The proposed pilot study consists of research relevant to the following topic areas listed in the Program Announcement: #3 (Racial/Ethnic Differences) and #23 (Care for Older People). New initiatives have been proposed to raise staffing levels in nursing homes, after reports of lower quality of life in these institution due to nursing and paraprofessional shortage. It is well documented that certified nursing assistants (CNAs) face a series of challenges that decrease job satisfaction, increase turnover and therefore, adversely affect continuity and quality of care for the elderly. In as much as a significant number of CNAs are minority and immigrant worker, one issue that has not been studied in nursing homes is the potential impact of ethnic diversity on job satisfaction and retention of CNAs. The proposed pilot study is innovative in that it takes a first step toward exploring racial relation in the nursing home environment, particularly among different levels of the nursing staff-nursing supervisors and CNAs and how those relationships affect job satisfaction and retention of frontline nursing home workers. The proposed project includes the development and implementation of focus groups with CNAs of color and nursing supervisors in nursing home settings in Massachusetts with goal of increasing the understanding of cultural and ethnic issues and/or conflicts among CNAs and nursing supervisors. Further, it explores what impact these issues may have on job satisfaction and retention of the paraprofessional workforce. Transcription of the focus group discussions will be analyzed to identify recurrent themes. At the completion of this pilot project, a larger proposal will be submitted to develop a training program for CNAs and nursing supervisor based on the needs identified by these professionals. The second phase proposal also will conduct a systematic assessment of the training program at a national level.
