scholarly journals CNA WORK IS BETTER LEARNED HANDS-ON: TRAINING CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS TO FEED RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S663-S664
Author(s):  
Joy W Douglas ◽  
Seung Eun Jung ◽  
Hyunjin Noh ◽  
Amy Ellis ◽  
Christine Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Certified Nursing Assistants ◽  
Job Experience ◽  
Training Modality ◽  
Hands On ◽  
One Year

Abstract In nursing homes across the United States, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) provide essential mealtime assistance to residents with dementia who have difficulty feeding themselves. However, dementia-related training content in CNA programs can vary. In this qualitative study, we sought to understand the training provided to CNAs in Alabama, and to identify the ideal training modality for content related to feeding residents with dementia. Nine focus groups were conducted with 53 CNAs. Each participant had at least one year of working experience as a CNA caring for older adults. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using the directed content analysis approach. Analyses revealed several key themes related to training CNAs to feed residents with dementia. Across focus groups, CNAs agreed that they needed additional training about feeding residents with dementia. They unanimously agreed that the best person to provide such training should be an experienced CNA, not a nurse or other healthcare provider. In terms of delivery, they preferred hands-on training and role playing. CNAs also emphasized that while some learning takes place in a didactic setting, the most valuable learning moments involve on-the-job experience in feeding residents, where they are mentored by seasoned CNAs. Findings from this study revealed the need for providing CNAs training on feeding residents with dementia. CNA training programs that includes hands-on activities mentored by seasoned CNAs could increase CNAs’ ability to provide optimal meal assistance to nursing home residents with dementia.

scholarly journals “If They Don’t Like You, They Are Not Going to Eat for You”: Individual and Interpersonal Factors Affecting Certified Nursing Assistants’ Ability to Provide Mealtime Assistance to Residents With Dementia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy W Douglas ◽  
Seung Eun Jung ◽  
Hyunjin Noh ◽  
Amy C Ellis ◽  
Christine C Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Certified Nursing Assistants ◽  
Term Care

Abstract Background and Objectives In long-term care facilities in the United States, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide mealtime assistance to residents with dementia, a task that substantially increases caregiver burden due to the time and attention required. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the individual and interpersonal barriers and facilitators CNAs experience when providing mealtime assistance to residents with dementia. Research Design and Methods Focus group questions were developed based on the corresponding levels of the Social Ecological Model. Using purposive sampling, 9 focus groups were conducted with 53 CNAs who had at least 1 year of experience as a CNA working with older adults. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using the directed content analysis approach. Results CNAs reported individual skills, training, and personal characteristics that affected their ability to provide mealtime assistance. At the interpersonal level, CNAs identified their relationships with residents, residents’ family members, and other health care professionals as factors that affect their ability to provide mealtime assistance. Discussion and Implications These findings provide evidence for strategies that administrators can utilize to reduce caregiver burden by improving the mealtime experience. First, CNAs need adequate training, particularly to develop communication skills. Developing verbal communication skills may improve interpersonal relationships between CNAs and residents’ family members and other coworkers. Developing nonverbal communication skills may foster an improved relationship between CNAs and their residents with dementia. Future research should evaluate interventions that seek to improve these skills to determine their impact on the mealtime experience.

scholarly journals ORGANIZATIONAL AND POLICY FACTORS INFLUENCING FEEDING IN RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA: NURSING ASSISTANTS’ EXPERIENCES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S702-S703
Author(s):  
Joy W Douglas ◽  
Seung Eun Jung ◽  
Hyunjin Noh ◽  
Amy Ellis ◽  
Christine Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
The United States ◽  
State Inspection ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Staffing Ratios

Abstract In the United States, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are critical in providing direct care to nursing home residents with dementia, which includes the challenging task of feeding residents. Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), this qualitative study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of organizational and policy constructs that CNAs encounter when feeding residents with dementia. Using purposive sampling, nine semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 53 CNAs. Each participant had at least one year of experience working as a CNA with older adults. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using the directed content analysis. Factors that emerged were organized into organizational and policy categories within the SEM levels. CNAs identified organizational barriers such as exclusion from the interdisciplinary team, inability to meet resident needs and wants due to budgetary constraints, and inadequate staffing to function efficiently. Organizational facilitators included teamwork, interdisciplinary assistance, and varying dining styles and meal times to accommodate resident needs. Policy-related barriers included funding concerns, staffing ratios, and frustration with unrealistic regulations and state inspections. These results suggest that organizational and policy factors have a large influence on the ease of feeding nursing home residents with dementia. Involving CNAs in interdisciplinary collaboration, resident-centered accommodations, and subtler state inspection behaviors could improve the mealtime experience for both residents and CNAs. Careful attention to these factors may enhance facilitators and minimize barriers to improve the feeding experience of CNAs and residents with dementia.

