Improving the long-term care internship environment

Association between long-term care trainees’ experiences of unfair treatment and psychological burden

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify the current realities of long-term care trainees’ experiences of unfair treatment and experiences of encountering caregiver harassment and inappropriate care, and to examine their associations with psychological burden. A questionnaire survey of 66 second-year students of a two-year care worker training course was conducted. The findings demonstrated that 20.0% to 36.7% of the students experienced unfair treatment, such as not receiving necessary verbal instructions or support from staff members. In addition, 10.9% to 40.4% of students witnessed caregiver harassment, including a lack of recognition for efforts. Furthermore, experiences of not receiving sufficient engagement with or support from staff members, or experiences of witnessing situations in which efforts were not acknowledged, were significantly associated with increased psychological burden and decreased sense of fulfillment in long-term care trainees. These findings suggested that, to improve long-term care internship environments, it is essential for staff members at the training sites “to develop an attentive attitude towards the students” and “to enhance the awareness and understanding of caregiver harassment.”