abstract: Staff drawn from 15 nursing homes in Hillsborough County, Florida, formed the sample for this study. Questionnaire data provided demographic and managerial information. This indicated that the turnover rate in the previous six months was 23 per cent, while for nursing assistants it was 45 per cent. Selected staff members from each nursing home were then asked to consider six previously developed case studies which had been designed to illustrate aspects of autonomy. Certified nursing assistants were more likely than registered nurses to believe that it is the home's responsibility to make choices for residents. 15 references.