August 3, 2004
Stable Leadership Could Ease Crisis in Staff Turnover at Nation's
Nursing Homes, Says McDaniel
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AUSTIN, Texas—Poor management practices and frequent changes in leadership are contributing to the high rates of staff turnover in the nation’s nursing homes, according to a study co-authored by Reuben McDaniel, a professor of information systems at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, and Ruth Anderson and Kirsten Corazzini, professors at Duke University’s School of Nursing.
The study, based on data from 164 nursing homes in Texas, examined causes for staff turnover, which has reached crisis levels at facilities around the country. Turnover in the industry verges on 100 percent a year, according to research from the University of North Carolina. In Texas, the shortage of staff is one of the most frequent complaints the state’s Department of Human Services receives about nursing facilities.
According to the Texas study, nursing homes can help remedy the situation by improving management practices. The study found facilities that emphasized relationships between employees, rewarded staff on the basis of merit and fostered open communication between administrators and staff tended to have lower rates of turnover.
“Although variables like workload are important,” said McDaniel, “Managers can also influence turnover by addressing climate and communication patterns, and by encouraging stable nursing leadership.”
The director of nursing at a facility has a particularly important role in the stability of organization’s workforce, McDaniel said. “The tenure of the director of nursing was a strong predictor of lower turnover among RNs and LVNs,” he said. “It’s possible that with longer tenure in the job, a director is better able to connect with staff and foster job commitment.” The point has implications for nursing home managers, because a common strategy for improving operations is to replace the director of nursing.
The study appeared in the June 2004 issue of The Gerontologist.
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