Geriatrics/Gerontology Archives - Protection of Conscience Project Library

Stress of conscience among staff caring for older persons in Finland

Reetta Saarnio, Anneli Sarvimäki, Helena Laukkala, Arja Isola

Abstract
Caring for older persons is both rewarding and consuming. Work with older people in Finland has been shown to be more burdensome than in the other Nordic countries. The aim of this study was to try out a Finnish version of the Stress of Conscience Questionnaire (SCQ) and explore stress of conscience in staff caring for older persons in Finland. The data were collected from the nursing staff (n = 350) working with older people in health centre wards, municipal and private nursing homes, and municipal and private dementia care units in Finland. It emerged clearly from the results that Finnish nursing staff mostly felt that they did not have enough time to provide good care to patients, and this gave them a troubled conscience. They also felt that the demanding work taxed their energy, a consequence being that they could not give their own families and loved ones the attention they would have liked.

Saarnio R, Sarvimäki A, Laukkala H, Isola A. Stress of conscience among staff caring for older persons in Finland. Nurs Ethics. 2012 Feb 01;19(1):104-115.

Perceptions of conscience, stress of conscience and burnout among nursing staff in residential elder care

Christina Juthberg, Sture Eriksson, Astrid Norberg, Karin Sundin

Abstract
Aim.: This paper is a report of a study of patterns of perceptions of conscience, stress of conscience and burnout in relation to occupational belonging among Registered Nurses and nursing assistants in municipal residential care of older people.

Background.: Stress and burnout among healthcare personnel and experiences of ethical difficulties are associated with troubled conscience. In elder care the experience of a troubled conscience seems to be connected to occupational role, but little is known about how Registered Nurses and nursing assistants perceive their conscience, stress of conscience and burnout.

Method.: Results of previous analyses of data collected in 2003, where 50 Registered Nurses and 96 nursing assistants completed the Perceptions of Conscience Questionnaire, Stress of Conscience Questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory, led to a request for further analysis. In this study Partial Least Square Regression was used to detect statistical predictive patterns.

Result.: Perceptions of conscience and stress of conscience explained 41·9% of the variance in occupational belonging. A statistical predictive pattern for Registered Nurses was stress of conscience in relation to falling short of expectations and demands and to perception of conscience as demanding sensitivity. A statistical predictive pattern for nursing assistants was perceptions that conscience is an authority and an asset in their work. Burnout did not contribute to the explained variance in occupational belonging.

Conclusion.: Both occupational groups viewed conscience as an asset and not a burden. Registered Nurses seemed to exhibit sensitivity to expectations and demands and nursing assistants used their conscience as a source of guidance in their work. Structured group supervision with personnel from different occupations is needed so that staff can gain better understanding about their own occupational situation as well as the situation of other occupational groups.

Juthberg C, Eriksson S, Norberg A, Sundin K. Perceptions of conscience, stress of conscience and burnout among nursing staff in residential elder care. J Adv Nurs. 2010;66(8):1708-1718.

Registered nurses’ and nurse assistants’ lived experience of troubled conscience in their work in elderly care-A phenomenological hermeneutic study

C Juthberg, K Sundin

Abstract
Background: In elderly care registered nurses (RNs) and nurse assistants (NAs) face ethical challenges which may trouble their conscience.

Objective: This study aimed to illuminate meanings of RNs’ and NAs’ lived experience of troubled conscience in their work in municipal residential elderly care.

Design: Interviews with six RNs and six NAs were interpreted separately using a phenomenological hermeneutic method.

Settings: Data was collected in 2005 among RNs and NAs working in special types of housings for the elderly in a municipality in Sweden.

Participants: The RNs and NAs were selected for participation had previously participated in a questionnaire study and their ratings in the questionnaire study constituted the selection criteria for the interview study.

