title: Meaning making in long-term care: what do certified nursing assistants think?
abstract: Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide up to 80% of the direct care to older adults in long-term care facilities. CNAs are perceived as being at the bottom of the hierarchy among healthcare professionals often negatively affecting their job satisfaction. However, many CNAs 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 CNAs make meaning of their chosen career; thus potentially partially explaining increases in job satisfaction among this group. Focus groups were conducted with CNAs 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 CNAs 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 CNAs do not passively accept the evaluations of others but instead actively frame identities that validate their importance to residents and the institution.
authors.affiliation: Office for Studies on Aging, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shadden
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.affiliation: Exercise Science and Vice Provost of Faculty Development, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Ro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Brezzo
authors.affiliation: Social Work, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Alishia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: Office for Studies on Aging, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Inza
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fort
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000523:psychology*; D009735:Nursing Homes; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: certified nursing assistants; focus groups; healthcare administration; job satisfaction; meaning making; qualitative analysis; work performance