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Meaning making in long‐term care: what do certified nursing assistants think?
Author(s) -
Gray Michelle,
Shadden Barbara,
Henry Jean,
Di Brezzo Ro,
Ferguson Alishia,
Fort Inza
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
nursing inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.66
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1800
pISSN - 1320-7881
DOI - 10.1111/nin.12137
Subject(s) - meaning (existential) , nursing , premise , job satisfaction , certification , focus group , psychology , health care , long term care , qualitative research , hierarchy , medicine , social psychology , sociology , management , social science , linguistics , philosophy , market economy , anthropology , economics , psychotherapist , economic growth
Certified nursing assistants ( CNA s) provide up to 80% of the direct care to older adults in long‐term care facilities. CNA s are perceived as being at the bottom of the hierarchy among healthcare professionals often negatively affecting their job satisfaction. However, many CNA s persevere in providing quality care and even reporting high levels of job satisfaction. The aim of the present investigation was to identify primary themes that may help CNA s make meaning of their chosen career; thus potentially partially explaining increases in job satisfaction among this group. Focus groups were conducted with CNA s at three long‐term care facilities. Four themes emerged from the data: CNA work is good or special; CNA as relationship builder; CNA as expert; CNA as team member. These themes reflect the perceptions that these CNA s held in regard to themselves and their relationships to others in the work environment and, when present, can contribute to intrinsic job satisfaction. Our meaning‐making themes support the premise that CNA s do not passively accept the evaluations of others but instead actively frame identities that validate their importance to residents and the institution.