Second-Career CNAs in Nursing Homes: Tapping an Underused Resource

Abstract

<h4></h4> <p>The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics, work perceptions, and factors influencing employment of second-career certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in nursing homes. The qualitative descriptive design included a purposeful sample of 17 participants from 5 nursing homes. Data generation consisted of demographic surveys and audiotaped interviews that were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emerging themes. Four themes were identified: negative first impressions of the work did not deter second-career CNAs, second-career CNAs lived out personal ideals and values through their work, positive relationships and job benefits retained second-career CNAs, and second-career CNAs expressed hopes for transforming nursing homes. Results revealed a group of committed, mature workers to fill labor shortages in an essential health care setting.</p>

Characteristics and Recruitment Paths of Certified Nursing Assistants in Rural and Urban Nursing Homes

“…Second‐career CNAs are motivated by a desire to enter nursing, as well as to have meaningful work as caregivers 29 . In the present study, “want to work in health care” was second only to “like helping other people” as a reason for entering the field.…”

“…Nationally, and in urban and micropolitan areas, 52.2% of CNAs held a different type of job before becoming a CNA, and 17.5% entered the field after being home with children. “Second‐career” workers offer employers established workplace skills and maturity and would appear to be a prime recruiting target when expanding the CNA workforce 29,30 . The projected decline in the number of women of career entry age (25‐44 years) between 2004 and 2012 makes a focus on second‐career workers important from a demographic perspective 13…”

“…Rural administrators may avoid the problems of cultural differences that urban administrators address. Foreign‐born CNAs, for example, tend to perceive nursing home residents as having been abandoned by their families, 29 which has the potential for complicating CNA‐family interaction. However, the absence of diversity may result from a general lack of in‐migration to rural areas, suggestive of difficulty recruiting staff for rural nursing homes.…”