remains unclear. This study aimed to explore associations between unit type and care worker stress, taking into account additional potential stressors.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was a secondary data analysis in the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project, which included data from 3,922 care workers from 156 Swiss nursing homes. Care workers’ stress was measured with a shortened version of the Health Professions Stress Inventory. Generalized estimating equation models were used to assess care worker stress and its relationships with three unit types (special care units and others with high or low proportions of residents with dementia), work environment factors, and aggressive resident behavior.

Results:

After including all potential stressors in the models, no significant differences between the three unit types regarding care worker stress were found. However, increased care worker stress levels were significantly related to lower ratings of staffing and resources adequacy, the experience of verbal aggression, and the observation of verbal or physical aggression among residents.

Conclusions:

Although the unit type plays only a minor role regarding care worker stress, this study confirms that work environment and aggressive behavior of residents are important factors associated with work-related stress. To prevent increases of care worker stress, interventions to improve the work environment and strengthen care workers’ ability to cope with aggressive behavior are suggested.

Keywords

psychological stressstrainburdennursing staffnursing homeslong-term caredementiacross-sectional
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 29 , Issue 3 , March 2017 , pp. 441 - 454
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2016 

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