February 2000

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Caregivers Corner February, 2000 Support for the Frontline
Recently Institute staff asked Genevieve Gipson to tell us about what types of support systems are available for the nearly two million caregivers who each day provide the majority of hands-on care to our nation's frail elderly clients in nursing homes, home care services and other care settings. Gipson, director of the Ohio-based Career Nursing Assistants' Programs, is eager to spread the word about important initiatives being advanced by the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants. November 1999 marked the Sixth Annual National Forum for Nursing Assistants. One of the themes of the Forum is to create a "National Voice" for nursing assistants. "We have to find new approaches to talking about what we need as direct caregivers - to state our needs in clear and concise ways, and in ways that others will listen," said Gipson. "By doing so, nursing assistants can play a vital role in the growing movement for positive change in long term care practices." Part of the National Forum's agenda was a 12-hour Leadership Training Program to enhance nursing assistants' skills in a number of areas. These areas include making appropriate decisions when providing care, mentoring new nursing assistants, developing effective peer relationships, applying team skills, and networking effectively. Leadership training provides core skills that enable nursing assistants to expand leadership roles. It also raises their awareness of opportunities to develop self-directed groups, serve on planning committees for local, state, and national policy groups - so they can voice common needs that are critical to nursing assistants in order to provide quality care. "Nursing assistants have a great deal of wisdom about caregiving and they want to be involved," said Gipson. "The National Network provides a unique vehicle to showcase the contributions and accomplishments of nursing assistants, to activate and support local networking efforts and raise consciousness levels of what we can accomplish when we work together." To find out more about how you can support and become involved in these efforts, contact the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants at Career Nurse Assistants' Programs, Inc., 3577 Easton Road, Norton, OH 44203 or visit www.cna-network.org on the Web.

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