Skilled nursing facilities struggling with staff retention should take a closer look at their scheduling, according to a new study on part-time certified nursing assistant turnover.
Researchers found that scheduling CNAs regularly with the same group of teammates reduced turnover by nearly 25%.
If nursing homes capitalize on the results of the study, it could go a long way toward cheaply and effectively addressing the nursing home staffing crisis, according to lead author Kevin Mayo, PhD, assistant professor of finance and management science at Washington State University.
“These findings suggest that managers may be able to leverage part-time CNA scheduling to reduce turnover,” the study asserts, “improving both the quality and cost of care.”
The study also found that giving part-time CNAs one additional hour of work per week could reduce turnover by about 2%. Turnover was increased both by too few hours worked and too many, however, so facilities need to be more cautious in this regard.
Building cohesive, consistent teams is the most important factor to consider, Mayo said, but nursing homes should consider all aspects of the study to achieve the best results.
“By both balancing working hours and maintaining consistent teams, healthcare facilities can greatly reduce staff turnover,” Mayo told Newswise.
Between greater scheduling consistency and tweaking hours worked, the authors estimate that facilities can save 7% of their operating costs with greater employee retention.
Nursing homes have already felt the pressure to employ more flexible, worker-focused scheduling in response to the staffing crisis. The results of this study suggest that there are large benefits to be gained from this approach, and at very low cost.
Greater retention should also lead to higher quality of care for residents. After analysis of their data, the researchers concluded that CNA turnover had measurable negative effects on care quality that could be eliminated by increased retention.
The study, published in the journal Manufacturing & Services Operations Management, analyzed data for more than 6,000 part-time CNAs from 157 facilities.
Other authors included University of Cincinnati Assistant Professor Eric Webb, PhD, as well as Indiana University’s George Ball, PhD, and Kurt Bretthauer, PhD.
