The California Association of Health Facilities last week launched an awareness and recruitment campaign to draw more certified nursing assistants to senior living and long-term care.
The effort to boost the CNA workforce and aid in recruitment is being conducted through the association’s Quality Care Health Foundation. CAHF is a state affiliate of the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living.
“The effort includes digital advertising, community partnerships and engagement with potential employers,” Claire Enright, BSN, RN-BC Gerontology, executive director of the foundation, told the McKnight’s Business Daily. “Aimed at bolstering the CNA workforce in the state and addressing persistent shortages exacerbated by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign seeks to dispel misconceptions about long-term care professions by emphasizing job security, growth opportunities and the profound impact CNAs can have on individuals’ lives.”
A continued staffing shortage is the prime issue facing CNAs on the job for the second year in a row, according to the results of a survey released in July by the National Association of Health Care Assistants.
As part of its campaign, the QCHF has launched a website dedicated to providing insights into the CNA role, training options, career pathways and employment prospects.
“With California’s aging population and continued healthcare workforce shortages lingering from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a tremendous need to raise awareness about the rewards of working in long-term care, as well as new workforce trainingopportunities,” Enright said in a press release. “Our advertising and outreach campaign is an exciting next step to build and maintain a skilled workforce in this rapidly growing and rewarding field.”
The CNA campaign is part of a five-year project funded by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. It is expected to continue through 2027, launching first in English, with Spanish language ads later this spring.
The effort is funded only for skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities at this time, “because only those facilities can house nurse assistant training programs per California Department of Public Health regulations,” Enright told McKnight’s.
“However, we do know that some assisted living facilities utilize CNAs, and the educational resources we promote are available to this sector,” she added. “Additionally, we anticipate the broader awareness and recruitment efforts of the advertising campaign will benefit care in many long-term care settings by increasing the overall number of CNAs.
