Happy Nursing Assistants Week Nursing Assistants, Caregivers, Care Assistants, Home Care Aides, Geriatric Assistants, Resident Assistants, Patient Care Assistants, Restorative Aides, Health Care Assistants, and other direct care providers in Nursing Homes, In-Home Care, Hospitals, Hospice, Assisted Living, Emergency rooms, prisons, schools and other Long Term Care Settings 36th Annual National Nursing Assistants Week June 13-20, 2013 National Career Nursing Assistants Day June 13, 2013 Now as never before, attention is being directed to care of our elder and disabled citizens and greater attention also is directed to the workers who provide hands-on-care and caring. The 36th annual National Nursing Assistants’ Week provides a timely opportunity to foster and showcase the wonderful things that can happen for residents and workers when we join together in planning your special Week, “Nursing Assistants @ the Heart of Care.” Fun projects can also be educational. NA Week Projects for 2013 include Recognition events, Mayor Proclamations, memos to families and news releases; and also include Programs such as the “Meeting the Future with Skill and Confidence;” “Making friends with IT;” Preventing Rehospitalizations; Info tech for care plans; Nursing Assistants Input to the New MDS; Person Centered Care and Palliative care. We also continue the focus on Safe Lifting and decreasing worker injuries. In order to make a difference, we need to seek out and involve our role models, peers, supervisors, clients, families, community, legislators, public policy officials, media and others. Nursing Assistants Week provides a venue to bring folks together to create projects and programs that will continue throughout the year for the benefit of all. CAREER NURSING ASSISTANTS DAY: June 13, 2013 The First Day of Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers Week–June 13, 2013–is designated as National Career Nursing Assistants’ Day to recognize nursing assistants who have dedicated their lives to the well-being of others for 5 to as many as 58 years. These “Wisdom Keepers” © play an important role in showcasing “Safe Lifting” because they are the “Historians of What Works.” They have developed a wide repertoire of skills and wisdom about how to prevent injuries to self and others. Click here for more info about National Twenty Year Club. For ideas on how to commemorate this special day, see our 2013 Planning Guide & PR Kit. REASONS TO CELEBRATE NOW! From William Painter, Past President of Board NNCNA, Advisor to the Male Nursing Assistant Task Force Recognition for direct care workers has seemed to grow slightly in the past few years. While some of this recognition has to do with a growing awareness of the professional contribution of direct care workers, and is very welcomed, there has also been an increase in displays of “recognition” that are somewhat less sincere and driven by other motives. This last kind of superficial “pat on the back” might help people feel good for awhile, but not really change care practices for either the workers or the people they care for. What really changes things is when people come to a genuine understanding of the fundamental role that direct care workers have in creating quality in long term care in this country. Real change for the better only starts when people begin to understand the actual skills it takes to do this work. The very best way for this kind of genuine recognition and real change to happen is for direct care workers to advocate for themselves! Direct care workers have to take it upon themselves to educate the public, state and federal government agencies, and, in particular, their elected officials about the nature of the work and what workers need to do the job right. Here are some ideas that you can use to advocate for yourself: Make sure that you and your co-workers are registered to vote. Educate yourself and co-workers about the political issues that affect your jobs and the care you give. (Check news stories. Pay special attention to potential cuts in Medicaid and job-training, and regulation changes. Talk to people in senior’s and disabilities organizations.) Get to know your lawmakers! Call your legislators. Write letters. Find out who the big wheels in long term care are in your state legislature and contact them. Get a small group together and make an appointment. Practice your message and avoid complaining – be assertive and professional. It is your government and your money being spent! Don’t be chicken! They hear from the other “experts”, but if they are ever going to understand how it really is, they have got to hear directly from you! Look for and create opportunities to speak to churches, civic organizations, seniors groups, etc. The time to act is right now! YOU are the Great American Caregiver and this is your year. Make National Nurse Assistant’s Week a time, not just accept recognition from others, but a time to celebrate all the things you have done already to make your profession everything it can be!
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 14:20:21 +0000