Nursing assistants' perceptions of their ability to provide continence care

More than 50% of all elderly nursing home residents suffer from urinary incontinence (UI). Although effective urinary continence programs exist, successful implementation continues to be a problem. This qualitative study involved seven focus groups of three to seven nursing assistants each (total n=31) to examine their perceptions about factors that either promote or inhibit continence care. Better cooperation and increased communication emerged as factors that would improve teamwork and decrease workload. This article includes quotes from individual nursing assistants and a discussion of the factors most commonly identified as promoting or inhibiting care. Nursing assistants are valuable members of the health care team. Knowing their perceptions should allow professional nurses and facility administrators to develop continence programs that better meet the needs of both the nursing assistants who implement them and the residents for whom they care.