Research communication aimed at nursing and caring staff in the field of elderly and disability care and their managers
This project aims to promote the spreading of research-based knowledge within the framework of social services, more specifically within elderly and disability care. The project targets working staff and their managers. Many municipalities are struggling with budget deficits. It often happens that costs for further education and in-service training are far below the prioritization of what the budget will suffice. There are also major problems with recruiting staff with higher education. Contact areas with the university and research are thus very limited. By offering an opportunity to acquire current research relevant to the elderly and disability care, we hope to provide a valuable element through spreading of knowledge and thereby contribute to better care. The project is aimed primarily at smaller towns in the rural area and is carried out in a number of municipalities in Västerbotten. The method of the project is through giving lectures at the premises of the organizations with subsequent opportunities to ask questions. The lectures are video recorded and made accessible through a public website, questions and answers that arise during the question time will be documented, anonymized and compiled to complement the films. Thus, the mediated knowledge can reach both the staff who cannot attend due to irregular working hours as well as an interested public.
Final report
Presentation of the project "Research Communication Targeted at Frontline Staff in Elderly and Disability Care, as well as Their Managers" with reference number KOM18-1359:1.
Purpose and Development of the Project
The purpose of the project has been to fulfill the university's third mission: to disseminate the research of the Department of Social Work to the general public, specifically targeting frontline staff in elderly and disability care, along with their managers. This target group was chosen because they rarely have the opportunity for further education and often lack a connection to the university. Given that social work research pertains to the work areas of these individuals, we aimed to share both research questions and results in a way that would be interesting to them. It has been particularly important for the project to be adapted to the target audience in terms of language use and overall approach – in other words, not overly academic or theoretical. It was also crucial for us to engage in dialogue with the target audience and their managers before our visit to ensure the best possible execution. We decided to carry out the project over two years instead of one to allow for building strong relationships and planning with our target group prior to the visit. The concrete execution of the project had to be adjusted and developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the purpose remained the same.
Brief Overview of Implementation and Discussion on Achieved Goals
The project was granted funding in the fall of 2018, and we held our kickoff meeting in the spring of 2019 with participating researchers. In collaboration with FoU Västerbotten (Research and Development) at Region Västerbotten, an informational session was planned and conducted in the fall of 2019 in a network for managers in disability care in Lycksele. An equivalent digital session was organized with FoUI Norrbotten (Research and Development/Innovation) at Norrbottens Kommuner. Dorotea and Vilhelmina municipalities showed interest after the meeting in Lycksele and invited us in the spring of 2020. Prior to the planned meeting, we held digital meetings with the managers, during which they shared their wishes and needs. We tried to address these and tailor the content based on our areas of expertise. The result was a full-day program titled From Mental Illness to Mental Health: How Researchers Think – What Practitioners Do and What We Can Learn from Each Other. The meeting was scheduled for April 1st in Vilhelmina, with 120 participants registered, the venue booked, and the program finalized. However, everything was canceled due to COVID. The project was put on indefinite hold in March 2020. Planning resumed in the fall of 2022, and we applied to make certain adjustments to the project's implementation, while retaining the same goal: to visit workplaces in person or, if not possible, to conduct the project digitally. We also changed the research group we collaborated with, as the researchers who were previously involved were no longer available. A research group that had recently published an article and was keen on disseminating their results took over. Their topic – Intimate Care in Home Care and Personal Assistance: the Experiences of Users and Staff – aligned well with our project's target audience. Initially, we contacted the same municipalities that had shown interest previously but received no response from them. As a result, we turned to FoUI Norrbotten instead. We attended two network meetings for managers in disability and elderly care to find managers interested in the project. We received positive feedback here, particularly from a manager in Kiruna who was very enthusiastic. We scheduled a trip there in early March 2023, and it yielded a successful outcome. (See below for evaluation and reflections from this occasion.) Later in the spring, seven more managers from Norrbotten expressed interest, and we proposed a digital session with them. However, we couldn't find a suitable date within the project's timeframe, which ended at the mid-year point of 2023. There might be a digital session in the fall instead.
Visit to Kiruna
Before the visit to Kiruna, the research group created a 20-minute film in which they presented their research results in a way relevant to the target audience. The film included reflection questions for participants to ponder and discuss during the meeting. In the invitation, we urged participants to watch the film before our visit. The execution was successful: 11 frontline staff members and two managers attended the physical meeting space at Kiruna City Hall, while about 18 individuals joined online. The group was well-balanced, including participants from home care, personal assistance, and elderly care facilities. The inviting manager was engaged and helped with booking the venue, providing us with good practical conditions. The on-site group was of a manageable size, and the discussion was open, with participants willing to share their experiences with us and each other. Our accompanying researcher, who also appeared in the prerecorded film, ensured a positive environment by engaging participants as they arrived and by asking insightful questions to create a safe space for them to interact. This likely contributed to their subsequent willingness to ask questions and share their experiences.
