Exploring Variation in Certified Nursing Assistant Assignments From the Perspective of Nursing Home Residents: A Comparison of Adopters and Nonadopters of Consistent Assignment

Abstract

Objective To describe and compare certified nursing assistant (CNA) staffing between adopter and non-adopters of consistent assignment. Data sources One month of pre-existing CNA assignment and scheduling sheets from a purposive sample of 30 homes. Study design A descriptive comparative study was conducted to calculate and compare numbers of CNAs assigned per resident across homes. Data extraction Resident names and CNA assignments were abstracted from assignment records and entered into the Advancing Excellence consistent assignment tool to calculate numbers of CNAs assigned per resident. Principal findings Both variation and overlap existed in the number of CNAs per resident within and between homes. Adopters assigned significantly fewer CNAs per resident. Conclusions Research is needed to determine how assignment variations impact resident perceptions of quality.

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