The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted concerns about high staff turnover rates in nursing homes. A new University of Iowa study of 396 skilled nursing facilities in the state finds a significant relationship between hourly wages and turnover for certified nursing assistants but not for licensed practice nurses or registered nurses.
Just 1% of nursing homes throughout the United States were fully staffed, according to a 2021 American Health Care Association survey found. University of Iowa researchers Hari Sharma, Ph.D. and Lili Xu, M.S, said that there is no single solution.
“Focusing on higher wages alone may not lead to lower turnover of all types of nursing staff in nursing homes,” the authors wrote.
In addition to wage increases, non-wage factors such as fringe benefits, staff empowerment, and company culture are important in reducing skilled nursing facility staff member turnover, they said.
“A low turnover of staff may also suggest that employees are happy at their workplace and in turn may provide quality care,” according to Shamra and Xu.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced last month that it would begin posting nursing home staff turnover rates and weekend staffing levels on the consumer-facing Care Compare website.
