A Study on Work Stress, Satisfaction, and Dementia Attitudes of Social Care Work Force of Dependent Elders

노인시설 종사자의 업무스트레스, 업무만족, 치매 및 인간중심보호 인식 연구: 사회복지사, 간호사, 생활지도원의 비교

The study analyzes the characteristics, work stress, satisfaction and attitudes toward dementia of social care work force for dependent elders in Korea. Data were from 502 staffs including social workers, nurses, and direct care workers from 45 diverse type of nursing facilities in Busan and Daegu area. The results of the analysis indicate that they are low paid and overloaded in general. The respondents espoused highly hopeful and person-centered attitudes toward dementia and the elderly, while they showed low level of satisfaction related to work. The stress levels were higher in sub scales concerning care tasks and physical environments in work places. In addition, the results of multiple regression denote that those have higher level of satisfaction who are nurses, have no intension to quit, have more experiences of work education, and working in facilities with more frail elders. Stresses were closely related to higher level of education and the intension to quit. Person centered attitude was more often reported by those who have more elderly clients to take care of and are working in facilities with more elders who are demented and over 80. In particular, the association was consistent between higher level of job satisfaction and the person centered attitude. Several practical suggestions linked to the analysis were made including improving the welfare for staffs working in nursing facilities and providing continuous professional training and education for them particularly on person-centered care. In addition, it was emphasized to raise the morale of social care work force considering the rapidly increasing need of long term care and the important influence that care work force has on older persons' quality of life from now on.

이 연구에서는 부산과 대구 지역의 노인시설에 근무하는 사회복지사, 간호사, 생활지도원 502명을 대상으로, 노인보호 관련 종사자들의 업무특성을 반영하여 고안된 측정도구들을 활용하여 이들의 일반적인 특성과 업무 스트레스, 업무 만족, 치매 및 인간중심 보호와 관련된 인식과 태도를 조사하여 그 결과를 분석하였다. 분석 결과 노인시설 종사자들의 급여수준이 낮고 근무시간이 길며 업무 부담이 과중한 상태인 것으로 나타났다. 치매 및 인간중심 보호와 관련된 종사자들의 인식수준은 높은 편이었으나, 업무 만족 수준이 낮았고 노인에 대한 보호 제공 및 업무환경과 관련된 스트레스가 높게 나타났다. 노인장기요양보험제도 시행을 앞두고 노인에게 사회적 보호를 제공할 전문 인력의 원활한 수급과 전문성 향상, 보호의 질 제고를 위하여 노인시설 종사인력에 대한 처우 개선과 인력 확충, 중장년기 인력 활용, 노인시설 종사인력에 대한 전문적 훈련과 교육 강화, 노인시설에서의 인간중심 보호 방식의 도입과 실천이 필요함을 제시하였다.