Consequences of Working in Eldercare during Organizational Changes and Cut Backs While Education and Clinical Supervision Was Provided:A Mixed Methods Study

Background: Reorganization and downsizing can disrupt a competent staff and conflicts can arise between what the employee is being asked to do and their knowledge and competences. Reduced job satisfaction among nursing home staff with increased workload and strain can occur. Aim and Objectives: The aim was to investigate the organizational climate and prevalence of burnout symptoms among caregivers over time in three Swedish nursing homes (NH I-III) undergoing organizational changes, while education and clinical supervision were provided. Design: The study design combines qualitative and quantitative methods in a longitudinal two-year follow-up project in NH I-III. Methods: Support through education and clinical supervision was provided for caregivers only at NH I and NH II. At NH I-III caregiver self-assessments and interviews were completed and analysed three different times. Results: NH I revealed improvement and increased innovation over time, while NH II showed a decline with no ability to implement new knowledge. NH III retained a more status quo. Conclusions: Organizational changes and cutbacks, occurring at different times, appeared to cause major stress and frustration among the three personnel groups. They felt guilty about not meeting their perceived obligations, seemed to have lost pride in their work but kept struggling. The changes seemed to over-shadow attempts to improve working conditions through education and clinical supervision initially. Implications for practice: It will be important to learn from reorganizations and the consequences they will have for the staff and quality of care. Important topics for future research are to study financial cutbacks and changes in organizational processes in care of older people to be able to develop a more person centered care for older people.

From Control to Empowerment:A Paradigm Shift in the Discourse of Educational Supervision

As educational reforms intensify and societal emphasis shifts towards empowerment,the traditional discourse paradigm of management and control in educational supervision faces growing challenges.This paper explores the transformation of this discourse paradigm through the lens of empowerment,analyzing its distinct characteristics,potential pathways,and effective strategies.This paper begins by reviewing the concept of empowerment and examining the current research landscape surrounding the discourse paradigm in educational supervision.Subsequently,we conduct a comparative analysis of the“control”and“empowerment”paradigms,highlighting their essential differences.This analysis illuminates the key characteristics of an empowerment-oriented approach to educational supervision,particularly its emphasis on dialogue,collaboration,participation,and,crucially,empowerment itself.Ultimately,this research advocates for a shift in educational supervision towards an empowerment-oriented discourse system.This entails a multi-pronged approach:transforming ingrained beliefs,embracing renewed pedagogical concepts,fostering methodological innovation,and optimizing existing mechanisms and strategies within educational supervision.These changes are proposed to facilitate the more effective alignment of educational supervision with the pursuit of high-quality education.