One aspect that could be improved for future hybrid meetings is how they are arranged. It demands more from the meeting facilitator, as interaction becomes challenging with participants both in the room and online. Both digital and in-person formats have their merits – a digital approach might result in more participants, but quality is improved when the meeting is held either digitally or in person. However, the hybrid format did allow more people to participate. Technology matters, and if having the camera on were standard for everyone, there would be a greater sense of community, with everyone being visible – both in the room and online. Instead, we had two individuals managing the chat, yielding valuable input, but without the ability to see each other. Participation in discussions and asking questions becomes more challenging for those online, making it harder for us in the room to interact with those we couldn't see.
Participants' Evaluation
Only the 11 individuals present in person provided feedback. Their evaluations show that participants were highly satisfied with the day. Many felt that they learned more about various intimate situations from different work areas, and they planned to continue learning from one another and sharing their own tips for managing intimate situations within their teams. Much of what we discussed is encountered in their daily work, which confirmed their experiences while also providing new knowledge they could apply. We could have presented the research in an even more approachable manner and explained concepts further, while also using fewer complex academic terms. They also wished for more discussion questions and additional time. There were also requests to focus more on the service users next time, and to create materials such as images and videos for new staff and substitutes. Participants also reflected on their own methods of introducing new staff, sharing experiences among themselves, and requested more interaction with nurses, as well as more time to address the needs of service users and handle challenging/intimate situations.
Experiences and Lessons Learned
Allowing our project time and planning for a two-year implementation, as opposed to one (excluding the pandemic-induced extension), proved to be a successful strategy. This approach allowed us to find a suitable date that matched both the demanding care operations and the availability of the research group for this type of task. Collaborating through the FoU units at Region Västerbotten and Norrbottens Kommuner was also beneficial. Sharing information within established networks facilitated a positive reception of our message, eliminating the need to convince anyone of our intentions. Our project idea is adaptable to other research areas, and our experiences from the project were useful when the institution applied for funding from Formas' communication grant in 2021 on the theme of social sustainability. We received funding for the project Inclusive Social Urban Planning – Collaboration for Knowledge-based and Sustainable Community Development.
Looking Ahead – How Can We Apply Our Experiences in the Future?
We've learned the importance of understanding who we are meeting with so that we can tailor the material to the audience. In-person meetings lead to better interaction, especially when dealing with intimate and sensitive topics: creating a safe and inclusive space fosters open conversation. A physical meeting space provides more opportunities for discussion, while a digital or hybrid setting enables more participation, although it may lead to a loss of engagement in discussions and interactions between us and the audience.
During our visit to Kiruna, we had the privilege of spending time with the manager who invited us, both before and after our session with frontline staff. This meeting sparked ideas for customized training programs, subjects for new research projects, and thesis topics for our students. Even after our visit, our conversation continued through email. We will keep sharing our positive and less positive experiences with our way of working on the project. Above all, we will encourage more individuals within our department to adopt a similar approach in their research projects, especially those involving interviews.
Web Pages
https://www.umu.se/fokombas (Project Website)
Purpose and Development of the Project
The purpose of the project has been to fulfill the university's third mission: to disseminate the research of the Department of Social Work to the general public, specifically targeting frontline staff in elderly and disability care, along with their managers. This target group was chosen because they rarely have the opportunity for further education and often lack a connection to the university. Given that social work research pertains to the work areas of these individuals, we aimed to share both research questions and results in a way that would be interesting to them. It has been particularly important for the project to be adapted to the target audience in terms of language use and overall approach – in other words, not overly academic or theoretical. It was also crucial for us to engage in dialogue with the target audience and their managers before our visit to ensure the best possible execution. We decided to carry out the project over two years instead of one to allow for building strong relationships and planning with our target group prior to the visit. The concrete execution of the project had to be adjusted and developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the purpose remained the same.
Brief Overview of Implementation and Discussion on Achieved Goals
The project was granted funding in the fall of 2018, and we held our kickoff meeting in the spring of 2019 with participating researchers. In collaboration with FoU Västerbotten (Research and Development) at Region Västerbotten, an informational session was planned and conducted in the fall of 2019 in a network for managers in disability care in Lycksele. An equivalent digital session was organized with FoUI Norrbotten (Research and Development/Innovation) at Norrbottens Kommuner. Dorotea and Vilhelmina municipalities showed interest after the meeting in Lycksele and invited us in the spring of 2020. Prior to the planned meeting, we held digital meetings with the managers, during which they shared their wishes and needs. We tried to address these and tailor the content based on our areas of expertise. The result was a full-day program titled From Mental Illness to Mental Health: How Researchers Think – What Practitioners Do and What We Can Learn from Each Other. The meeting was scheduled for April 1st in Vilhelmina, with 120 participants registered, the venue booked, and the program finalized. However, everything was canceled due to COVID. The project was put on indefinite hold in March 2020. Planning resumed in the fall of 2022, and we applied to make certain adjustments to the project's implementation, while retaining the same goal: to visit workplaces in person or, if not possible, to conduct the project digitally. We also changed the research group we collaborated with, as the researchers who were previously involved were no longer available. A research group that had recently published an article and was keen on disseminating their results took over. Their topic – Intimate Care in Home Care and Personal Assistance: the Experiences of Users and Staff – aligned well with our project's target audience. Initially, we contacted the same municipalities that had shown interest previously but received no response from them. As a result, we turned to FoUI Norrbotten instead. We attended two network meetings for managers in disability and elderly care to find managers interested in the project. We received positive feedback here, particularly from a manager in Kiruna who was very enthusiastic. We scheduled a trip there in early March 2023, and it yielded a successful outcome. (See below for evaluation and reflections from this occasion.) Later in the spring, seven more managers from Norrbotten expressed interest, and we proposed a digital session with them. However, we couldn't find a suitable date within the project's timeframe, which ended at the mid-year point of 2023. There might be a digital session in the fall instead.
