Publications
Please change from ‘Publications’ to “Recent Knowledge Translation Activities”
RECENT KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION ACTIVITIES
Title: International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics – European Region
Ward-Griffin, C., Brown, J. Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M., & St-Amant, O. (April 14-17 2011). Nurses
caring for elderly relatives: Exploring the impacts of double duty caregiving. VII European Congress IAGG-ER:
Healthy Active Aging for All Europeans ‘II’, Bologna, Italy.
(drop down/click on the title and the abstract appears)
Abstract:
Nurses Caring for Elderly Relatives: Exploring the Impact of Double Duty Caregiving
Background: Double duty caregiving (DDC) is the provision of care to elderly relatives by
practicing health professionals. Because health professionals are located at the juncture of public
and private domains of caregiving they have unique caregiving experiences. And yet, few studies
have investigated the impact of DDC, particularly to what degree health professionals negotiate
their professional and personal caring boundaries.
Objectives: The objectives of this presentation are to: 1) compare the health, well-being and
caregiver burnout between DDCs and non-DDCs; and 2) examine the caregiving experiences of
DDC.
Methods: The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to examine how and to what
degree DDC affects the health of Canadian, female and male RNs caring for elderly relatives.
Phase I: Using a cross-sectional survey design, our stratified sample of 1424 RNs randomly
selected from provincial college memberships completed mailed or web surveys. Phase II:
Using grounded theory to further investigate the dimensions of the DDC, we conducted repeat
in-depth telephone interviews with a purposeful sample if 50 male and female DDCs,
investigating how workplace and/or government policies may shape the health effects of DDC.
Results: By using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, our findings have made visible
what has been “invisible”- caregiving at the juncture of professional and personal caregiving
domains. DDCs report lower health outcomes compared to non-DDCs. Further, female DDCs
experience higher levels of exhaustion compared to male DDCs. Qualitative findings also
suggest that DDCs, with limited tangible resources and high expectations to provide familial
care, takes a toll on their health.
Discussion: Developing a more comprehensive understanding of DDC and how it influences the
health and well-being of health professionals, is particularly urgent given the aging population,
an aging health care workforce, and an increasing shortage of health care professionals. Study
findings revealed that the provision of care at home and at work tended to result in negative
health effects for RNs, which warrants further investigation. Ultimately, study findings will lead
to policy recommendations that will promote the health of DDCs, their relatives and their
patients.
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Title: ISIH In Sickness & Health
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Brown, J. B., Kerr, M., & St-Amant, O. (May 4-6 2011). Nurses
Caring for Elderly Relatives: Examining the Care Work of Double Duty Caregivers. ISIH In Sickness & Health: An
International Community of Scholars and Researchers, Odense, Denmark.
(drop down/click on the title and the abstract appears)
Abstract:
Nurses Caring for Elderly Relatives: Examining the Care Work of Double Duty Caregivers
Background: Double duty caregivers (DDCs) are those individuals who provide care both at
home and at work. Current conceptualizations of paid and unpaid care work tend to assume that
these two domains are distinct, subsequently little is known about the health effects of the
blurring of boundaries between familial and professional caregiving.
Purpose: Guided by a critical feminist perspective, the purpose of this sequential mixed-methods
study was to examine how and to what degree DDC affects the health of Canadian, female and
male RNs caring for elderly relatives.
Methods: Phase I: Using a cross-sectional survey design, 1424 RNs were randomly selected from
provincial college memberships who completed mailed or web surveys. Phase II: Using
grounded theory, repeat in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample
if 50 male and female DDCs.
Results: DDCs reported lower health outcomes compared to non-DDCs. Further, female DDCs
experience higher levels of exhaustion compared to male DDCs. Qualitative findings also
suggest that DDCs professionalize their familial care, especially those with high expectations
and limited resources, taking a toll on their health.
