Date
1-9-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Jerry Green
Keywords
MBI, Burnout, ProQOL V, Compassion Fatigue, Long-Term Care, Healthcare, Healthcare workers, Nurses, Nursing
Disciplines
Nursing
Recommended Citation
Trombley, Matthew R., "Exploring the Relationship Between Staffing and Long-Term Care Worker Mental Health" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5151.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5151
Abstract
This research delves into the relationship between staffing levels during a crisis in the healthcare workforce and the mental well-being of long-term care workers, with a specific focus on variables such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. With increasing workforce shortages, the attention to providing quality care during this tumultuous period has become increasingly urgent. There has been scarce empirical research that has explicitly sought to comprehend the connection between staffing levels and the mental health of long-term care professionals. This study was designed as a non-experimental, quantitative correlational investigation, aiming to understand the intricate dynamics between patient-to-staff ratios in long-term care and the mental well-being of direct care healthcare workers. 86 participants completed an online survey via SurveyMonkey with the use of the assessment, the ProQOL V. A Spearman Correlation was utilized to analyze the data. This study found no significant relationship between patient-to-staff ratios and healthcare worker burnout. Additionally, no significant relationship was identified between patient-to-staff ratios and compassion satisfaction nor patient-to-staff ratios and compassion fatigue. While no significant outcomes can be drawn from the data, this study underscores the need for further research to gain a deeper understanding of how the ongoing staffing crisis in long-term care affects the mental health and overall well-being of healthcare workers. It is hoped that this research will serve as a foundation for future investigations, offering valuable insights and support for addressing the challenges faced in long-term care settings.
