Relational Agency and Ethical Professionalism Among Long-Term Care Workers: Evidence from Taiwan

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Professional Ethics

Background:

• Global population aging necessitates enhanced professional capacity in long-term care (LTC).
• Competency-based training is common, but the link between specific competencies and ethical professionalism in daily LTC practice is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between core competency domains and ethical professionalism among LTC workers.
• To identify which LTC competencies are most predictive of ethical practice.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to 268 LTC workers in Taiwan across various care settings.
• Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between competency domains and ethical professionalism.

Main Results:

• LTC workers reported high overall competency and ethical professionalism.
• Interpersonal communication (β = 0.345), psychological support (β = 0.184), and teamwork (β = 0.111) were significantly associated with ethical professionalism.
• Technical competencies, including physical and daily living care, were not significantly associated with ethical professionalism (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Ethical professionalism in LTC is more closely tied to relational and psychosocial competencies than technical skills.
• Training programs should emphasize communication, emotional support, and teamwork to enhance ethical practice.
• Prioritizing these competencies can improve care quality, workforce sustainability, and person-centered care in aging populations.