[Perceived stress and need for psychosocial education/supervision in inpatient care of the aged].

Abstract

255 staff persons in the inpatient care of the aged, mainly nursing home staff, nurses and assisting personnel, were included in a multicenter questionnaire study. As expected, the great majority define their job as nursing, but approx. 20% identify themselves also with the work of a chaplain or a psychologist. Time pressure at work (59%) was reported as the main strain, followed by organizational deficits (22%) and compassion with the suffering of some inhabitants (20%). Among the positive and motivating aspects of the job teamwork and contact with the aged was said to be most important (59% and 57%, respectively), followed by autonomy and responsibility in the job. Approximately half of the staff expressed high job satisfaction, especially with respect to teamwork and the relationship with the aged. Actually staff training and supervision is reported to be extremely deficient, more than half confirmed that psychosocial staff training and supervision is important and necessary and should mainly deal with problems of team interaction and ways of emotional release. Main issues desired were aspects of interaction with depressive or aggressive persons as well as for caring for the terminal patient. The results clearly stress the important role of psychosocial staff training and supervision in this field, in order to improve competence as well as to achieve an emotional release and to prevent "burnout".