Translating Ideas and Evidence about Person-Centered Care to Nursing Assistants’ Practice: The Importance of Context

The Institute for Person-Centered Care (formally the Western New York Alliance for Person-Centered Care) -- the first of its kind in the United States -- is designed to provide better delivery of services to frail and vulnerable people, particularly the elderly, and support advocacy and public awareness of their needs, through a program of cross-disciplinary research, education and practice development. This new interdisciplinary institute will bring together researchers, educators, health care providers and community-based programs to develop and disseminate evidence-based care of the frail and aging citizens in our society.

Culture change researcher and sociologist, Kezia Scales PhD, who has studied in London, England at the University of Nottingham recently completed her doctorate in Sociology and Social Policy and her research focuses on knowledge translation in long-term care services for older people. She is particularly interested in highlighting the experience of non-registered nursing staff who work on the frontlines of care but often remain at the margins of research and policy efforts. Her current research comprises two ethnographic case studies of nursing homes in Western New York and the UK’s East Midlands.  Kezia’s previous research has looked at hospital-based dementia services and adult inpatient mental health services.

Translating ideas and evidence about person-centered care to nursing assistants’ practice: The importance of context:

Is a one hour prerecorded webinar will summarize the findings from a comparative ethnographic study of two mid-sized facilities (located in Western New York and the East Midlands, England) that are attempting to implement person-centered care. The aim of the research was to understand how and why ideas and evidence about person-centered care translate, or not, into the day-to-day practices of nursing assistants working in communal living environments. The information that will be shared was obtained through participant observation, plus in-depth interviews with nursing assistants, nurses, and administrators.

Administrators who are currently implementing or considering the implementation of person-centered changes in their own facilities need to  give  consideration of the range of social and environmental factors which might influence how direct-care staff perceive, engage with, and implement (or circumvent) these changes. Taking these factors into account, practical strategies for communication, training, and sustainability will be discussed.

Length of Program:  Prerecorded WEBINAR  1 hour

Program Objectives:

Discuss the specific and interconnected contextual factors which affect the uptake of ideas and evidence about person-centered care among nursing assistants (CNAs). In particular, participants will be encouraged to consider the importance of:

•          Existing care practices

•          Time

•          Relationships

•          Places, spaces, and things

Target Audience: For Nursing Home Executives, Administrators, Assistant Administrators, Directors of Nursing, Assistant Directors of Nursing, Nursing Supervisors, Unit Managers, Household Leaders, Social Work, Academics for health and social sciences, and Certified Nursing Assistants will benefit greatly from this quality initiative.