Perceptions About the Nursing Assistant Role in Ganjavian Hospital of Dezful: A Conventional Content Analysis

Background: Using different skill levels for patient care not only helps better and more fully meet patients' needs but also reduces the need for expert nurses. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the perceptions of nurses and nursing assistants about the nursing assistant role. Methods: This study was conducted based on a conventional content analysis approach. The data was collected at the Ganjavian hospital in Dezful, Iran. Ten nurses and eleven nursing assistants were selected by purposeful sampling, and data were collected using unstructured interviews. The recorded interviews were eventually transcribed verbatim, and meaning units were then identified. Coding was then performed by compressing the meaning units and converting them into codes. The codes were summarized and classified to form categories. At last, the categories formed themes based on their similarities and differences. Results: Displeasure of the position was the main category of the study, which consisted of the two main subcategories of “having a small role in assisting nurses” and “reluctance to work”. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that nursing assistants have problems performing their roles, which need to be addressed by nursing managers.