Academic literature on the topic 'Nursing home administrators Australia Attitudes'

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the attitudes of nursing home administrators and key managerial staff toward health information technology (health IT). Design/methodology/approach – This research is exploratory in nature, and applies qualitative case-study methodology to further understand health IT adoption by nursing homes through multiple in-depth semi-structured interviews of management, and direct observations of employee behavior at each participating facility. A modified Technology Acceptance Model is used to examine the attitudes and perceptions of administrators. Findings – This study finds that there are differences in the level of health IT adoption by nursing homes. While some administrators are aware of health IT and are implementing or updating their IT systems in a gradual but haphazard manner, others exhibited a lack of interest in implementing change. Overall, there is a lack of systematic planning and decision-making toward health IT adoption. Adoption is not evidence-based, instead driven primarily by real and perceived regulatory requirements combined with a lack of information about, or consideration of, the real costs and benefits of implementing health IT. Research limitations/implications – Including six in-depth case studies, the sample for this study is small for generalizing the findings. Yet, it contributes to the literature on the slow process of health IT adoption by nursing homes. Moreover, the findings provide guidelines for future research. Practical implications – This study demonstrates that nursing home administrators must systematically plan the adoption of health IT, and such decision making should be evidenced-based and participatory so that employees can voice their opinions that could prevent future resistance. Originality/value – This study is original and advances knowledge on the reasons for the slow adoption of health IT in nursing homes. It finds that lack of adequate information regarding the utility and benefits of health IT in management adoption decisions can result in haphazard implementation or no adoption at all. This finding has significant value for policy makers’ practitioners for improving accessibility of information regarding the use of health IT in nursing homes that could address the health IT adoption challenge in this industry.

Objective: The world-wide demand for skilled Registered Nurses is high, and understanding the reasons why Chinese students leave home to study nursing in Australia is important for institutions, policy makers, and nursing administrators in both China and Australia. This paper explores the factors shaping the decision of six Chinese students to study nursing in Australia and their preference to eventually live and work either in China or Australia.Methods: A three-dimensional space narrative structure approach was used for this study. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with six Chinese nursing students whom were studying nursing at universities in Western Australia.Results: Findings revealed that the most important factor that influenced Chinese students’ decision to study nursing in Australia was the possibility for permanent residency.Conclusions: Insights gained from the study are important for a myriad of factors including international nursing relocation, developments in networking and healthcare, and capitalising in education from a global perspective.

Abstract Hospice has been associated with improved outcomes for terminally-ill patients and families, including in pain management, care satisfaction, and rates of hospitalizations. In 2016, 1/3 of Medicare hospice beneficiaries died in nursing homes (NH). The responsibilities for meeting the needs of the NH resident receiving hospice are shared by the NH staff and hospice team, making good communication and coordination of services between providers critical to the successful delivery of services. This exploratory study surveyed NH direct care and administrative staff about their perceptions of hospice, and barriers to collaboration. A total of 66 NH staff completed the online survey. The sample was 62.1% direct care staff (e.g., social work, nursing) and 37.8% administrators, predominately female (75%), non-Hispanic-white (43.9%), and employed full-time (87.8%). Over half of the NHs were non-profit organizations (56.1%). Respondents had on average 33.8 hours of hospice education and held positive hospice attitudes, with 76% strongly agreeing that hospice should be an option regardless of setting, and 87.8% believing they could collaborate with hospice toward the goal of a “good death.” Although participants cited barriers to hospice related to COVID-19, this was not associated with overall hospice attitudes. Respondents cited resistance from family as the primary barrier to hospice, indicating lack of knowledge and a need for family education. They also cited concerns surrounding duplication of roles. Family members in previous studies have identified care allocation as a challenge, based on expectations that hospice would bring additional contact/services instead of replacing NH services. Implications will be discussed.

