Nursing Assistant Week 2009
Posted by Patti on March 30th, 2009 / 
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Nursing Assistants Week – June 11-18, 2009
And, National Career Nursing Assistants Day – June 11, 2009
From the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants:
Now as never before, attention is being directed to care of our elders and disabled citizens and greater attention also is directed to the workers who provide hands- on- care and caring. The question is not just about skills and training but also how to bring more stability, respect, decency, consideration, support and collaboration to the fabric of everyday life for both resident or client and worker. In order to do this we must be able to work in tandem with our role models, peers, supervisors, clients, families, community, legislators, public policy officials, media and others.
And National Nursing Assistants’ Week provides a timely opportunity to foster and showcase the wonderful things that can happen for residents and workers when we work together for quality care and respect.
Can WE do this?
“Yes, WE can”
So CNA’s and others: CNA week and CNA day isn’t just about YOU. It’s about advocating for better working conditions and “homes” for those we care for!
We complain a lot about the lack of respect we get. Part of the problem is a lack of awareness of WHAT exactly, it is, WE DO…No one is better suited to educate people than US. Perhaps, as a way to celebrate our work this year, we can choose to be active members of groups of like minded co workers. These groups can offer some real substance and insight into this work we love. Even better, nursing homes and other facilities that employ CNA’s can come together to join forces.
NNCNA has always promoted this and here’s some ideas on what TO DO:
Day 1 – Honoring our Wisdom Keepers ©
Day 2 – Honoring the power of “WE” ©
Day 3 – Teamwork, the Language of “WE”
Day 4 – Lightning the Load
Day 5 – Solving Problems Together
Day 6 – Taking our Place at the Table
Day 7 – Sharing Outcomes
Day 8 – Reaching Out to Peers
• Involve NAs in planning
• Ask your local newspaper to write a story about your NA who has the most years of service
• Plan a group project to submit to the National Nursing Assistant Authors Club
• Invite your local congress man or mayor to discuss NA related issues with a group of NAs.
• Plan a style show featuring your NAs as models
• Collaborate with the Ombudsmen or other local groups to plan an Award or Recognition Program.
• Purchase t-shirts, lapel pins or certificated to commemorate this event to your NAs.
Saying THANK YOU to CNA’s:
1. Display photos of your NAs with notes about favorite foods, hobbies or families
2. Plan an awards ceremony and invite your mayor and local and state legislators.
3. Conduct a Poster Contest or Essay Contest about Teamwork.
4. Select teams of nursing assistants to conduct Daily Dialogues during the 8 days of National Nursing Assistants’ Week
5. Create a poster consisting of “thank you” notes from family members and staff. Include pictures of your nurse assistants. When complete, enlarge your poster to 5X8 feet and post it in a prominent place
6. Provide computer training for nursing assistants and encourage them to connect with resources and nursing assistant groups in other areas
7. Ask NAs to write and star in a video about your nursing home
Special attention should be given to those who choose to be CAREER CNA’s.
For more resources and ideas, check out National Network of Career Nursing Assistants.
March 30th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Most of this is cheap too- the costs are low. It doesn’t take much to celebrate our work. But the dividends would be priceless. Sadly, my employer will not recognize a CNA day or week. It chooses to wrap it all up during Nursing Home week- where everyone gets a pat on the back and maybe a thank you…
March 30th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
The activity department can help with this: They can have the residents assist with cards, pictures, wall hangings and other projects. Getting families to help would be a great PR target too.
Administrators and DON’s can ask Mayors and community leaders to come speak.
March 30th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
As a former school principal, I would ask if there will be cards, projects, family help, and community leaders invited to speak at celebrations (daily or weekly) for the custodians, kitchen personnel, engineer, nurses, administrators, and all other employee groups at the nursing home. If not, is it really fair to only do this for selected groups?
Before I became principal, our staff had experienced many years of Secretary Week and Teacher Appreciation Week, while other employees, many who worked just as hard and harder than those being honored, were never recognized with that kind of fanfare. After I became principal, I created a Staff Appreciation Week that honored every employee level, as well as volunteers, the school crossing guard, and our regular mail person. Everyone looked forward to this annual celebration, including students, who participated by writing notes and cards to express their staff appreciation. Seeing cross-sections of our entire staff performing at the talent show held that week gave all of us new insights about one another. The celebration of the staff brought us all closer together.
Having worked as a hospice volunteer in inner-city Detroit nursing homes for many years, I see many similarities between them and inner-city schools. Systemic changes need to be made to improve working conditions at several levels. Please know that I have big respect for CNA’s and what they do from firsthand conversations and observations. But when it comes to showing appreciation for contributions made by staff members in spite of all the hardships endured, I see no reason why the recognition should not include every person on the staff in an inclusive celebration.
Frances Shani Parker
March 31st, 2009 at 10:53 am
Cheryl, it’s not a BAD thing to hold an all inclusive employee appreciation event. It’s probably more reasonable to manage. In terms of time and price.
March 31st, 2009 at 11:07 am
Francis,
Thanks for the insight. I’d like to add a few thoughts to this however…
Nurses and CNA’s are held to a higher standard than a housekeeper or a kitchen prepper. I worked in a kitchen at a hospital and it wasn’t easy work- it could be darn testing at times. But it never even came close to the work I do as a CNA. Hardly. As a kitchen employee, I could go home at the end of my shift. CNA’s don’t always have that option. We’re forced to stay over, work double shifts because of a staffing problem or call out.
Kitchen workers cut up lettuce, wash dishes and pots and pans. CNA’s deal with urine, feces, blood and human flesh on an hourly basis if not more.
CNA’s are legally accountable for their work. Maintenance men are not.
Housekeepers clean up the products of our work, but they don’t have to lift, move, transfer and deal with aggressions like we do. CNA’s are not only caregivers, they are friend to, mother to, sister to many residents.
I agree that ALL employees should be honored and appreciated. CNA’s and nurses deserve MORE though for all the sacrifices they make- the mandating of extra shifts, the forced overtime, the low pay (which is similar to what the kitchen workers earns BTW compared with CNA’s).
The other part to this is the mission of the original “CNA” week idea: To educate policy makers and others on the value of CNA’s. Hence, we see a lot of effort being put into meeting with mayors and congressmen, to affect some form of change. To make this career more attractive. We’re running out of aides and nurses. But not patients/residents. Housekeepers are everywhere- and anyone can do that work. A nurse or a CNA are not everywhere- and they need some education and skills to legally perform their duties.
So I do see a need for more recognition for nursing staff. Just as I do for those who do activities- another profession that requires education and skills. Administrators also.