Capturing the dynamics of a work day : ecological momentary assessment of work stressors on the health of long-term caregivers

Abstract

The long-term care sector in Canada is undergoing fundamental transformation. Despite these changes, there is a scarcity of empirical research about the psychological and physiological demands of working in long-term care. The current study aimed to gain a better understanding of this issue by investigating the relationships between experiences at work and psychological and physiological outcomes. Hourly perceived experiences and cardiovascular reactivity during the workdays of 30 female long-term care workers were obtained using diaries and ambulatory blood pressure monitors. Multi-level modeling revealed that work overload, and noisy, fast-paced environments led to higher stress, more negative affectivity, and exacerbated systolic blood pressure reactivity. High quality interactions with residents and break times at work lowered stress and increased positive affectivity. Furthermore, negative affectivity increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure reactivity. Implications for long-term care practices and for occupational health psychology are discussed.