Conclusion: Study findings revealed that the provision of care at home and at work tended to
result in negative health effects for RNs, which warrants further investigation. Developing a
more comprehensive understanding of DDC and how it influences the health and well-being of
health professionals, is particularly urgent given the aging population, an aging health care
workforce, and an increasing shortage of health care professionals.
____________________________________
Title: 24th Annual Sigma Theta Tau Research Conference
St-Amant, O., Ward-Griffin, C., Brown, J. B., Kerr, M., Sutherland, N. (May 6 2011). Policy and practice
implications for double duty caregivers: A critical structural health promotion approach. 24th Annual Research
Conference: Promoting Excellence in Nursing Practice through Research, London, Ontario.
(drop down/click on the title and the abstract appears)
Abstract:
Policy and Practice Implications for Double Duty Caregivers: A Critical Structural Health
Promotion Approach.
Background: Double duty caregivers (DDCs), healthcare professionals who provide care at home
and at work, are often called upon to fill the systemic gaps in healthcare services for seniors. And
yet, there are few policies and practices to support or even acknowledge the care work provided
by DDCs in Ontario.
Purpose: This study aimed to examine the context of double duty caregiving and ultimately the
health effects for DDCs and their families. The purpose of this presentation is to illuminate those
policy and practice opportunities that promote health for DDCs in Ontario.
Methods: A sequential mixed-method approach was employed to test the relationship between
double duty caregiving and health as well as shed light on those enacted processes of being a
‘professional’ and ‘personal’ caregiver. Phase I: A stratified sample of 849 RNs was randomly
selected from an Ontario membership list. Male and female RNs completed a mailed survey,
including health, well-being and burnout measures. Phase II: Further, data were also collected by
completing repeated in-depth telephone interviews for a purposeful sample of 20 male and
female RNs in Ontario.
Findings: DDCs in the Making It Work Prototype reported better health outcomes than DDCs in
the Working to Manage or Living on the Edge Prototype (p value < 0.001). Further, DDCs in the
Making It Work Prototype were more likely to have flexible scheduling in their workplace (2=
7.308; df=1; p= 0.009). As well, based on the Phase II interviews, DDCs within this prototype
described the support they received within the workplace as ultimately translating into a health
enhancing personal caregiving experiences.
Discussion: It is imperative to shed light on those policies and practices that contribute to the
positive health outcomes for DDCs and identify opportunities for change that will enhance health
for all Ontario DDCs.
_______________________________________
Title: FICCDAT Conference
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Brown, J.B., Kerr, M., St-Amant, O. (June 5-8 2011). Negotiating
the boundaries between professional and familial care work. FICCDAT Conference, Mississauga, Ontario.
(drop down/click on the title and the abstract appears)
Abstract:
Negotiating the Boundaries between Professional and Familial Care Work
Background: Although the prevalence of double duty caregiving (DDC), defined here as the
provision of care to elderly relatives by practicing health professionals, is currently unknown,
research has shown that approximately 30-50% of the working population provides care to older
relatives. Few studies have examined the health effects of DDC or how double duty caregivers
(DDCs) negotiate their professional and personal caring boundaries. The objectives of this
presentation are to: 1) compare the health, well-being and caregiver burnout between male and
female DDCs and non-DDCs; and 2) examine the caregiving experiences of male and female
DDCs.
Methods: The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to examine how and to what
degree DDC affects the health of Canadian, female and male RNs caring for elderly relatives.
Phase I: Using a cross-sectional survey design, our stratified sample of 1424 RNs randomly
selected from provincial college memberships completed mailed or web surveys. The
hypothesized DDC model was tested using Structural Equation Modelling procedures Phase II:
Using grounded theory to further investigate the dimensions of the DDC, we conducted repeat
in-depth telephone interviews with a purposeful sample if 50 male and female DDCs,
investigating how workplace and/or government policies may shape the health effects of DDC.
