Survey on caregiver competency and retraining needs

This study investigated caregivers' job image, abilities, and educational needs, which are rapidly increasing owing to an aging society.

A self-administered written survey was conducted at 12 general hospitals in Korea from February 1, 2022 to March 15, 2023.

A total of 451 caregivers participated in the survey as subjects of analysis, and 560 nurses participated as external observers.

The caregivers' self-assessment results regarding job performance, educational needs, and retraining needs were compared with those of external observers.

Caregivers evaluated themselves significantly higher in all areas of job performance compared to the evaluations of external observers. In particular, the caregivers' self-evaluation of their abilities in "Recording and Reporting," "Basic Resuscitation," "Safety and Infection Control," and "Understanding Major Illnesses" was different from the evaluation of nurses. Both the caregivers and external observers agreed on the need for caregiver retraining, with 1-2 hours of supplementary training every 12 months being the most preferred amount of retraining.

There was a significant difference between caregivers' self-evaluations of their capabilities and the external observers' evaluations. Therefore, systematic professional caregiver retraining is necessary.