The purpose of this study was to identify structural, market, and administrator factors of nursing homes that are related to the implementation of person-centered care. Administrators of Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes in the Deep South were invited to complete a standardized survey about their facility and their perceptions and attitudes regarding person-centered care practices (PCCPs). Nursing home structural and market factors were obtained from public websites, and these data were matched with administrator data. Consistent with the resource-based theory of competitive advantage, nursing homes with greater resources and more competition were more likely to implement PCCPs. Implementation of person-centered care was also higher in nursing homes with administrators who perceived culture change implementation to be feasible in their facilities. Given that there is a link between resource availability and adoption of person-centered care, future research should investigate the cost of such innovations.

Background: Older people in institutional care should be allowed to live a meaningful life in a home-like environment consistent with their own free will. Research on actualisation of older people’s own free will in nursing home context is scarce. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe older people’s experiences of free will, its actualisation, promoters and barriers in nursing homes to improve the ethical quality of care. Research design: Fifteen cognitively intact older people over 65 years in four nursing homes in Southern Finland were interviewed. Giorgi’s phenomenological method expanded by Perttula was used to analyse the data. Ethical considerations: Chief administrators of each nursing home gave permission to conduct the study. Informants’ written informed consent was gained. Findings: Older people described free will as action consistent with their own mind, opportunity to determine own personal matters and holding on to their rights. Own free will was actualised in having control of bedtime, dressing, privacy and social life with relatives. Own free will was not actualised in receiving help when needed, having an impact on meals, hygiene, free movement, meaningful action and social life. Promoters included older people’s attitudes, behaviour, health, physical functioning as well as nurses’ ethical conduct. Barriers were nurses’ unethical attitudes, institution rules, distracting behaviour of other residents, older people’s attitudes, physical frailty and dependency. Discussion: Promoting factors of the actualisation of own free will need to be encouraged. Barriers can be influenced by educating nursing staff in client-orientated approach and influencing attitudes of both nurses and older people. Conclusion: Results may benefit ethical education and promote the ethical quality of older people’s care practice and management.

AbstractA self-administered mailed questionnaire was sent to a stratified random sample of medical administrators in Ontario homes for the aged (HFAs) and nursing homes (NHs) in 1991 in order to explore the types and extent of medical-administrative activities undertaken by these physicians, and their perceptions of skills, attitudes and knowledge that were important in carrying out their roles. Three key findings emerged from the survey. First, considerable variation exists in the extent of medical administrative activities undertaken within each of the two facility types and, in some cases, across the two facility types. Second, there were few activities which ≥75 per cent of medical administrators reported undertaking on all occasions and many activities which ≥25 per cent of physicians reported not undertaking on any occasion. Third, in general, medical administrators did not express values congruent with adoption of a broader management role in facility administration, financing, and planning activities. Research and policy implications for the evolving role of medical administrators in NHs and HFAs are discussed.

Objective Resident-to-resident aggression (RRA) in nursing homes is a matter of serious and profound concern, yet action to eliminate or mitigate RRA is hampered by a paucity of research. The aim of this study was to explore key stakeholders’ knowledge and perceptions of RRA in Australian nursing homes. Methods A qualitative cross-sectional study design was used, and semistructured telephone interviews were conducted. Participants were purposively and conveniently sampled with replacement from a range of aged care, healthcare and legal professional bodies, as well as advocacy organisations. The interview contained 12 closed-ended questions and six open-ended questions about participants’ knowledge, experiences, perceptions and attitudes to RRA. Participant characteristics and responses to closed-ended questions were aggregated and proportions calculated, and thematic analysis was conducted by two independent researchers using a directed content approach. Results Fifteen participants (11 females; 73.3%) in senior management positions were interviewed. All were familiar with the concept of RRA and just over half (n=8; 53.3%) had witnessed an incident. Major themes included the nature and causes of RRA and attitudes and responses to RRA. Potential causes of RRA included maladaptation to nursing home life, transfer of pre-existing issues into the nursing home environment, physical environment and staffing-related issues. RRA was commonly viewed by participants as dangerous and unpredictable or, conversely, as expected behaviour in a nursing home setting. A person-centred care approach was considered most effective for managing and responding to RRA. Conclusion The research demonstrates that understanding perceptions of RRA among key stakeholders is critical to identifying the nature and scope of the problem and to developing and implementing appropriate prevention strategies. What is known about the topic? RRA is common in nursing homes, with potentially fatal consequences for residents involved, and has serious implications for nursing home staff, managers, providers, and regulators. Despite this, the prevalence, impact, and prevention of RRA remains under-recognised and under-researched in Australia. What does this paper add? This is the first Australian study to produce qualitative findings on the knowledge and perceptions of RRA in nursing homes among key stakeholders. This paper reports on the knowledge and perceptions of individuals in senior management and policy roles in aged care and related fields in relation to four themes: nature; causes; attitudes; and responses to RRA. Our findings highlight the complex and multifactorial nature of RRA. What are the implications for practitioners? A movement towards person-centred care that promotes understanding of individual care needs is favoured as an approach to reducing RRA. Increased reporting of both minor and major incidents of RRA will help to identify patterns and inform appropriate responses. However, a cultural shift is first required to recognise RRA as a manageable and preventable health care and adult safeguarding issue.

