Career Nursing Assistants Network of N. Carolina

The Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Long Term Care/Real Choice Grant want to establish a Direct Care Worker Association in North Carolina. They have a project budget of 1.6 million dollars. There is monies in the budget for applicant match and no monies for workforce initiatives. These are the talking points pushed by Career Nursing Assistants Network at the May 1, 2002 meeting. 1. Career Nursing Assistants needed their own voice. Others are not always aware of the subtle ramifications of laws and practices that relate to direct care. Without Nursing Assistant input, many of the real issues of care will not be visible and not be addressed. We need more leadership as a member of the care team and more respect from licensed Staff. A. Formal notification of pending changes in laws and policy. B. Invitations to testify for public policy changes that affect Nursing Assistants. C. A place on all State Committees and Boards that oversee issues related to Nursing Assistants. 2. We need to come together to identify our own issues and develop career development steps for Nursing Assistants, and positive approaches to address these issues. 3. We need an Recognition Award Program by Nursing Assistants for Nursing Assistants. There are many myths in the health care community about Nursing Assistants. Dr Karl Pillemer�s book, (Solving the Frontline Crisis in Long � Term Care) summarized these myths. Myth 1. Nursing Assistants are �unskilled� labor. The job requires unusually sophisticated interpersonal and communication skills. Myth 2. All in all, being a nursing assistant is a pretty bad job. Career Nursing Assistants see the job as offering opportunities to perform meaningful, and caring work. Myth 3. Nursing Assistants are in it for the money. In surveys of nursing assistants, money was listed as the number eight reason for selecting the job. The number one reason for choosing the job was the same reason most licensed Nurses choose their job: meaningful, opportunity to help others, and usefulness to society. Myth 4. Nursing Assistants are all the same. Half of Nursing Assistants are under 35 years of age, 10% are 55 or over, and 30% belongs to a minority group. Half are married with at least one child under 18. Over half have some kind of education beyond high school. Myth 5. Patients are concerned about the health care they receive, the surroundings, and the food �not about the Nursing Assistants. Studies have shown that the most important thing patients� feel while being in the hospital and Nursing Homes are their relationship with staff. Myth 6. Stress and burnout are no worse for Nursing Assistants than for any other health care worker. 42% of Nursing Assistants report that the work is �moderately stressful�, 34% say that it is �very stressful�, and 71% wish administrators and licensed nurses would show them more respect. Only 17% feel they receive sufficient recognition and appreciation for their work. We must have a chance to change these myths ourselves. 4. In order do this, we need funding, training in leadership, and mentor relationships that will support and enable a peer group while it is developing, growing and taking its rightful place in the facility and in the health care system.

Follow-ups:

• RE: State Government want to establish a Direct Care Worker Association    Rich (5/30/2002 8:37:26 AM)