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Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

1999

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Graduate Nursing

First Advisor

Margaret Hegge

Keywords

nurses' aides job satisfaction, job satisfaction of long-term care facillities

Abstract

Provision of appropriate nursing care in long-term facilities for care of the aged is a difficult problem. The growing need for such care is the result of the increasing number and proportion of people over 75 years of age in the population. This population group has considerable physical, emotional, and cognitive limitations, together with decreasing family support, social, and financial resources. This combination often leads to institutional placement. In long-term care (ETC) facilities, nursing personnel, nurses and auxiliary workers, comprise over half of all employees. The major problem with personnel is how to attract the needed staff and retain them once they are employed (Bergman, Eckerlmg, Golander, Sharon, and Tomer, 1984,pp. 279-280).
Nurse aide turnover is a problem common to many LTC facilities. High turnover can lead to shortage of staff, which in turn may lead to less available time for resident care. Because an adequate number of prepared personnel is fundamental to quality of residential care, the reasons for high turnover must be identified. One of the best sources of information on the subject is nurse aides themselves, who can tell us their major job related concerns and dissatisfaction.
The purpose of this study was to compare job satisfaction of rural and urban LTC nurse aides and compare perceptions of certified nurse aides (CNAs), Directors of Nursing (DONs), and Administrators regarding CNA job satisfaction. This study was a nonexperimental descriptive comparative quantitative research approach. A nonrandom sample of 10 LTC facilities, 5 from rural and 5 from urban, were surveyed.
Results indicated a relationship between CNA age and longevity of the CNA at the facility (r=0.5874, p=0.000). The older the CNA, the higher CNA longevity at the facility. Urban CNAs perceived themselves to be significantly more valued than rural CNAs (U=2784.5, p=0.G489). Also, Urban CNAs perceived themselves significantly better compensated than rural CNAs (U=2694.0, p==0.0252). Administrators perceived CNAs' perception of work value as extremely valued (100.0%, N=10) and CNAs' roles in the resident care as extremely important (100%, N=10). Also the DONs perceived CNAs' perception of work value as extremely valued (80.0%,N=8) and highly valued (20%, N=2). All DONs reported CNAs' roles in the resident care as extremely important (100%,N=10).
The results suggest that the rural CNAs have a problem perceiving the importance of their job, even when the Administrator and DON perceive them valuable. The findings can assist LTC administration in increasing the importance of their job. This study indicates areas for further study in this new research area.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Nurses' aides -- Job satisfaction
Long-term care facilities -- Employees -- Job satisfaction

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

151

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

Copyright © 1999 Janis Guenther. All rights reserved

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