The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between high wages and empowerment practices on certified nursing assistant (CNA) retention, necessary for providing high-quality care for nursing home (NH) residents.
Methods:
Measures of provider-level CNA empowerment and wages from the 2015 Ohio Biennial Survey were used to estimate two regression models on retention (n = 719), one without and one with an interaction term of high wages and high empowerment.
Results:
Only in the context of the interacted model were NHs that provided both high wages and high empowerment associated with a 7.09 percentage-point improvement in the CNA retention rate (p = .0003). Individually, high wages and a high empowerment score were not statistically significant in either regression model.
Discussion:
Retaining CNAs in NH communities requires a combination of empowerment practices (e.g., involving CNAs in decision-making about hiring other staff) and high hourly wages.
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