DESCRIPTORS Allied Health Occupations Education; Change Strategies;

Abstract

With an increasingly smaller base of potential employees in long-term care facilities, especially Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and an increasingly larger population of elderly persons needing their services, Salter Healthcare Services in Massachusetts has developed plans for retaining CNAs. Although the Salter Corporation has been practicing many industry-recognized retention strategies since its inception in the 1950s, the company recently has formulated more specific plans aimed at CNA recruitment and retention and has started to implement them. Strategies planned include the following activities: (1) expanding the scope of the CNAs ' involvement and practice; (2) improving the CNAs ' orientation experience by soliciting feedback from new hires via questionnaire and developing a curriculum for the "buddy " program that pairs new with longer-term employees; and (3) providing education to CNAs for specialty areas of practice. In addition, the company strives to continue provide staff recognition, develop a career ladder, and provide increased educational opportunities for all staff. (The report contains 34 references and the proposed staff retention program.) (KC) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.