The Second Side of the Coin—Resilience, Meaningfulness and Joyful Moments in Home Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nursing literature predominantly focuses on job demands but is scarce for resources related to nurses’ work. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, resources that can buffer the health-impairing effects of increased demands gain importance. The aim of this study is to explore resilience, meaning of work and joyful moments in home health care workers in South Germany during the pandemic. Resilience and meaning of work were measured quantitatively; moments of joy were investigated qualitatively by audio diaries and analyzed with qualitative content analysis. In all, 115 home health care workers (mean age = 47.83 ± 11.72; 81.75% female) filled in the questionnaires and 237 diary entries were made by 23 persons (mean age = 46.70 ± 10.40; 91.30% female). The mean scores of resilience (5.52 ± 1.04; 1–7) and meaning of work (4.10 ± 0.92; 1–5) showed high levels, with significantly higher values in females. Home care workers experienced joyful moments 334 times in 60 different types in the categories of social relationships, work content, work organization, work environment and self-care. A deeper understanding of resilience, meaning of work and joyful moments provides a basis for the development of worksite health promotion programs that address both demands and resources in home health care workers.