• Are you, or would you like to serve on a safety or care planning committee?
• Do you mentor new nursing assistants?
• Are you called upon to use your skills in organizing, decision making and problems solving when performing daily tasks of care?
• Do you want to initiate a professional organization for nursing assistants in your area?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, then this Training Program is for you.

Nursing assistants provide leadership in many ways when you work with the new nursing assistant, serve on a safety or care planning committee, or work with peers in regional, state and national organizations. You also use skills of organizing, decision making and problems solving when performing daily tasks of care. This new emphasis on the leadership roles of nursing assistants is definitely emerging as an important issue to consider in the work setting and also for career advancement and peer support.

At the Training Program

At this conference, you can gain practical leadership skills and connect with others who share similar roles. You are already a "builder" and the purpose of the program is to help you develop additional tools that will enable you to be even more effective.

The Leadership Training Program consists of 12 hours of prescribed training for nursing assistants. The goal of the project is to improve nursing assistants' skills to work with and in groups, make appropriate decisions about a course of action when providing care or working with others, mentor a new nursing assistant, develop and maintain effective peer relationships, apply team skills and network effectively.

Who will benefit?

The health care system is changing rapidly. In this new scenario, the nursing assistants are definitely emerging as key players since they provide 90% of the direct care received by residents. The project is timely, addresses some very critical areas of care, and can provide benefits to the nursing assistants and facilities as well. The ultimate beneficiary of these programs, however, is the client or resident who must depend on this important health care worker for daily care, comfort, companionship and a quality to life.

For info about the Leadership Training Program contact: [email protected]

Sponsored by Career Nurse Assistants' Programs, Inc. and The National Network of Career Nursing Assistants, in cooperation with The National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, and with the support of AARP, Extendicare, AGE Institute and others.

Costs and Funding

Travel, hotel and registration costs do not need to be barriers to attending. Here are some ways you may be able to generate funds for expenses:

• Your facility may want to send you as a representative of the safety or care planing committee.
• Your organization or facility may conduct a fund raising event to cover these costs.
• Local vendors who provide services to your facility may want to fund your trip.
• The United Way may be able to advise you about local grants that can be used for training purposes.
• The District Nurses Association or Directors of Nursing group may want to sponsor you to this conference.
• Some scholarships are available to eligible nursing assistants who also agree to use the principals of this conference in their own facility or organization.

Success '99

With the support of NCCNHR, AARP, SCAHEC, OHCNAP and others, the 1999 Leadership Training Program trained 349 nursing assistants in special skills associated with leadership in their facilities and peer groups. Following completion of the Program, trainees are expected to follow an agreed upon plan of action in their own setting. As an added support, mentors provide individual follow-up as the student applied new skills in the back-home setting.

It is exciting to see how quickly and energetically many of the '99 graduates were able to apply new skills to create positive changes in their own facility or geographic areas. Some have worked with Mayors, city Council member or local legislators for community awareness.

Participants also developed a series of Position Statements in the areas of: Staffing, Education and Mentoring, Wage and Benefits, Abuse and Neglect, and Career Development. These statements represented the combined concerns of those attending. Nursing assistants and nursing assistant groups and organizations across the country provided additional input. A booklet containing the Position Statements, and Tips for working in positive ways with administrators, committees, legislators, public policy officials, organizations and the media is in process. Watch for more info about the release of this important publication.

November 1999
Nursing Assistants attended the Special Senate Committee on Aging hearing on November 4, 1999. A copy of the Position Statements by Nursing Assistants was provided for inclusion in the Committee Report.

Future Plans

In order to make this important training truly accessible to nursing assistants who may not be able to attend the DC Program, the Leadership Training Program also will be offered in at least 10 different states or geographic areas during 1999-2000. The outreach Program was conducted in Ohio (6/2-3/99), South Carolina (8/99) North Carolina (9/99), and additional Programs are in process. To obtain additional information about how you can host a Leadership Training Program in your area contact CNAP at [email protected]

This means that more nursing assistants should, are, and will be developing self directed groups and serving on planning committees for local, state and national policy groups. The Leadership Training Program provides training for these new roles, but the Forum gives you an opportunity to showcase your accomplishments and great efforts.

• Did you participate in any type of committee this past year?
• Did you testify to a municipal, state or federal public policy agency?
• Did you help to present an inservice or workshop or to develop a new idea for care?
• Are you developing a Self-directed Nursing Assistant organization?

If so, please let us know so we can showcase your story at the Forum, November 2000

Here is how YOU can be a part of the Forum through Dialogues�

1. Discuss the following questions in your own group or inservice program.
2. Bring or send your answers and concerns to the Forum at the address listed below
   a. What issues are facing today's nursing assistants? What great things are you doing in your facility or area to address these concerns?
   b. In what ways has your job changed with MDS, PPS and managed care?
   c. What helps the experienced Career-Nursing Assistant to stay in the position?
   d. What do you need from a supervisor and inservice person in order to work most effectively?
   e. How do you make the work place a safer place for yourself and the people in your care?
   f. How do you want to be recognized for your efforts and accomplishments?
   g. What training or supervision do you need in order to train new nursing assistants?
   h. Others__________________

IMPERATIVES FOR ACTION
THE "NA TO DO" LIST 2000

The Imperatives were created through the National Forums (1994-1999), focus groups, questionnaires and e-mail with nursing assistants nationwide.

The Imperatives are the "to do" list for nursing assistants and a series of statements about what we believe is possible and some ways we will do this. They provide direction for our joint efforts. During the National Forums, we discussed what has been accomplished in these areas and how to move forward to affect positive changes in these and other areas. Action Steps for each Imperative are available to committee members.

The Imperatives for Action 2000

1. To Create a National Voice for Nursing Assistants
2. To Promote Professionalism and an Ethical Foundation for Nursing Assistants
3. To Foster Networking
4. To Provide for Peer Development
5. To Develop Resources on All Levels for the Career Nursing Assistant

National Network of Career Nursing Assistants Leadership Council 1991, 1999 - revised