Celebrating Our Certified Nursing Assistants
June 9, 2022
The National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA) decided the theme of this year’s National CNA Week, celebrated June 16 through 22, is “I’m Still Standing.” That’s an appropriate theme, given the unprecedented challenges Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)—have been called upon to meet during the last few years of pandemic health care.
People who go into health care, including CNAs, do so because they are passionate about helping other people. CNAs help our guests with activities of daily living, under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Activities of daily living include bathing, dressing, eating and attending activities. They also act as a liaison between other nursing staff and the person in their care and spend the most time with them. The direct nature of their care means they are on the very front lines of the health care system. And they do it because they care and understand that everyone deserves dignity and respect, no matter what specific level of care they may require.
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected this profession, especially during the early days when much was unknown about the novel virus and how it spread. CNAs played such an important role in keeping patients safe at this time.
While being a CNA can be challenging at times, at Ridgeview Transitional Care, our CNAs get to experience the high points of the profession. We get to cheer when our guests take their first steps after a stroke or learn to use a spoon again. We celebrate it like a graduation when a guest leaves our care because we are truly happy to see them return to living their best life. We go home at the end of each shift knowing we have made a difference in the life of a person and their family.
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, more than 1.4 million people are employed in this field, and that number is expected to grow in the next decade. Many go on to continue in their nursing careers.
At Ridgeview Transitional Rehab, we are incredibly proud of the work our CNAs do to take care of our guests while they recover from an illness or surgery. They are an essential part of our guests’ recoveries. We couldn’t provide a high level of care without them! That’s why we celebrate them and the kind and warm care they provide our guests.
If you want to be a part of the care team that helps people return to living their best lives after a surgery or injury, we want to hear from you! Contact us to learn more about employment opportunities.