This study examined trends over time in the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Canadian nurses: 6 months before, 1-month after, and 3 months after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
This study ...adopted a repeated cross-sectional design and surveyed unionized nurses in British Columbia (BC), Canada on three occasions: September 2019 (Time 1, prepandemic), April 2020 (Time 2, early-pandemic) and June 2020 (Time 3).
A total of 10,117 responses were collected across three timepoints. This study found a significant increase of 10% to 15% in anxiety and depression between Time 1 and 2, and relative stability between Time 2 and 3, with Time 3 levels still higher than Time 1 levels. Cross-sector analyses showed similar patterns of findings for acute care and community nurses. Long-term care nurses showed a two-fold increase in the prevalence of anxiety early pandemic, followed by a sharper decline mid pandemic.
COVID-19 has had short- and mid-term mental health implications for BC nurses particularly among those in the long-term care sector. Future research should evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of health workers in different contexts, such as jurisdictional analyses, and better understand the long-term health and labor market consequences of elevated mental health symptoms over an extended time period.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Purpose: The purpose of this two-part study was to provide input into a strategy to improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in Armenia.
Background: Employment rates for persons ...with disabilities in Armenia have been variously reported between eight and 21%, much below the general employment rate of 82%.
Method: First, a Participatory Action Research process led to the development of a 15 item self-report measure - the Perceived Barriers to Employing Persons with Disabilities Scale - which was administered to 158 employers. Second, respondent data were examined to determine psychometric properties of the scale and to inform strategic recommendations for policy development.
Findings: Exploratory factor analysis resulted in the removal of 6 items, leaving a 9 item scale. Responses produced a multidimensional scale clustering around 2 factors. The first of these, structural issues, was principally informed by employer perceptions of limited skill levels of persons with disabilities, high costs associated with employing persons with disabilities, and the lack of accessibility within facilities. The second factor, social issues, was informed by employers' anticipation of negative reactions of coworkers, customers and supervisors toward persons with disabilities entering the workforce. Employers also indicated a belief that persons with disabilities with skills should be entitled to work.
Discussion and Conclusion: Results of this study suggest that attitudes of Armenian employers toward people with disabilities, and subsequent hiring decisions, are partly informed by perceptions of the negative reactions of others within the workplace. This finding disagrees with studies from other jurisdictions, which generally consider that these attitudes are principally informed by perceived skills deficits on the part of people with disabilities. These results would support the development of employer-focused information and awareness campaigns designed to address both of these factors.
Implications for Rehabilitation
Employment rates for people with disabilities are much below those of the general population.
Research indicates that employer attitudes contribute significantly to the employment success of people with disabilities.
A recent employer survey in Armenia indicates that these attitudes are influenced by a perception that others within the workplace do not accept people with disabilities.
Vocational counseling and training programs, and employer awareness interventions, may be more effective if this influence on employer attitudes is addressed.
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IJS, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
The long-term care (LTC) sector has been the epicentre of COVID-19 in Canada. This paper describes the leadership strategies that helped manage the pandemic in one COVID-19-free LTC facility in ...British Columbia. Qualitative interviews with four executive leaders were collected and analyzed. The facility implemented most provincial guidelines to prevent or mitigate virus spread. Crisis leadership competencies and safety prioritization helped this site's successful management of the pandemic. There was room for improvement in communication and staffing practices and policies in the facility.
This systematic review assessed the current state of the literature on sexually exploited boys internationally. We aimed to describe what is known about sexual exploitation of boys, identify gaps in ...the literature, provide implications for practice, and make recommendations for future research. Multiple database searches were conducted using a combination of controlled vocabulary and keywords to capture child and adolescent sexual exploitation. Our search identified 11,099 unique references and excluded studies that did not include male participants less than 18 years old or disaggregate results by relevant age groups and/or by sex. This review identified 42 studies from 23 countries, providing evidence that sexual exploitation of boys is an issue in both high- and low-income countries. Seventeen articles had sexual exploitation as their primary variable of interest, the majority of which sampled boys who accessed services (i.e., shelters, health care, social, and justice services). Boys’ experiences of sexual exploitation varied in terms of venue, exploiters, and compensation. Compared to their non-sexually exploited peers, sexually exploited boys more commonly reported experiences of child abuse, substance use, conduct problems, and mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Despite increasing evidence that boys are sexually exploited around the world, the current literature provides limited data about the antecedents, sequelae, and the specific features of sexual exploitation experiences among boys. Further research is needed to inform, policy, social services and health care delivery specific to the needs of sexually exploited boys.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The interactions between work and personal life are important for ensuring well-being, especially during COVID-19 where the lines between work and home are blurred. Work-life interference/imbalance ...can result in work-related burnout, which has been shown to have negative effects on faculty members' physical and psychological health. Although our understanding of burnout has advanced considerably in recent years, little is known about the effects of burnout on nursing faculty turnover intentions and career satisfaction.
To test a hypothesized model examining the effects of work-life interference on nursing faculty burnout (emotional exhaustion and cynicism), turnover intentions and, ultimately, career satisfaction.
A predictive cross-sectional design was used.
An online national survey of nursing faculty members was administered throughout Canada in summer 2021.
Nursing faculty who held full-time or part-time positions in Canadian academic settings were invited via email to participate in the study.
Data were collected from an anonymous survey housed on Qualtrics. Descriptive statistics and reliability estimates were computed. The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling.
Data suggest that work-life interference significantly increases burnout which contributes to both higher turnover intentions and lower career satisfaction. Turnover intentions, in turn, decrease career satisfaction.
