Project information
Project name
Sexual harassment from patients and care recipients: How can the upper secondary school's Health and Social Care Program provide knowledge and prevent it?
Project manager
Maria Hedlin
Other project members
Eva Klope
Participating organizations
Linnaeus University
Financier
Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte)
Timetable
1 Jan 2023–31 Dec 2025
Subject
Educational sciences (Department of Education and Teachers' Practice, Faculty of Social Sciences)
More about the project
In recent years, sexual harassment has been noticed as a problem in many sectors of the labour market, e.g. in the healthcare sector. Assistant nurses in home care and elderly care are particularly exposed. When it comes to the sexual harassment that healthcare staff are exposed to, research has shown that it is mainly third parties such as patients and care recipients who subject the staff. However, it can be difficult to gain sympathy for the staff's vulnerability as their job is to care for others.
At the same time, social sustainability is increasingly emphasized, i.e. that employees should have a good working environment, enjoy their work and want to stay at their workplaces. In order to achieve a sustainable working life, and in an effort to improve the working environment for the assistant nurses of the future, it is important to counteract sexual harassment from patients and care recipients.
How the students who train as assistant nurses, and mainly will work in home care and elderly care, in their educations are prepared for the sexual harassment that occurs in their future workplaces is an unexplored area. The project therefore will investigate the upper secondary school's Health and Social Care Program.
The overall aim of the project is to contribute with knowledge that provides increased opportunities to manage, stop, prevent and work against sexual harassment from patients and care recipients. Within the project, we will examine educational documents and learning materials. We will also interview students, teachers and practice supervisors (practicum supervisors) at the upper secondary school's Health and Social Care program.
The project is part of the research in the Research on pedagogical professions and practices (PEPP) research group.
Staff
