Quality of Work-Life for Ontario’s Interprofessional Long-Term Care Staff: Employee Work-Life Satisfaction

Abstract

For decades, the staffing and workload challenges facing the long-term care (LTC) sector have been studied. Many difficulties that existed prior to the pandemic were exacerbated during COVID, and have continued in the post-pandemic environment. This study focused on the experiences of quality of work-life among interprofessional LTC workers in the post-pandemic environment. The project considered work demands, interprofessional dynamics, and personal well-being of staff in a post-COVID context. The study was undertaken utilizing semi-structured interviews with participants from a single LTC home in southern Ontario. A series of 20 interviews were completed virtually and in-person with personnel across different departments. Participants included office workers, medical and nursing staff, support staff, and members of allied health professions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using Nvivo. Thematic analysis was applied to these transcripts using a priori and emergent themes. Key findings include: staffing and workload; collaboration, communication and relationships; staff mental health and work-life satisfaction; and residual impacts of COVID-19. A key concern raised by interview participants was the quantity and quality of the staff making up LTC teams. This in turn impacts workload, which considers the ease and challenges faced by teams, either supporting or hindering the quality of their work and work-life. Collaboration and communication, including the quality of relationships and knowledge sharing between staff was another key concern raised by interview participants. Relationships extended to include residents and family members, who make up a significant portion of the LTC environment. Staff well-being and work-life balance hinged on many of the previous factors, affecting staff satisfaction and retention. Each of these concerns — which play into work-life experiences — have residual effects from the pandemic. Staffing levels have increased, as has workload related to reporting and infection, prevention and control. These lasting effects continue to impact staff’s work-life balance. These findings expand understanding of Ontario LTC work experiences, highlighting perspectives of staff often missing from the literature. Understanding the quality of work-life of LTC teams provides insights into worker satisfaction and retention, which have a direct impact on the quality of care provided to residents.