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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| A new view: what nursing assistants think about caregiving | | Author(s) | Victoria Schirm, Carolyn L Lehman, Karen F Barton |
| Journal title | Health Care in Later Life, vol 1, no 2, May 1996 |
| Pages | pp 97-104 |
| Keywords | Nursing Auxiliary ; Psychology [care] ; Nursing homes ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Most direct care provided in long-term care institutions in the United States (US) is carried out by nursing assistants, who are the primary caregivers to mentally ill and physically impaired older residents. The aim of this qualitative study was to learn more about nursing assistants' perceptions of their role as caregivers to residents in long-term care. A 15-item instrument was used to interview 30 nursing assistants who were employed in a private, non-profit-making long-term care facility. The questions explored how nursing assistants learned to do their work, prioritised care, collaborated and planned care with others, and adjusted to changes in staffing patterns. Findings showed that nursing assistants felt positively about their work and learned best by experience. Although collaboration with other staff was recognised as an aspect of their role, many felt that they were not fully accepted as part of the interdisciplinary team. Respondents also indicated that interpersonal communication skills are essential to individualising and prioritising care, and that caring is the most important component in care delivery. |
| Accession Number | CPA-980212208 A |
| Classmark | QTE:4UA: QN: LHB: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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