For the second time in a row, staffing shortages were the top concern cited in the annual poll conducted by the National Association of Health Care Assistants.
Respect from supervisors, burnout and exhaustion, as well as the need for better pay and ongoing training opportunities were other sore spots highlighted in the eight-question survey taken by nearly 3,000 certified nurse assistants.
“The survey results and comments show how little has changed in the past year,” said NAHCA Board Chair Sherry Perry. “Efforts to recover from the pandemic and enable healthcare settings to move forward must include attention to the needs of CNAs. These are care team members who know the residents best and yet are paid very little and recognized even less. They deserve living wages and respect.”
The No. 1 way to retain more aides in their current jobs would be to improve wages and benefits, according to survey respondents. Nearly all (92%) said they wanted to continue as a CNA if the position came with additional educational opportunities, pay raises and recognition. Among the vocational education and training topics most desired: end-of-life care, infection control and fall prevention.
NAHCA CEO and co-founder Lori Porter said survey responses will help shape NAHCA’s policy priorities and advocacy efforts, particularly with the White House’s planned first-ever minimum staffing mandate still in the works.
From the September 2023 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
