The development of a videotape to assist nursing homes in reducing expensive and disruptive turnover, absenteeism, and stress among nursing home aides is motivated by at least four issues: 1) the growing problem of employee shortages in the long-term care industry; 2) the increasing concern with costs of staff turnover in nursing homes; 3) the speculated link between staff turnover and quality of care; and 4) empirical evidence from Phase I data and the literature regarding the efficacy of social support in reducing job-related stress and potentially reducing turnover.
The aims of Phase II are to: 1) implement the Phase I product, support groups for nursing aides, in a sample of 32 nursing homes; 2) evaluate the effectiveness of support group participation in reducing turnover, stress, and absenteeism among nursing aides, using a randomized field trial; 3) produce a training video and curriculum, based on project experience, which nursing homes can use to implement the program; and 4) develop a plan to commercially distribute the above products to nursing homes nationwide through New England Research Institute's Video Production Center.