Visit to Kiruna
Before the visit to Kiruna, the research group created a 20-minute film in which they presented their research results in a way relevant to the target audience. The film included reflection questions for participants to ponder and discuss during the meeting. In the invitation, we urged participants to watch the film before our visit. The execution was successful: 11 frontline staff members and two managers attended the physical meeting space at Kiruna City Hall, while about 18 individuals joined online. The group was well-balanced, including participants from home care, personal assistance, and elderly care facilities. The inviting manager was engaged and helped with booking the venue, providing us with good practical conditions. The on-site group was of a manageable size, and the discussion was open, with participants willing to share their experiences with us and each other. Our accompanying researcher, who also appeared in the prerecorded film, ensured a positive environment by engaging participants as they arrived and by asking insightful questions to create a safe space for them to interact. This likely contributed to their subsequent willingness to ask questions and share their experiences.
One aspect that could be improved for future hybrid meetings is how they are arranged. It demands more from the meeting facilitator, as interaction becomes challenging with participants both in the room and online. Both digital and in-person formats have their merits – a digital approach might result in more participants, but quality is improved when the meeting is held either digitally or in person. However, the hybrid format did allow more people to participate. Technology matters, and if having the camera on were standard for everyone, there would be a greater sense of community, with everyone being visible – both in the room and online. Instead, we had two individuals managing the chat, yielding valuable input, but without the ability to see each other. Participation in discussions and asking questions becomes more challenging for those online, making it harder for us in the room to interact with those we couldn't see.
Participants' Evaluation
Only the 11 individuals present in person provided feedback. Their evaluations show that participants were highly satisfied with the day. Many felt that they learned more about various intimate situations from different work areas, and they planned to continue learning from one another and sharing their own tips for managing intimate situations within their teams. Much of what we discussed is encountered in their daily work, which confirmed their experiences while also providing new knowledge they could apply. We could have presented the research in an even more approachable manner and explained concepts further, while also using fewer complex academic terms. They also wished for more discussion questions and additional time. There were also requests to focus more on the service users next time, and to create materials such as images and videos for new staff and substitutes. Participants also reflected on their own methods of introducing new staff, sharing experiences among themselves, and requested more interaction with nurses, as well as more time to address the needs of service users and handle challenging/intimate situations.
Experiences and Lessons Learned
Allowing our project time and planning for a two-year implementation, as opposed to one (excluding the pandemic-induced extension), proved to be a successful strategy. This approach allowed us to find a suitable date that matched both the demanding care operations and the availability of the research group for this type of task. Collaborating through the FoU units at Region Västerbotten and Norrbottens Kommuner was also beneficial. Sharing information within established networks facilitated a positive reception of our message, eliminating the need to convince anyone of our intentions. Our project idea is adaptable to other research areas, and our experiences from the project were useful when the institution applied for funding from Formas' communication grant in 2021 on the theme of social sustainability. We received funding for the project Inclusive Social Urban Planning – Collaboration for Knowledge-based and Sustainable Community Development.
Looking Ahead – How Can We Apply Our Experiences in the Future?
We've learned the importance of understanding who we are meeting with so that we can tailor the material to the audience. In-person meetings lead to better interaction, especially when dealing with intimate and sensitive topics: creating a safe and inclusive space fosters open conversation. A physical meeting space provides more opportunities for discussion, while a digital or hybrid setting enables more participation, although it may lead to a loss of engagement in discussions and interactions between us and the audience.
During our visit to Kiruna, we had the privilege of spending time with the manager who invited us, both before and after our session with frontline staff. This meeting sparked ideas for customized training programs, subjects for new research projects, and thesis topics for our students. Even after our visit, our conversation continued through email. We will keep sharing our positive and less positive experiences with our way of working on the project. Above all, we will encourage more individuals within our department to adopt a similar approach in their research projects, especially those involving interviews.
Web Pages
https://www.umu.se/fokombas (Project Website)