Can Improved Supervision Increase Job Satisfaction and Retention in Long-Term Care?

​A year-long pilot project of supervision training in three Massachusetts skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) found multiple benefits that contributed to a more supportive work environment and culture, according to a report from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions released on March 19, 2018. The SNFs implemented an approach to improve supervision through targeted training in topics related to core communication skills (e.g., active listening, self-awareness, self-management, and communicating without blame or judgment). The pilot project and intervention consisted of a five-day "train-the-trainer" session, with each facility sending three or four staff members—ranging from human service directors to staff or clinical directors—to serve as trainers who would be responsible for "coaching" supervisors within their facility. These trainers then conducted two-day training for 332 managers and supervisors across five SNFs, one assisted-living facility, and one hospice program.