Improving Retention Among Patient Care Assistants in Hospitals Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Inquiry Study

Abstract

Patient Care Assistant (PCA) retention in Midwest hospitals has become the topic of discussion after the COVID-19 pandemic. PCAs experienced longer working hours, less time with loved ones, and increasingly stressful environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental health impacts of living and working in a pandemic have been well documented. PCAs felt the brunt of this impact throughout the pandemic as new surges emerged, deaths mounted, capacity depleted, and risks on the job remained. In this study, the researcher used a qualitative inquiry study to investigate why HR leaders and unit managers lack the strategies to retain PCA staff during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher conducted face-to-face interviews with HR leaders and unit managers who were on the front lines during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in a hospital in Midwest Ohio. The researcher used the purposive sampling technique to ensure a diverse and representative sample of appropriate participants for this qualitative inquiry study. The researcher’s study included multiple uses of data sources and direct encounters to enhance the validity of the study. The researcher recognized three principal themes that HR leaders and unit managers could use to retain PCAs during and after another pandemic. The researcher identified three key themes. Compensation, burnout, and PCA-to-patient ratios. This research has implications for PCAs who desire equitable compensation and incentives during another pandemic and for the organization to implement successful strategies to ensure PCAs are supported during and after another pandemic.