Abstract Background Having positive intimate, sexual and relational experiences is an important issue for older adults in care settings, yet little is known on the extent to which nursing staff and care workers have received education or training in addressing and meeting these needs among older residents. This scoping review aimed to identify and examine what education and training resources exist to assist nursing staff and care workers to meet their residents’ needs in this area. Methods and analysis Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, we systematically searched papers and grey literature to identify education interventions and resources that aimed to facilitate care home staff to meet their residents’ sexuality, intimacy and relational needs. Results Eleven studies (one dissertation) and three education resources met the inclusion criteria; most were conducted in the USA and Australia. Across the studies and resources identified, the education content was mixed and the methodology, presentation, design and duration varied widely. The focus of the education interventions and resources was to increase knowledge and improve and/or change attitudes towards the: (i) sexual expression of older people living in residential aged care, (ii) sexuality and ageing and (iii) expression of sexuality in people with dementia. Conclusion Few education interventions and training resources were identified. The findings suggest that education interventions can improve knowledge and/or change care staff attitudes, in the short-term, towards older people’s sexuality, intimacy and relational needs in care home settings, which can lead to facilitating staff to enhance person-centred care in this area of need.

This study uses a qualitative in-depth research design to explore the attitudes that community living people over 85 years of age (n=lO) hold towards relocating to an aged care facility. Aged care facilities are supported accommodation options for the elderly that were previously known as nursing homes or hostels (Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services, 1997). This type of accommodation currently houses 31 % of the total population of people over 85 years of age (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004-2005). Attitudes towards new environments are associated with relocation adjustment, and a review of the literature reveals negative perceptions by younger elderly people towards aged care facilities. Demographic trends indicate a rapid increase in the number of very-old people who are in the high-risk group for admission to aged care facilities; however there is a paucity of research regarding their attitudes towards such relocation. There are many implications for aged care service providers as a result of these demographic trends, but particularly in relation to accommodation options for the elderly. This research examines the attitudes that the very-old hold about going into residential care. It also explores the emotions underpinning that attitude. The main areas that emerged included concerns over media representation, perceived lack of control and fear of a loss of independence. There were very negative attitudes toward the loss of the home itself followed by concerns over loss of personal possessions. The very-old have such rich histories embedded in their home and possessions that these things become a part of their identity and culture (Moore, 2000) rather that a separate entity, and therefore the loss of these possessions could ultimately lead to the loss of self. The results have proven to be generally negative toward relocation to an aged care facility and combined with an assumption by the participants that there is no opportunity for future planning once in care, some expressed they would choose death rather than relocation. The implications of allowing these negative attitudes to continue without interventions based on further research and community consultation, will only add to the relocation stress syndrome already being experienced by many of very senior members of society (Capezuti, Boltz, & Renz, 2004).