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REPORT: CNA Turnover Decreasing in Nursing Facilities

December 13, 2012

Turnover has decreased among all nursing staff in skilled nursing facilities, including certified nursing assistants (CNAs), according to the 2012 edition of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) Quality Report.

The report also shows that the quality of care in these facilities has increased over the last five years, as measured by the federal Nursing Home Compare tool, which is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

More than 3,700 nursing facilities from throughout the country participated in the AHCA staffing survey, on which the report is based.

CNA Turnover Down

The turnover rate among CNAs in skilled nursing facilities was 42.6 percent in 2010, the most recent year measured by the 2012 AHCA report.

That represents a noticeable decline from the 2008 turnover rate of 53.5 percent. In 2009, the turnover rate was 46.6 percent.

“For all jobs, turnover typically declines during recessionary conditions,” said PHI Director of Policy Research Dorie Seavey. “CNAs are no exception.”

Quality of Care Up

AHCA also reports that the average number of hours of direct care provided by CNAs per resident day was 2.42 in 2012, up from 2.24 in 2011.

Overall, the number of direct-care hours per resident day provided by CNAs, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses increased from 3.45 in 2011 to 3.67 in 2012.

Quality Targets

The report highlights four “specific, measurable targets to further improve quality of care in America’s skilled nursing facilities,” first introduced by AHCA in February 2012.

Three of those targets have deadlines of March 2015. By then, each skilled nursing facility should:

  • reduce the number of hospital readmissions within 30 days of resident stay by 15 percent;
  • reduce turnover among nursing staff by 15 percent; and
  • increase the number of customers who would recommend the facility to others by up to 90 percent.

The fourth target — reducing the off-label use of antipsychotic drugs by 15 percent — has a December 2012 deadline.

— by Matthew Ozga

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