Peer mentoring in long-term care: rationale, design, and retention

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Staff Development

Background:

• High turnover rates among direct care staff in nursing homes negatively impact care quality.
• Effective retention strategies are crucial for maintaining a stable and experienced healthcare workforce.
• Peer mentoring is an underutilized approach in long-term care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe two peer-mentoring programs designed to enhance nursing home quality of care.
• To evaluate the impact of these programs on the retention rates of direct care staff, including CNAs, RNs, and LPNs.
• To provide insights into program implementation, operational considerations, and future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of two distinct peer-mentoring programs: 'Growing Strong Roots' for CNAs and 'Peer Mentoring for Long Term Charge Nurses' for RNs and LPNs.
• Program components included structured training, on-the-job mentoring, and follow-up booster sessions.
• Qualitative and quantitative data likely collected to assess program effectiveness and staff retention.

Main Results:

• Both peer-mentoring programs demonstrated success in improving staff retention rates within nursing home settings.
• The 'Growing Strong Roots' program positively influenced Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) retention.
• The 'Peer Mentoring for Long Term Charge Nurses' program showed positive outcomes for Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) retention.

Conclusions:

• Peer-mentoring is a viable and effective strategy for enhancing staff retention in nursing homes.
• These programs contribute to improved quality of care by stabilizing the direct care workforce.
• Recommendations are provided for program replication, further development, and future research in long-term care settings.