Burnout and occupational stress of home care rehabilitation professionals transitioning out of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the home healthcare industry, with increased rates of burnout and stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals (hcRPs). This study aimed to (1) examine the nature of burnout and occupational stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals at a large home care organization in Ontario, Canada, transitioning out of the pandemic, and (2) assess its impact on work participation and engagement.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to examine burnout and job stress.

Ethical considerations of public health surveillance in the age of the internet of things technologies: A perspective.

In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), ethical considerations of digitally-led public health surveillance are crucial. However, their application becomes complicated due to an implicit dichotomy of ethical and legal factors. Decision-makers often omit ethical considerations, citing legal ones to justify how public health surveillance is approached and implemented.

Handling the Imbalanced Problem in Agri-Food Data Analysis.

Imbalanced data situations exist in most fields of endeavor. The problem has been identified as a major bottleneck in machine learning/data mining and is becoming a serious issue of concern in food processing applications. Inappropriate analysis of agricultural and food processing data was identified as limiting the robustness of predictive models built from agri-food applications.

The effects of occupational and mental stress among home care rehabilitation professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic: An exploratory qualitative study.

Home care rehabilitation professionals (hcRPs) provide health services for clients with a broad range of medical conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, home care rehabilitation professionals experienced exacerbations of pre-existing work-related stressors, increased risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus, reduced resource availability, greater workloads, and staffing shortages. The primary aim of this study was to examine the experience and impact of occupational and mental stress on hcRPs working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A systematic review of the literature: Gender-based violence in the construction and natural resources industry.

Gender-based violence (GBV) poses a significant concern in the construction and natural resources industries, where women, due to lower social status and integration, are at heightened risk. This systematic review aimed to identify the prevalence and experience of GBV in the construction and natural resources industries. A systematic search across databases including PubMed, OVID, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL was conducted.

Exploring the link between occupationally relevant whole body vibration and headache and neck pain: is elevated muscle tension an intermediary factor?

Whole body vibration (WBV) is linked to short- and longer-term adverse health outcomes, including cognitive impairment, stress and memory loss, loss of balance, reduced proprioception, visual and vestibular disturbances, gastrointestinal problems, and musculoskeletal disorders. Epidemiological evidence supports the link between WBV and headache and head discomfort, but few experimental studies have examined this relationship, particularly with increased muscle tension, as an intermediary. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between muscle tension and vibration intensity, between perceived neck pain and headache/head discomfort and vibration intensity, and between muscle tension and reported neck pain and headache symptoms from simulated WBV based on field measurements of all-terrain vehicle operation on farm terrain.

Clinical education models in rural practice settings: A scoping review.

Aim: The objective of this review is to identify and synthesize the literature on clinical nursing education models in rural settings, with the goal of developing a better understanding of effective clinical education models suitable for rural nursing education.

Background: Clinical education is an integral part of nursing education, yet very little clinical education occurs in rural and remote areas. This leaves the rural landscape vulnerable to inadequate health care staffing because many graduates will begin their nursing practice in the geographical areas where they studied.

Quality, productivity, and economic implications of exoskeletons for occupational use: A systematic review.

The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the current state of knowledge on the quality and productivity of workers and their work while wearing exoskeletons, as well as the economic implications of exoskeletons for occupational use. Following the PRISMA guidelines, six databases were systematically searched for relevant journal articles, written in English, and published since January 2000. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria had their quality assessed using JBI's Checklist for Quasi-Experimental Studies (Non-Randomized Experimental Studies).

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Return-to-Work Interventions for Individuals with Work-Related Mental Health Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The workplace is a vital setting to support positive mental health. Mental health conditions in the workforce contribute to decreased work engagement and participation. There is existing literature on return-to-work (RTW) interventions for individuals with work-related mental health conditions, however, there lacks consensus on their effectiveness.

Is there a u-shaped relationship between load levels and fatigue and recovery? An examination of possible mechanisms.

In a previous study, an unexpected u-shaped relationship was observed between load level and fatigue/recovery responses. Moderate load levels resulted in lower perceived discomfort, pain, and fatigue, and shorter recovery times compared to either low or high load levels. This phenomenon has been reported in other studies, but no article has examined the possible mechanisms that might explain this u-shaped relationship.

Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction in Medical Laboratory Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study in Ontario, Canada.

Job satisfaction has been widely studied across several healthcare disciplines and is correlated with important outcomes such as job performance and employee mental health. However, there is limited research on job satisfaction among medical laboratory professionals (MLPs), a key healthcare group that aids in diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. The objective of this study is to examine the demographic and psychosocial factors associated with job satisfaction for MLPs in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evolving pipe joining methods and their association to musculoskeletal symptoms for residential plumbers.

Background: Recently the plumbing trade has transitioned from traditional copper piping to flexible plastic piping (PEX) for residential water distribution systems. However, there has been very limited research into the ergonomic implications of the modernized processes.

Objective: This research documents the physical workload and risks of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) with the use of new tools and processes for joining piping.

Psychological empowerment and job crafting among registered nurses working in public health: A quantitative study.

Background And Objectives: The researchers examine the relationship between two variables related to work meaningfulness and engagement - psychological empowerment and job crafting - among Ontario registered nurses working in public health.

Research Design And Methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted in Ontario, Canada with registered nurses (n = 238) from six randomly selected health units. Registered nurses provided quantitative ratings of their psychological empowerment and job crafting behaviours in an online, confidential, anonymous survey.