The Development of an Online Tobacco Tracker Tool to Crowdsource Campus Environmental Reports for Smoke and Tobacco Free College Policies: A Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina F. Loureiro ◽  
Kim M. Pulvers ◽  
Melissa M. Gosdin ◽  
Keavagh R. Clift ◽  
Myra J. Rice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Positive Reinforcement ◽  
The United States ◽  
College Campuses ◽  
Policy Enforcement ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Effective Policy ◽  
Online Tracking ◽  
One Year

BACKGROUND College campuses in the United States have begun implementing Smoke and Tobacco-Free policies to discourage the use of tobacco. Smoke and Tobacco-Free policies, however, are contingent upon effective policy enforcement. OBJECTIVE To develop an empirically-derived online tracking tool (Tracker) for crowdsourcing campus environmental reports of tobacco use and waste to support smoke and tobacco-free college policies. METHODS An exploratory sequential mixed methods approach was utilized to inform the development and evaluation of the Tracker. In October 2018, three focus groups across two California universities were conducted and themes were analyzed, guiding Tracker development. After one year of implementation, users were asked in April 2020 to complete a survey about their experience. RESULTS In the focus groups, two major themes emerged: barriers and facilitators to tool utilization. Further Tracker development was guided by focus group input to address these barriers (e.g. information, policing, and logistical concerns) and facilitators (e.g. environmental motivators, positive reinforcement). Amongst 1,163 Tracker reports, those who completed the user survey (n=316) reported the top motivations to using the tool were having a cleaner environment (79%) and health concerns (69%). CONCLUSIONS Environmental concerns, a motivator which emerged in focus groups, shaped the Tracker’s development and was cited by the majority of users surveyed as a top motivator for utilization.

Pilot Testing a Coaching Intervention to Improve Certified Nursing Assistants' Dressing of Nursing Home Residents

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 267-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Jean Jordan ◽  
Pao-Feng Tsai ◽  
Seongkum Heo ◽  
Shasha Bai ◽  
Deborah Dailey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Certified Nursing Assistants ◽  
Pilot Testing ◽  
Coaching Intervention

The Grief Experiences of Certified Nursing Assistants: Personal Growth and Complicated Grief

2007 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith A. Anderson ◽  
Joseph E. Gaugler
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Complicated Grief ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Certified Nursing Assistants ◽  
Disenfranchised Grief ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Nursing Home Setting

The grief that certified nursing assistants (CNAs) experience following the deaths of nursing home residents has received scant attention in past research, particularly from an empirical standpoint. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the grief experiences of CNAs in the nursing home setting and to identify and evaluate factors that may mediate or exacerbate grief. Participants ( N = 136) from 12 nursing homes completed self-administered surveys. Regression analyses revealed that CNAs with lower levels of perceived disenfranchised grief reported higher levels of personal growth, while CNAs with greater fear of death and those who experienced fewer deaths on the job reported higher levels of complicated grief. Practitioners and future researchers may benefit from these findings through the construction and implementation of interventions aimed at effectively enfranchising the grief experiences of this important group of healthcare workers.

Certified Nursing Assistants' Understanding of Nursing Home Residents' Pain

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Halifax ◽  
Christine Miaskowski ◽  
Margaret Wallhagen
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Certified Nursing Assistants

scholarly journals INDIVIDUAL AND INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCERS OF MEALTIME EXPERIENCES: PERSPECTIVES OF NURSING ASSISTANTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S505-S505
Author(s):  
Joy W Douglas ◽  
Seung Eun Jung ◽  
Hyunjin Noh ◽  
Amy Ellis ◽  
Christine Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Interpersonal Barriers ◽  
The Individual

Abstract In the United States, long-term care Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)’s central role is to provide direct care to residents, including mealtime assistance. It has been reported that employee turnover among CNAs is nearly 75% annually. High turnover rates of CNAs can increase the workload for remaining CNAs, interrupt quality of care for residents, and require extra resources for recruiting new staff. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the individual and interpersonal barriers and facilitators CNAs experience when providing mealtime assistance to residents with dementia. Using purposive sampling, nine focus groups were conducted with a total of 53 CNAs who had at least one year of experience as a CNA working with older adults. Focus group questions were developed using the Social Ecological Model. All focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using the directed content analysis approach. At the individual level, CNAs identified that communication skills with residents and coworkers, and the ability to accurately interpret resident behavior positively affected their ability to provide mealtime assistance. At the interpersonal level, interdisciplinary collaboration was identified as a significant facilitator. Reported barriers included negative interference from residents’ family members, unpredictable resident behaviors, and lack of support from coworkers. CNAs reported individual and interpersonal factors that may influence their ability to effectively feed residents with dementia. Our findings will inform future investigations regarding job turnover. Equally important, providing CNAs with the training and opportunity to perform their duties efficiently can ultimately benefit the residents’ mealtime experiences.

Reinventing Dirty Work

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy T. Fisher ◽  
Miliann Kang
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Certified Nursing Assistants ◽  
Dirty Work ◽  
Boundary Making ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
Service Jobs ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Symbolic Processes

This chapter examines how immigrant women accommodate themselves to the various demands of low-wage, low-status service jobs by engaging in “boundary making,” processes that circumscribe and redefine the performance of “dirty work.” Boundary making refers to material and symbolic processes in which providers of low-wage work impose limitations on its performance while redefining the work as skillful and important. Dirty work is defined as physical labor that involves cleaning and caring for the human body, its products, and its environs. The chapter first provides an overview of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who provide elder care in the United States before exploring how immigrants working as CNAs make meaning of work that is often construed as dirty work. Using data from fieldwork in three California nursing homes, the chapter shows how CNAs try to bring some measure of dignity to a low-wage, low-status job, and shape their identity formation as workers and immigrants within constraining institutional contexts.

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