Modules on stress management and dealing with bereavement were the most effective parts of a training program designed to increase professionalism in personal assistance workers, according to a study published in the current issue of Home Health Care Management and Practice.
“Skills-Enhancement Training Program for Home Care Providers: Implications for Redefining Quality Care” discusses a skills program that consists of four seven-hour modules:
- Talking the Talk: Ways to Smooth Out Problems Without Getting Into More Trouble;
- Mind, Body, & Soul: Challenges of Caring for Clients with Cognitive, Sexual, and Spiritual Needs;
- It’s OK to Become Attached to Your Clients: Dealing with Loss, Death, and Mourning; and
- Avoiding Burnout: Caring for Others by Caring for Ourselves.
The training proved helpful, with the third and fourth modules having the greatest impact. Authors Constance Coogle and colleagues speculated that the last two might be more effective partly because they cover things that are generally beyond an individual’s ability to control, making training more necessary. What’s more, these are things that are rarely acknowledged by home care agencies. Focusing on them provides trainees with official recognition of common challenges they are usually left to grapple with on their own, and that acknowledgement, say the authors, increases their “sense of self-worth and, therefore, self-efficacy.”
Module three was particularly important. People often think the compassion and caregiving that are essential to being a good personal assistance worker come naturally to the women that do the lion’s share of the work, the authors note. But developing relationships that are “respectful and based on mutual trust, while also maintaining professional boundaries” is a delicate business that “requires skills that go beyond ‘natural’ female qualities.”
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Elise Nakhnikian, Senior Online Editor
enakhnikian@phinational.org
Being a personal care attendant myself, I was a bit perplexed at the line from this article: “..come naturally to the women that do the lion’s share of the work.” Where I work, the gender ratio is pretty evenly matched, yet it is the males who are asked to do ALL the lifting and heavy tasks. We are paid the exact same wage.
That little complaint aside, it does sound like a very worthy and useful training session. Keeping one’s compassion in balance with professionalism is very difficult skill to master, and I welcome any training that can further enhance my performance in this area.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
We were talking about the emotional labor performed by those in the predominantly female nursing workforce. We made the point that just because a direct care provider is female, people shouldn’t assume that she naturally possesses the ability to appropriately manage emotions and maintain a professional demeanor in the caring relationship.
But your comment, Chris, makes me wonder if we shouldn’t also be making the same point about men, who are traditionally considered to be more capable of controlling their feelings.
BTW–how did they get such a good mix of men and women where you work? It would be great if we could figure out how to get more male nursing assistants and personal care attendants working out there.
Most employees that work at my site are referred by family and friends – and there is also a $200 bonus for those who refer a new hire that remains employed for 90 days. So far it has been a pretty even mix of male/female hires. I do hope the trend continues! (It’s always nice to see some new staff arrive to fill in some of the positions that have been vacant for a few weeks!)
Our company is struggling with staff retention and has formed a committee to think up some solutions over the last half year or so. So far, not much has been working. Turnover remains high and I just found out my supervisor is leaving next week – the fourth one in two years!
There have been many excellent workers hired over the last six months and I hate to see them get burned out and move on to other jobs, but I realize it is the same across the entire field and unless something happens, it’s only going to continue.
I do give my company high marks for hiring so many sharp individuals, but would really hope they figure out a way to convince them to stay longer.