Direct care professionals working in nursing homes have faced a variety of challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, some direct care professionals made the decision to leave their jobs. But others chose to stay.

Researchers from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston set out to identify the factors influencing those decisions. The study found that high-quality communication and feeling prepared for their jobs reduced the negative impact of work-related stress on the job satisfaction of direct care professionals during the pandemic.

Findings from the study, which was supported by the Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation, can be found in Job Satisfaction and Intent to Remain on the Job among Direct Care Professionals in Nursing Homes. The brief also recommends specific actions that nursing home leaders can take to support direct care professionals during stressful work times.

Read more about the study at the LTSS Center website.