Personality, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover in Long-Term Care Nursing Assistants

There is a clear association between nursing assistant (NA) turnover and resident outcomes which may be caused by poor compensation, organizational culture, and staffing mix. However, very limited literature is available exploring intrinsic variables of NAs, specifically personality, leading to turnover. Guided by the five-factor personality theory and Herzberg’s two-factor motivation hygiene theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the five-factor personality traits of open-mindedness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism; length of employment; and job satisfaction among NAs working in long-term care. The Nursing Home Certified Nursing Assistant Job Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to determine job satisfaction, and the International Personality Item Pool representation of NEO-FFI-R was used to determine personality factors of 137 NAs working in long-term care in the United States. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data. A significant positive correlation was found between five-factor personality traits of open-mindedness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism and job satisfaction, but no significant relationship was found between five-factor personality traits of open-mindedness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism and length of employment. The study’s findings regarding personality and job satisfaction may be useful to human resource personnel in recruiting and retaining NAs as staff in long-term care settings. Reduced turnover may lead to improved patient outcomes as a potential implication for positive social change