Abstract

This article concerns nursing home employee thoughts on culture change in long-term care. It specifically focuses on certified nursing aide (CNA) views of culture change associated with the Centralized Alternative Ritual Enactment (CARE) model. With phenomenological-based qualitative responses from interviews, it uses vignette-based scenarios to gauge opinions related to downplaying bureaucracy, orienting employees to bureaucracy, reducing job specific task mentalities, increasing upper-level staff-resident interaction, and better empowering residents. It also explores CNA attitudes related toward promoting empathy, introducing emotions into documentation rituals, and acknowledging resident deaths. The article concludes with recommendations for future research involving the CARE model.