The effects of verbal and written supervisory feedback on staff compliance with assigned prompted voiding in a nursing home

We examined the effects of staff performance feedback delivered by a supervisor verbally, and combined with written feedback on geriatric nursing assistants’ (GNAs) completion of assigned prompted voiding. The goal of the staff management procedures was to increase the frequency of prompted voiding which would consequently maintain improvements in continence brought about on a specialized continence unit. The basic staff management system included GNA self-monitoring of their performance of prompted voiding, periodic supervisory monitoring, and verbal and graphic feedback provided to all GNAs on their performance. At a later time, the staff management program was modified to include letters of praise or disapproval sent bi-weekly to all GNAs based on their performance of the prompted voiding procedure. Also, a letter was sent to all GNAs every three months summarizing their performance during this period. These summary letters were placed in the GNAs’ personnel file and used as part of their annual performance evaluation. Results suggest that, although individual verbal feedback alone resulted in acceptable maintenance of prompted voiding, the addition of written feedback produced significant improvements in the number of assigned prompted voiding completed. This study displays the utility and practicality of employing formalized staff management procedures in nursing homes.