title: Nursing home practices following resident death: the experience of Certified Nursing Assistants.
abstract: This study examined certified nursing assistants' (CNAs) experiences of nursing home practices following resident death. Participants were 140 CNAs who had experienced recent resident death. In semi-structured, in-person interviews, CNAs were asked about their experiences with the removal of the resident's body, filling the bed with a new resident, and how they were notified about the death. The facilities' practice of filling the bed quickly was most often experienced as negative. Responses to body removal and staff notification varied, but negative experiences were reported by a substantial minority. Being notified prior to returning to work was associated with a more positive experience. Learning about the death by walking into a room to find the bed empty or already filled was the most negative experience. Study findings suggest that more mindful approaches to the transitions related to resident deaths would be valued by CNAs and could improve their work experience.
authors.affiliation: Jewish Home Lifecare, Research Institute on Aging, 120 West 106th Street, New York, NY 10025, USA.
authors.forename: Adrita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barooah
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Boston, Department of Gerontology, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA. Electronic address: kboerner@jewishhome.org.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boerner
authors.affiliation: University of Osnabrück, FB 8/Institut für Psychologie Seminarstraße 20, 49074 Osnabrück, Germany.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van Riesenbeck
authors.affiliation: Jewish Home Lifecare, Research Institute on Aging, 120 West 106th Street, New York, NY 10025, USA.
authors.forename: Orah R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Burack
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009728:Nursing Assistants; D009735:Nursing Homes; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Long-term care; Nursing assistants; Nursing home; Resident death