The findings add to the growing body of literature linking burnout to turnover and dissatisfaction, highlighting key antecedents and/or drivers of burnout among nurse academics. These results provide suggestions for suitable areas for the development of interventions and policies within the organizational structure to reduce the risk of burnout during and post-COVID-19 and improve faculty retention.
Abstract
Background and Objectives
In March 2020, pandemic management strategies were mandated across long-term care homes in British Columbia, Canada, to control the effects of COVID-19. This study ...describes and contextualizes the impact of visitation, infection prevention and control, and staffing strategies on the perceived health and well-being of residents and families.
Research Design and Methods
This interpretive description study was part of a larger mixed-methods study at a publicly funded not-for-profit long-term care home in British Columbia, Canada. Eleven family members and 10 residents were interviewed between October and December 2020, and resident and family partners participated in a steering committee throughout all stages of the research.
Findings
Early pandemic management strategies had an adverse impact on the perceived health and well-being of families and residents. Visitation restrictions eliminated care routinely provided by families and prevented in-person communication between residents, families, and care providers. Other infection prevention and control strategies isolated residents; group enrichment programs were stopped, and lockdowns created a perception of incarceration. Donning and doffing personal protective equipment took time away from staff–resident interactions and the single-site order reduced staff numbers, placing additional time restraints on residents’ care.
Discussion and Implications
Unintended adverse consequences of pandemic management strategies demonstrate the risks of creating policies based on a medicalized definition of health. Clear lines of communication are vital to increase a sense of control for families and residents. Elimination of care provided by families and paid companions exposed a gap in Canada’s public long-term care system. This care gap raises concerns about equitable care access for residents without families or financial means to pay for additional care.
Regular monitoring of trends in sexual health behaviours of adolescents is required to guide evidence-based intervention programs and health policies. The purpose of this study was to examine ...national trends in sexual behaviours of Canadian adolescents from 2002 to 2014. Method: A secondary analysis of data was conducted using the Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey of Grade 9 and 10 students over four survey cycles. Sexual behaviours of interest were ever having sexual intercourse, early onset of sexual intercourse, and oral contraceptive, condom, and dual method use at last intercourse. Disaggregated by gender and survey cycle, data were analyzed using cross-tab analyses and aged-adjusted logistic regressions. From 2002 to 2014, boys had decreasing trends in early onset of sexual intercourse AOR = 0.55, 95% CI = (0.36-0.85), p = 0.008, and increasing trends in oral contraceptive use AOR = 1.94, 95% CI = (1.24-3.04), p = 0.004. During this time, girls had decreasing trends in condom use AOR = 0.64, 95% CI = (0.41-1.00), p = 0.052, but increasing trends in oral contraceptive use girls: AOR = 1.47, 95% CI =(0.98-2.19), p= 0.061 approaching statistical significance. No significant trends were noted in ever having sexual intercourse and dual method use for both genders. In sum, boys showed improvements in sexual behaviours over time. The inverse trends of condom use and oral contraceptive use suggested girls' increasing reliance on oral contraceptive pills instead of condoms. Health services interventions and policies should consider implementing new strategies that better promote dual method use.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
A collaborative project between an academic healthcare faculty and a professional development director resulted in the design, delivery and evaluation of an inter-professional collaborative ...leadership workshop with ongoing leadership development activities. The workshop attendees were five inter-professional teams from one large, urban cancer care center in Taipei, Taiwan. The workshop included didactic instruction complemented with team discussions and interactive exercises. Continued practice was encouraged, such as appreciative inquiry exercises and rotated team leadership. Evaluation involved the use of a cross-culturally validated collaborative practice tool and follow-up interviews and focus groups. Although the formal workshop was a 1-day session, continued organizational support and systematic approaches to collaborative leadership practice in clinical settings were necessary components for transfer of learning from the workshop to real life. This paper will include an overview of the foundational leadership concepts covered in the workshop. The instructional strategies, evaluation methods and outcomes will be discussed. The limitations and strengths of this collaborative leadership project will be provided, as well as future plans for a collaborative leadership development program.
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CEKLJ, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and Purpose: The Relational Care Scale (RCS) is a Canadian evaluative instrument designed to measure nursing home residents' perceptions of care aides' relational abilities. Care aides' ...abilities to be reliable and empathetic with nursing home residents are very important determinants of quality of care, but few instruments are designed specifically for residents or focus exclusively on these determinants. Initially developed and tested in metropolitan teaching-affiliated nursing homes in Ontario, we expanded testing by reevaluating the psychometric properties of the RCS in 5 rural nursing homes in British Columbia. Method: There were 62 residents living in 5 rural nursing homes who completed 3 instruments: the RCS under investigation, the Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures (ECR-RS) questionnaire to test for convergent validity, and the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) to test for discriminant validity. Results: The reliability of the RCS was strongly supported (Cronbach's alpha = .90, item-total correlation > .77). Consistent with previous testing, a unidimensional internal structure was extracted. A moderate to strong correlation between the RCS and the Anxiety and Avoidance subscales of the ECR-RS supported convergent validity of the instrument. Last, partial support was obtained for the discriminant validity of the RCS. Conclusions: The RCS was easy to use for both residents and researchers. Expanded testing demonstrated its recurring reliability and validity.
A cross-sectional province-wide survey study of 3,978 British Columbia (BC) nurses was conducted to explore the mental health state of the nursing workforce in BC. About one third of nurses reported ...depression and anxiety; about half reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and at least one third reported high levels of one or more dimensions of burnout. Mental health problems were about 1.5 to 3 times more prevalent among BC nurses compared to their peers nationally. Improving nurses' mental health requires multi-factorial and multi-level efforts. Evidence-based and workplace-specific policies and interventions that better support nurses at risk are recommended.
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