Results: By using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, our findings have made visible
what has been “invisible”- the negotiation of professional and familial care boundaries. In
general, DDCs report lower health outcomes compared to non-DDCs. Further, female DDCs
experience higher levels of exhaustion compared to male DDCs. Qualitative findings also
suggest that DDCs, with limited tangible supports, experience poor health. Two major themes
emerged: Professionalizing Familial Care and Striving for Balance. In particular, six strategies
including assessing, advising, advocating, consulting, coordinating and collaborating, were used
by DDCs which professionalized the care they provided in the familial care domain.
Subsequently as expectations rose and resources dwindled, participants reported that double
duty caregiving took a toll on their health.
Significance: Research on DDC informs two key policy challenges: the contribution of family
caregivers and the investment in healthy work environments with the aim of retaining a strong
health care workforce. Ultimately, study findings will assist with the development and
refinement of policies to promote the health of DDCs. Developing a more comprehensive
understanding of DDC and how it influences the health and well-being of health professionals is
particularly urgent given the aging population, an aging workforce and increasing shortage of
health care professionals.
____________________________________________________
Title: The 10th International Family Nursing Conference
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Brown, J.B., Kerr, M., St-Amant, O. (June 25-27 2011).
Professionalizing familial care: Nurses caring for elderly relatives. The 10th International Family Nursing
Conference, Kyoto, Japan.
(drop down/click on the title and the abstract appears)
Abstract:
Professionalizing Familial Care: Nurses Caring for Elderly Relatives
Background: Current conceptualizations of paid and unpaid care work tend to depict these two
domains as distinct, subsequently little is known about the health effects of the blurring of
boundaries between familial and nursing care.
Purpose: The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study (cross-sectional survey and
constructivist grounded theory) was to examine how and to what caring at home and at work
(double duty caregiving-DDC) affects health. This presentation will focus on phase two of the
study.
Methods: Guided by a critical feminist perspective, we sought to better understand how
expectations of familial care and the resources to provide that care shaped the health of double
duty caregivers (DDCs). Using a purposive sample selected from Phase I, repeated in-depth
telephone interviews with 50 Canadian male and female nurses caring for elderly relatives were
conducted.
Results: Data analysis revealed that DDCs tended to professionalize their familial care.
Embedded within two overarching processes, setting limits and making connections, six subprocesses emerged: assessing, advising, advocating, collaborating, coordinating and consulting.
Each of these strategies assisted DDCs to respond to familial care expectations and care
resources. For those DDCs with high expectations and limited resources, the boundaries
between professional and personal care domains blurred, taking a toll on their health.
Conclusions: Study findings revealed that being the “family nurse” often resulted in negative
health effects. Developing a more comprehensive understanding of DDC and how it influences
the health of nurses will inform the refinement and development of policies and practices that
will promote health of DDCs.
_______________________________________________________________
Title: International Philosophy of Nursing Society
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Brown, J.B., Kerr, M., St-Amant, O. (September 2010). Rethinking care work for double duty caregivers: Using constructivist grounded theory to examine the health effects of
DDC. Philosophizing Social Justice in Nursing: The 14th International Philosophy of Nursing Conference,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
(drop down/click on the title and the abstract appears)
Abstract:
Re-thinking care work for double duty caregivers: Using constructivist grounded theory to
examine the health effects of DDC
Double duty caregivers (DDCs) are those individuals who provide care both at home and at
work. Building on our previous qualitative research that revealed a dramatic blurring or erosion
of boundaries between familial and professional caregiving amongst health professionals resulted
in negative health effects, this study aimed to examine the context of double duty caregiving and
ultimately the health effects for DDCs and their families. A constructivist grounded theory
approach was employed to shed light on those enacted processes made real through performed
actions of DDC and consequently how the duality of being a formal/informal caregiver shapes
health for nurses and their elderly relatives. Data were collected by completing repeated in-depth
telephone interviews for a purposeful sample of 50 male and female RNs in Ontario, Nova Scotia
and British Columbia. Data analysis revealed that DDCs simultaneously enacted a position of
privilege and oppression. The knowledge and skill of caregiving positioned some nurses as the
‘expert’ in familial care, while others were expected to provide care and lacked sufficient
resources to support their elderly relative. Neo-liberal ideologies related to ‘care work’ (the
emphasis on caregiving as labor) have shaped the blurring of boundaries between professional
and familial care and assumed that such domains are easily separable. The findings from this
research study suggest the need for a philosophical shift in how care work is conceptualized for
nurses and family caregivers.