Synthesis of Evidence to Support EMS Personnel's Mental Health During Disease Outbreaks: A Scoping Review.

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are at high risk for adverse mental health outcomes during disease outbreaks. To support the development of evidence-informed mitigation strategies, we conducted a scoping review to identify the extent of research pertaining to EMS personnel's mental health during disease outbreaks and summarized key factors associated with mental health outcomes. We systematically searched three databases for articles containing keywords within three concepts: EMS personnel, disease outbreaks, and mental health.

Mental and physical health and well-being of canadian employees who were working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed various aspects of our lives, including how we work. Since the start of the pandemic, numerous organizations in Canada have mandated their employees to work from home (WFH) on a full-time basis. The rapid rise in the number of remote workers and the possibility for WFH continuing in the future signifies the importance of understanding the health and well-being of employees working from home over the course of the pandemic in Canada.

Working in the digital economy: A systematic review of the impact of work from home arrangements on personal and organizational performance and productivity.

Work-from-home has become an increasingly adopted practice globally. Given the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, such arrangements have risen substantially in a short timeframe. Work-from-home has been associated with several physical and mental health outcomes.

Defining the Assisted Living Sector in Canada: An Environmental Scan.

Objectives: In this study, we (1) identify the terms used to describe the assisted living sector and the legislation governing operation in all Canadian provinces and territories; (2) identify the cost estimates associated with residency in these homes; and (3) quantify the growth of the sector.

Design: Environmental scan.

Setting And Participants: Internet searches of Canadian provincial and territorial government websites and professional associations were conducted in 2021 to retrieve publicly accessible sources related to the assisted living sector.

Organizational strategies to address posttraumatic stress injuries among Canadian paramedics.

Background: Paramedics are a high-risk occupational group for posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI), and increasingly, evidence suggests that organizational factors play a significant role. While several resources for paramedic services to address PTSI exist, there is limited knowledge as to which PTSI-related programs and practices are implemented and how they are perceived in the workplace.

Objectives: This research aimed to explore key informants' perspectives on existing and desired organizational-wide initiatives for, as well as the challenges and potential solutions to, the primary prevention, early detection and intervention, and disability management of PTSI in Canadian paramedic services.

Implementation evaluation of a stepped approach to home care assessment using interRAI systems in Ontario, Canada.

In Ontario, new home care clients are screened with the interRAI Contact Assessment and only those expected to require longer-term services receive the comprehensive RAI-Home Care assessment. Although Ontario adopted this two-step approach in 2010, it is unknown whether the assessment guidelines were implemented as intended. To evaluate implementation fidelity, the purpose of this study is to compare expected to actual client profiles and care co-ordinator practice patterns.

Job crafting in registered nurses working in public health: A qualitative study.

Background And Objectives: Job crafting is proactively adjusting and redesigning one's own job to make it more meaningful. This is accomplished by changing the activities (task crafting), altering the way one thinks about the job (cognitive crafting), and using discretion about with whom one chooses to work (relational crafting). We examined self-reported behavioral manifestations of job crafting among Ontario registered nurses working in public health.

Disclosure dilemmas: how people with a mental health condition perceive and manage disclosure at work.

Purpose: Little research has explored the process of disclosure decision-making from antecedents to outcomes. This paper presents a model of decision-making about disclosure of a mental health condition to the immediate supervisor in the workplace shortly after starting a new job.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was employed to explore participants' experiences of the disclosure decision-making process, the disclosure event itself (if applicable), and their perceptions of the impact of the decision on personal, interpersonal, and organizational outcomes.

Awakening Canadians to ageism: a study protocol.

Background: Making fun of growing older is considered socially acceptable, yet ageist humour reinforces negative stereotypes that growing old is linked with physical and mental deterioration, dependence, and less social value. Such stereotypes and discrimination affect the wellbeing of older people, the largest demographic of Canadians. While ageism extends throughout professions and social institutions, we expect nurses-the largest and most trusted group of healthcare professionals-to provide non-ageist care to older people.

Exposure to Whole-Body Vibration in Commercial Heavy-Truck Driving in On- and Off-Road Conditions: Effect of Seat Choice.

Trucking is a key industry in Canada with around 180 000 professional drivers. As an industry it has a disproportionately high injury claim rate, particularly for back injuries. Whole-body vibration (WBV) can contribute to the onset and development of low back disorders, and is a well-documented exposure among driving professions.

Technology Recommendations to Support Person-Centered Care in Long-Term Care Homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed persistent inequities in the long-term care sector and brought strict social/physical distancing distancing and public health quarantine guidelines that inadvertently put long-term care residents at risk for social isolation and loneliness. Virtual communication and technologies have come to the forefront as the primary mode for residents to maintain connections with their loved ones and the outside world; yet, many long-term care homes do not have the technological capabilities to support modern day technologies. There is an urgent need to replace antiquated technological infrastructures to enable person-centered care and prevent potentially irreversible cognitive and psychological declines by ensuring residents are able to maintain important relationships with their family and friends.

Transforming primary care for older Canadians living with frailty: mixed methods study protocol for a complex primary care intervention.

Introduction: Older Canadians living with frailty are high users of healthcare services; however, the healthcare system is not well designed to meet the complex needs of many older adults. Older persons look to their primary care practitioners to assess their needs and coordinate their care. They may need care from a variety of providers and services, but often this care is not well coordinated.