HJNO Jul/Aug 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JUL / AUG 2022 47 Daphne H. Dominguez, EdD Assisted Living Administrator Lambeth House ployee decides to quit. More recently, I have conducted five stay interviews with staff members who work in assisted living and at St. Anna’s nursing care at Lambeth House to gather firsthand information about the reasons the employees remained working at Lambeth House. Although the employees interviewed may not represent all staff members, analysis of their responses provided insight into how employees can be motivated and encouraged to remain working in the community. One employee, Ben Adcox, the lifestyle coordinator for St. Anna’s, reported that he is motivated by just knowing that every day will be different. He finds it an exciting challenge to not always know what to expect. When Joni Brasseaux, an assisted living resident care attendant (RCA) was asked, “Do you agree that motivated employees tend to be focused on quality care?” Joni replied by saying, “Yes, I agree because the mindset is already there because you know what you needtodoandunderstandtheexpectation.” It is important to recognize that employees’ motivations toward work may vary, which may affect overall work performance. Several employees interviewed mostly looked forward to seeing their co-workers every day. In a conversation with Tamika Ray, an RCA from assisted living, Tamika described working at Lambeth House as a “lifestyle.” She mentioned how she and her co-workers have been through many life milestones together, such as births, marriages, deaths, and heartache, which has drawn them closer. The interviews also revealed that staff members have learned how to be more patient and understanding with the residents and their families and have gained an appreciation of their diverse backgrounds. A few of the employees shared what they aspire to be and expressed an interest in learning more about medication administration, professionalism, and management. Supervisors need to hear this information directly from their employees, so the employees feel connected, supported, and empowered in and out of the workplace. Employees also expressed being com- fortable with the environment at Lam- beth House. A comfortable environment is when all team members respect and know each other and when the supervisor is present and supportive in the daily opera- tions. According to the interview results, a welcoming work environment and op- portunities for education and professional development can entice nursing staff to stay. Learning why employees stay in an organization through the engagement of routine stay interviews leads to the dis- covery of what employees like about their roles and what motivates them; in turn, stay interviews can help to improve job satisfaction, reduce turnover, and enhance resident care. n REFERENCES 1 Finnegan, R. P. The Power of Stay Interviews for Engagement and Retention: Second Edition. Al- exandria, Virginia: Society for Human Resource Management, 2018. 2 Dominguez, D. “Retention of Nursing Assistants in Assisted Living Using Stay Interviews: A Quali- tative Case Study.” Doctor of Education (EdD) diss., Southeastern University – Lakeland, 2021. https://firescholars.seu.edu/coe/102 Daphne H. Dominguez, EdD, is the assisted living administrator for Lambeth House where she has worked for the past 15 years. She has 25 years of experience working in the senior living industry. Dominguez received a doctorate fromSoutheastern University in education with a concentration in orga- nizational leadership. Dominguez is also a graduate of the University of NewOrleans where she received a Master of Education and graduate certificate in gerontology.Dominguez has experience as a director in nursing care, dementia care units, adult day care, and assisted living.She is a strong provider of health and educational services through organizations and programs designed to serve or benefit her commu- nity with a focus in all generations. when you create opportunities that ask employees detailed questions focusing on the real reasons they stay, you can execute on their responses. This allows the employee to feel heard. Connection and motivation are key, and some employees just appreciate the smallest of things. When managers recognize why employees stay in an organization, they can better focus on what motivates and engages employees, which is vital to employee satisfaction and retention. Last year, I conducted a case study in the state of Louisiana using the “stay in- terview” tool and explored the reasons nine nursing assistants remained in the assisted living community. 2 Four themes were identified based on the analysis of the responses to the five questions, as well as additional probing questions. The nursing assistants interviewed were pas- sionate about their work, admired their leaders and co-workers, made self-care a priority, and appreciated opportunities for professional development. The case study also affirmed how relevant the concept of “meaning-making” or “finding purpose” was to an individual’s self-concept within the job. Meaning-making concepts in- clude teamwork, communication, respect, and validation. Through the exploration of themes identified from stay interviews and reflection of meaning-making con- cepts, managers can then create innova- tive strategies that focus on such ideas. The basic question that managers must aim to have answered is why people stay with their employer. When managers take the time to connect with employees in such a casual way, they can learn from the em- ployee what motivates them to stay, they can bring challenges the employee faces to the forefront, they can provide feedback in real time; and, therefore, they can make necessary improvements before the em-