Happier Staff at Non-Profits
The New York Times had a great article written by Paula Span about the many benefits of nonprofit nursing homes. Her article discussed a recent study in The Gerontologist that showed employees of nonprofits are happier at their jobs than those at national for profit chains.
"For years, researchers have reported that ownership status is one of the factors related to quality care. “Most studies show that nonprofits do a better job of caring for patients,” said JiSun Choi, a postdoctoral fellow in nursing and long-term care at the University of Kansas Medical Center School of Nursing. “But we’re not sure why that happens.”
A nonprofit nursing home doesn’t have to worry about paying shareholders dividends or keeping stock prices high. But we also know that staff members’ feelings about their jobs appear to play a significant mediating role. Past studies have shown that in commercially operated homes, for instance, the certified nursing assistants who provide the bulk of the hands-on care are less satisfied with their jobs than those in nonprofits. Directors of nursing in commercial homes are less satisfied as well, and more likely to be planning to leave. In general, such homes are associated with higher — in some cases, shockingly high — staff turnover.
