Seeking a deeper understanding of complex interactions in home care services
Research by Vilhelmína Þ. Einarsdóttir on complex interactions in home care services reveals that these dynamics significantly impact staff, clients, and immediate family, potentially compromising care quality and undermining the health and well-being of everyone involved. She explains that home care services staff must remain mindful of this in their daily work. Managers, in turn, must support staff in resolving difficult interactions constructively.
Vilhelmína's research aimed to build a clearer understanding of what drives complex interactions among staff, clients, and their immediate family. The study also explored how home care services can be strengthened to better address these interactions.
Vilhelmína has long been passionate about mental health. She worked in the psychiatric ward at Landspítali Hospital before joining Reykjavík City's home nursing services in 2006, and has since held a variety of roles there, including several management positions and work on both the Selma Team and the rehabilitation team.
Many factors shape interactions
Today, Vilhelmína works as an education manager in home nursing while pursuing an M.Phil. at the University of Iceland's Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery. She is writing two academic papers as part of her studies. Her first paper, which examines complex interactions in home care services from a staff perspective, was recently published in the journal Global Qualitative Nursing Research. Vilhelmína is now finishing the second paper, which examines complex interactions from the perspective of clients and their immediate family. This focus is familiar territory for her; her master's thesis also examined complex interactions in home nursing.
"My interest in this topic grew from repeatedly witnessing complex situations arise between people in my work—situations that were genuinely difficult to resolve. I grew increasingly interested in furthering my education and exploring these topics," says Vilhelmína. She says she quickly realized how important it is to view interactions as a dynamic involving everyone concerned, rather than simply as a reflection of the client's personality.
Vilhelmína's research draws on six cases. She interviewed clients residing in various neighborhoods across the city, all of whom had a history of complex interactions. She spoke with the clients, the immediate family of five of them, and the home care services staff involved in their care, including nursing team leaders, social services team leaders, nurses, licensed practical nurses, unit supervisors, and social assistants.
People generally want positive interactions
Every case Vilhelmína examined involved a history of difficult interactions. She was therefore surprised by how consistently staff, clients, and immediate family began their conversations by noting that interactions generally go well. This suggests that people generally desire positive interactions, making it well worth the effort to find the right approach to achieve that goal. She notes that staff in particular must be mindful of how they engage in interactions and take the time to handle them with care. Maintaining an open mind and a solution-focused attitude is equally important, she adds. Staff often feel frustrated and helpless in these situations, which can compromise service quality and make them more likely to leave their positions. With that in mind, it is crucial that staff feel supported and encouraged by their managers.