ARCHIVED KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION ACTIVITIES
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M. & Brown, J.B., St-Amant, O. (December 2010).
Examining the health effects of double duty caregiving: A constructivist grounded theory. 39th Annual Scientific
and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology: Spotlight on integration of knowledge and
practice, Montreal, Quebec.
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M., & Brown, J.B., St-Amant, O. (2010, July). Health
Professionals Caring for Elderly Relatives: Promoting the Health of Doubly Duty Caregivers. 20th IUHPE World
Conference on Health Promotion, Geneva, Switzerland.
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M., & Brown, J.B., St-Amant, O. (2010, July). Health
Professionals Caring for Elderly Relatives: Examining the Health Effects of Double Duty Caregiving. 5th
International Carers Conference: New Frontiers in Caring: 2010 and beyond, Leeds, United Kingdom.
St-Amant, O., Ward-Griffin, C., McDonald, J., Anjos, P., Turpin, L., Tsang, T. (2010, April). Health Care
Professional Caring for Elderly Relatives: Investigating the Health Effects of DDCs. 23rd Annual Research
Conference: Promoting Excellence in Nursing Practice through Research, London, Ontario.
McDonald, J., Ward-Griffin, C. St-Amant, O., Turpin, L., Tsang, T., Anjos, A. P., & Aguilar, I. (2010, February).
Nurse Family Caregivers: Exploring the Health Effects of Double Duty Caregiving. Aging, Rehabilitation &
Geriatric Care Research/Faculty of Health Sciences Symposium: ‘Bridging Collaborative Research Momentum in
Aging, Rehabilitation & Geriatric Care’. London, Ontario.
McDonald, J., Ward-Griffin, C. St-Amant, O., Turpin, L., Tsang, T., Anjos, A. P., & Aguilar, I. (2010, March).
Nurse Family Caregivers: Exploring the Health Effects of Double Duty Caregiving. Faculty of Health Sciences
Research Day. London, Ontario.
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M., & Brown, J.B., St-Amant, O. (2009, October). Health
Professionals Caring for Elderly Relatives in an Aging Society: Building Partnerships Between Personal and
Professional Policy Domains. 8th Elder Care Conference: Older People Deserve the Best, Registered Nurses’
Association of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario.
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M., & Brown, J.B., Oudshoorn, A. (2009, June). Providing
care at home and at work: Investigating the impact of double duty caregiving on the health of nurses. The 9th
International Family Nursing Conference. Reykjavik, Iceland.
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M., & Brown, J.B, Oudshoorn, A. (2009, March).
Investigating the impact of Double Duty Caregiving (DDC) on women’s health. Looking Back Thinking Ahead:
Using Research to Improve Policy and Practice in Women’s Health. Halifax, Nova Scotia
Ward-Griffin, C., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M., & Brown, J.B., Oudshoorn, A. (2009, February). Nurses
providing health care at home and at work: Investigating the impact of double duty caregiving. 2009 Canada Nurses
Association: Nursing Leadership Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
OTHER KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION ACTIVITIES
Dr. Catherine Ward-Griffin interviewed for Registered Nurse, November/December Issue, Registered Nurses
Association of Ontario, sidebar article, 2009, p. 22.
Dr. Catherine Ward-Griffin with Judith Phillips, show entitled ‘Family Caregivers Unite’ on Voice America Variety
channel, February 16th, 2010, hosted by Dr. Gordon Atherley.
Http://www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=44495