QWL-NS: Long-Term Care Staff Quality of Work Life in Nova Scotia

 

 

About QWL-NS

This research is collecting much needed information about the quality of work life (QWL) staff working in Nova Scotia long-term care (LTC) homes. Data has been collected at two points in time: Wave 1 in 2021 and Wave 2 in 2024. Researchers have surveyed a mix of LTC staff including continuing care assistants (CCAs), nurses (LPNs, RNs) and managers over two waves of data collection and added allied health professionals during a second wave of data collection. Established survey tools from the Translating Research in Elder Care (TREC) Program at the University of Alberta were used to ask questions about job satisfaction, burnout, physical and mental health, work engagement, organizational context, etc. In total, through two waves of data collection, over 500 continuing care assistants and over 300 regulated staff (nurses, allied health professionals and managers) have completed surveys.

WAVE 1: The Unsung Heroes: Long Term Care Staff’s Quality of Work Life

Lead

Dr. Janice Keefe, Mount Saint Vincent University

Co-Investigators

Dr. Carole Estabrooks, University of Alberta

Dr. Susan Stevens, Nova Scotia Health

Funder

Nova Scotia Health

Time Period

November 2020 – March 2023

Description

Long-term care staff (continuing care assistants, nurses (RNs, LPNs) and managers) from a convenience sample of 10 Nova Scotia LTC homes were recruited and surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveys, conducted between October 2021 and January 2022, captured staff perspectives on their quality of work life, well-being, and work environment with attention given to the impact of COVID-19. In total 455 staff surveys were collected.

Contact

Paula Richardson paula.richardson@msvu.ca

WAVE 2: The Intersection of Quality of Work Life and Resident Care in Nursing Homes During and Post Pandemic

Lead

Dr. Janice Keefe, Mount Saint Vincent University

Co-Investigators

Dr. Carole Estabrooks, University of Alberta

Funder

Nova Scotia Health

Time Period

June 2022 – September 2025

Description

During the Fall of 2023 the 10 Nova Scotia LTC care homes that had participated in the wave 1 study The Unsung Heroes: Long Term Care Staff’s Quality of Work Life were asked if they would participate in a Wave 2 follow-up staff survey. Seven of the 10 homes agreed to participate and their staff were surveyed between February and May 2024, concurrent with staff surveys being conducted in a larger randomized CIHR funded project across Atlantic Canada and with survey work being done in Alberta. In addition to continuing care assistants, nurses and managers who were surveyed in Wave 1, allied health professionals were surveyed in this Wave 2 study. Nearly 250 continuing care assistants and 171 regulated staff (nurses, managers and allied health professionals) completed surveys for Wave 2. Having two time points of data collection, during the pandemic and post-pandemic, will allow comparison of staff’s perceived work life during and post pandemic, and researchers to observe any changes over that time.

Contact

Paula Richardson paula.richardson@msvu.ca

QWL-NS Results & Dissemination

Manuscripts

Keefe, J. M., Duynisveld, A., Stevens, S., & Estabrooks, C. (2024). Quality of Work Life and Mental Well-Being for Long-Term Care Staff in Nova Scotia. Healthcare Policy, 19(4), 32-41. 10.12927/hcpol.2024.27348

Conference Presentations

Duynsiveld, A., & Keefe, J. (2025, June 3-4). Understanding what aspects of the LTC work environment most affect nurses’ quality of work life: A model of workforce support. [Poster presentation]. Our Future is Aging: Multidisciplinary Research Informing People, Policy and Practice Conference, Halifax, NS.

Hipel, I., Yuting, S., Keefe, J., Duan, Y., Doupe, M., Estabrooks, C., Squires, J. (2024, October 24-26). “We may be exhausted – but we continue to care”: Changes in nurses’ burnout prior to and during COVID [Poster Presentation]. Canadian Association on Gerontology, 2024 Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Duynisveld, A., & Keefe, J. (2024, June 7). Getting to the bottom of LTC nurse burnout and job satisfaction in Nova Scotia: What role does work environment play? [Poster presentation]. 12th Annual Northwood Research Symposium, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Duynisveld, A., & Keefe, J. (2023, October 26-28). A workforce needing support: Mental health and quality of work life among staff in Nova Scotia’s long-term care homes. [Poster]. Canadian Association on Gerontology, Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting, Toronto, ON.

Keefe, J. (2023, April 20). Research: Understanding and supporting quality of work life in long-term care. [Presentation] to the Nova Scotia long-term care sector.

Webinars & Invited Presentations

Keefe, J. (2025, April 29). An underrepresented, undervalued workforce: Understanding and supporting quality of work life in long-term care [oral presentation]. Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association Spring Conference and Trade Show, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Keefe, J. (2023, March 27). Nova Scotia long-term care staff quality of work life: Survey findings & next steps. [Presentation] to representatives from long-term care sector in Nova Scotia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI1Iu4c3cU4

Keefe, J. (2022, June 2). First glance of survey findings: NS long term care staff quality of work life during COVID-19. [Presentation] to Nova Scotia government Ministry representatives.

Keefe, J. (2022, May 10). Research on quality of life and work life in long-term care – Engaging key stakeholders. [Presentation]. The Council of University Executives, Conference Board of Canada.

 

Trainee Projects

Duynisveld, A., Hodgins, M., Zimmer, Z., & Keefe, J. (in progress). Understanding how long-term care organizational context affects nurses’ quality of work life in nova Scotia: A model of workforce support. [Unpublished Thesis]. Mount Saint Vincent University.

 

Briefs & Summaries

Wave 2:
Findings from the TREC Staff Survey in 2021 and 2024 – Continuing Care Assistants

Findings from the TREC Staff Survey in 2021 and 2024 – Nurses (RNs and LPNs)

Findings from the TREC Staff Survey in 2021 and 2024 – Managers

Wave 1:
TREC COVID Impact Survey – First Snapshot of Continuing Care Assistants

TREC COVID Impact Survey – First Snapshot of RNs and LPNs