Postintervention focus groups: toward sustaining care

This study examined whether effects of person-centered care and person-centered mentoring were sustained postintervention from the perspective of long-term care nursing staff. Separate focus groups for administration, nurse mentors, and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) were used to assess perception of change in behaviors. CNAs sustained person-centered care skills on the job while nurse mentors experienced less change. With regard to nurse-CNA relationships, a discrepancy in the perceptions of nurses and CNAs was evident. The non-threatening environment of focus groups allowed staff to share their perceptions of the barriers to behavior change needed to sustain the intervention over time.