Monthly Archives: June 2009

Learning Opportunities for Your CNAs

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The internet offers some terrific options for nursing paraprofessionals who are looking to learn new things. However, it’s easy to get “lost” in cyberspace when searching for relevant information. Here are just a few sites that we feel have a lot to offer CNAs—and anyone who works in health care. You may want to pass them on to your nursing assistants and/or home health aides.

Nursing Assistant Resources on the Web
For ten years, three nursing assistants named Patti, Kim and Heather have worked diligently to create a central location for CNAs to access information on the web. They believe that “the more informed CNAs are, the better quality work they will produce.”

On this site, you’ll find a blog filled with important information for CNAs and anyone who is part of the healthcare system. I regularly read their blog postings! The blog is interactive which means readers can post their comments (the same as here on the In the Know blog).

Nursing Assistant On-line Video Lessons
Your CNAs are bound to find the Nursing Assistant On-line Video Lessons interesting. This site was created by Fox Valley Technical College and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College as a resource for nursing assistant students.

While the videos are copyrighted, you are welcome to watch them online for free. There are 80 different videos to help CNA students reinforce their classroom learning and to give working CNAs a refresher on a variety of topics. The videos alone cannot count as inservices, but they still provide a great learning experience.

Nursing Assistant Central
This is another great site that has great information for both students and working CNAs. This website offers information about becoming a CNA and tips for succeeding as a CNA.

There is also a very active message board which provides an excellent place to ask questions, learn and socialize with others in the field. All are welcome to participate, whether you’re a past, present or prospective CNA.

We recommend taking a long look around Nursing Assistant Central. You’re bound to learn a thing or two. We did!

National Network of Career Nursing Assistants
Have your heard of the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants? It is a non-profit educational organization that promotes recognition, education, research, advocacy and peer support development for nursing assistants in nursing homes and other long term care settings. Genevieve Gipson NA RN MEd RNC is the director. She advocates tirelessly for direct-care workers across the United States.

One of our favorite spots on this site is a page of Frequently Asked Questions. These questions (and answers) relate to transferring CNA certification from one state to another, finding a local CNA training program, and much much more!

Last but not least, you may want your nurse aides to check out our Just for CNAs blog. On it, we strive to provide them with information that will help them in both their careers and their personal lives.

Till next time,
Linda

Linda Leekley BS, RN

Support All Direct-Care Workers!

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Check out this information from the Eldercare Workforce Alliance:

By 2030, one in five Americans will be age 65 or older, 75% of whom will have one or more chronic conditions. Many older adults and those with chronic diseases do not receive the care they need because of an inadequately trained healthcare workforce, clinician and faculty shortages, and poor working conditions for direct-care workers (such as nursing assistants, home health aides and personal care aides).

We can strengthen the eldercare workforce by urging Congress to include the following measures as part of health reform:
1. Increase the federal match for all home- and community-based services funded under Medicaid.

2. Expand the Geriatrics Health Professions Education and Training Programs under Titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act to increase the supply of essential healthcare professionals.

3. Extend greater federal minimum wage and overtime protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act to 1,500,000 home care workers.

4. Provide loan forgiveness for professional training in geriatric care.

5. Support appropriate care coordination services under Medicare and Medicaid.

6. Provide training and support for direct-care workers and family caregivers.

If you would like to support the above health reform measures, please click here to visit the Eldercare Workforce Alliance and LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

You can call or email your Representatives and Senators so they know how you feel about better education, pay and working conditions for direct-care workers.

All of us at In the Know will be making our calls and sending our emails, too!

Best wishes,

Linda

Linda Leekley BS, RN
In the Know, Inc.

Get Ready for a Week of Great Savings!

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While we don’t usually use this blog to “hype” special offers, we wanted to make sure you knew about our upcoming daily discounts. They are in honor of CNA Week (June 11th-18th).

National CNA week starts Thursday June 11th, and we’re making it easy to reward your CNAs! During CNA week, we will introduce a NEW special every business day. If you subscribe to our email newsletters, you will receive the code for each discount via email. If you are not a subscriber, but would like to be, you can add your name and email address to our list here.

If you prefer, you may call us at 877-809-5515 and tell us you are interested in a particular offer. Each special is good for one day only.

Thursday, June 11th- Buy 2 Inservices, Get 1 Free

Friday, June 12th- Receive 25% Off the Orientation Program: “Getting Off to a Good Start”

Monday, June 15th- Get a Custom Six-Pack for $189.00 (regularly priced $252.00)

Tuesday, June 16th- Receive free PowerPoint Companions with every order including ALL enrollments. That means every inservice topic you order will arrive in your mailbox with a free corresponding PowerPoint Companion!

Wednesday, June 17th- $100 Off Your Choice of 13 Inservice Topics

Thursday, June 18th- Buy 1 Inservice Topic, Get 1 for Only $10.00

Contact us with questions at 877.809.5515 or visit our website!

Thanks so much for stopping by our blog! We’d love to hear from you…simply add your comments and we’ll respond.

Take care,
Linda

Linda Leekley BS, RN
In the Know, Inc.