Sector: health service

Type of hazard: qualification/basic and further training, work-related diseases, work-related health hazards

Catchwords: work and age, demography, physical strain/stress

Status: under way since 06/2006

Financed by: Initiative Gesundheit und Arbeit (Gemeinschaftsinitiative der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (DGUV), BKK-Bundesverband, AOK-Bundesverband und Arbeiter-Ersatzkassen-Verband)

Research institution(s): Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung e. V. (DGUV), BKK-Bundesverband, AOK-Bundesverband, Arbeiter-Ersatzkassen-Verband

Description, key words:

occupations of limited duration, early retirement, older employees, nursing care, personnel development, change of career

Aims:

The project under the heading "My next occupation" is intended to complement established approaches to the retention of a person's fitness for employment in the profession for which they were trained. The project concentrates upon a successful change of activity or career in cases where the person concerned is not expected to be able to pursue their occupation up to retirement age in spite of prevention measures. In 2007, the model occupation of in-patient nurse was studied and important findings obtained concerning a successful change of activity/career.

The aim of the project is to extrapolate the results for the model occupation to other at-risk occupations. Based upon in-patient nursing care alone, this does not appear to be possible. Continuation of the studies is planned in a second model occupation in the construction sector. The statistical analyses indicate a substantial need in this sector, as was confirmed at A+A 2007 by visitors from it.

Activities/methods:

To enable the changing requirements in nursing care to be described more accurately, 200 recent job advertisements were analyzed and 25 personnel managers, administrative directors, and directors of training institutions and nursing care services were consulted. Early-warning indicators were then sought for imminent loss of fitness for work in the first occupation. Ten company physicians were consulted for this purpose. For the identification of alternative occupations and approaches, 21 persons who had changed career were interviewed.

Results:

Among the requirements identified were patient orientation, initiative, businesslike action, interdisciplinary co-operation and intercultural skills. Sleeping disorders, general fatigue and unspecified cardiovascular complaints were the early-warning indicators most frequently mentioned.

Those interviewed gave their primary reasons for a change in task or career as being insufficient mental challenge coupled with a lack of scope for development, physical stress, and social conflict with their colleagues and with patients. Common to the employment biographies of those who had successfully changed career was that they had already changed job several times, had actively sought opportunities to learn, and had taken the initiative in obtaining further qualifications. A high level of satisfaction in their new occupation is typical of those who change career successfully. Their work in their new occupation is characterized among other things by holism, responsibility, autonomous time management, scope for vocational development, and recognition.

The objective of the project is for the findings obtained in the model occupations to form the basis of personnel advisory and development concepts which prepare employees in at-risk occupations at an early stage for a change in activity or occupation. We have drawn up a career matrix for careers advice in the context of the model project in in-patient nursing care.

e-mail: frauke.jahn@dguv.de, www.iga-info.de

last update: 20.02.2008