Donors Fund Caregiver Education
A warm smile. A cheerful greeting. A gentle, practiced hand attending to patients. A dedication to healing. It's all in a day's work for Certified Nurse Aides at St. Charles Health System.
CNAs serve a vital role in the continuum of patient care. They use many technical skills to take care of patients and are professionals dedicated to their jobs. When the Oregon State Board of Nursing changed its education and training requirements for CNAs to perform certain tasks, local educators got busy developing a program to help CNAs meet the new requirements.
The St. Charles Foundation also got to work helping CNAs with the financial burden associated with the new training requirements. This year donations to the St. Charles Foundation will fund tuition costs for at least 30 CNAs to obtain a Level 2 Nursing Assistant in Acute Care certification and meet the new state requirements.
"This program will have a variety of positive outcomes for patients and caregivers alike," said Dwight Heaney, Executive Director of the St. Charles Foundation. "Promoting exceptional patient care and supporting the growth and education of SCHS caregivers has always been a core function of our organization. Because of generous donor support, the expense of the training won't be a burden on caregivers and their families."
The CNA training course focuses on technical skills, safety, infection control and communication. A variety of new skills like removing catheters, assisting with tube feedings, using orthopedic equipment, providing respiratory assistance and lifting patients safely are all part of the curriculum.
There's no doubt that patients benefit from the care CNAs provide. According to JoAnn Miller-Watts, Clinical Practice Coordinator at St. Charles Bend, the program has other important benefits. "A significant bonus of the program is the sense of empowerment we see develop in the CNAs," said JoAnn. "The frontline role of the CNA is very important to patients."
With support from St. Charles Foundation donors, students emerge from the 10-week course with a new set of skills and increased confidence. Molly Grady, a CNA currently enrolled in the certification program, shared her thoughts. "I'm a more valuable asset to the nursing team and my patients because of this class," she said.