Results: The RNs’ lived experience of troubled conscience was formulated in two themes. The first theme is ‘being trapped in powerlessness’ which includes three sub-themes: being restrained by others’ omission, being trapped in ethically demanding situations and failing to live up to others’ expectations. The second theme is ‘being inadequate’ which includes two sub-themes: lacking courage to maintain one’s opinion and feeling incompetent. The NAs’ lived experience of troubled conscience was formulated in the two themes. The first is ‘being hindered by pre-determined conditions’ which includes two sub-themes: suffering from lack of focus in one’s work and being restrained by the organisation. The second theme is ‘being inadequate’ which includes two sub-themes: lacking the courage to object and being negligent.

Conclusions: The RNs’ lived experience of troubled conscience were feelings of being trapped in a state of powerlessness, caught in a struggle between responsibility and authority and a sense of inadequacy fuelled by feelings of incompetence, a lack of courage and a fear of revealing themselves and endangering residents’ well-being. The NAs’ lived experience of troubled conscience was feelings of being hindered by pre-determined conditions, facing a fragmented work situation hovering between norms and rules and convictions of their conscience. To not endangering the atmosphere in the work-team they are submissive to the norms of their co-workers. They felt inadequate as they should be model care providers. The findings were interpreted in the light of Fromm’s authoritarian and humanistic conscience.

Juthberg C, Sundin K. Registered nurses’ and nurse assistants’ lived experience of troubled conscience in their work in elderly care-A phenomenological hermeneutic study. Int J Nurs Stud. 2010 Jan;47(1):20-29.

Stress of conscience and perceptions of conscience in relation to burnout among care-providers in older people

Christina Juthberg, Sture Eriksson, Astrid Norberg, Karin Sundin

Abstract
Aims. The aim was to study the relationship between conscience and burnout among care-providers in older care, exploring the relationship between stress of conscience and burnout, and between perceptions of conscience and burnout.

Background. Everyday work in healthcare presents situations that influence care-providers’ conscience. How care-providers perceive conscience has been shown to be related to stress of conscience (stress related to troubled conscience), and in county council care, an association between stress of conscience and burnout has been found.

Method. A questionnaire study was conducted in municipal housing for older people. A total of 166 care-providers were approached, of which 146 (50 registered nurses and 96 nurses’ aides/enrolled nurses) completed a questionnaire folder containing the stress of conscience questionnaire, the perceptions of conscience questionnaire and the maslach burnout inventory. Multivariate canonical correlation analysis was used to explore relationships.

Result. The relationship between stress of conscience and burnout indicates that experiences of shortcomings and of being exposed to contradictory demands are strongly related to burnout (primarily to emotional exhaustion). The relationship between perceptions of conscience and burnout indicates that a deadened conscience is strongly related to burnout.

Conclusion. Conscience seems to be of importance in relation to burnout, and suppressing conscience may result in a profound loss of wholeness, integrity and harmony in the self.

Relevance to clinical practice. The results from our study could be used to raise awareness of the importance of conscience in care.

Juthberg C, Eriksson S, Norberg A, Sundin K. Stress of conscience and perceptions of conscience in relation to burnout among care-providers in older people. J Clin Nurs. 2008 Jun 10;17(14):1897-1906.

Perceptions of conscience in relation to stress of conscience

Christina Juthberg, Sture Eriksson, Astrid Norberg, Karin Sundin

Abstract
Every day situations arising in health care contain ethical issues influencing care providers’ conscience. How and to what extent conscience is influenced may differ according to how conscience is perceived. This study aimed to explore the relationship between perceptions of conscience and stress of conscience among care providers working in municipal housing for elderly people. A total of 166 care providers were approached, of which 146 (50 registered nurses and 96 nurses’ aides/enrolled nurses) completed a questionnaire containing the Perceptions of Conscience Questionnaire and the Stress of Conscience Questionnaire. A multivariate canonical correlation analysis was conducted. The first two functions emerging from the analysis themselves explained a noteworthy amount of the shared variance (25.6% and 17.8%). These two dimensions of the relationship were interpreted either as having to deaden one’s conscience relating to external demands in order to be able to collaborate with coworkers, or as having to deaden one’s conscience relating to internal demands in order to uphold one’s identity as a ‘good’ health care professional.

Juthberg C, Eriksson S, Norberg A, Sundin K. Perceptions of conscience in relation to stress of conscience. Nurs Ethics. 2007 May;14(3):329-343.