CNA training program crucial for long-term care

Knowing the high demand for nurses and nurse aides in the long-term care industry, the Good Samaritan Society started a certified nursing assistant (CNA) training program in May 2020. The program is meant to increase the number of caregivers within the Society and further improve care for residents.

“Investing in our team members is extremely important to us,” says Rochelle Rindels , vice president of nursing and clinical services for the Good Samaritan Society.

Since the program began, the Society has enrolled more than 600 students and among those who take their state CNA exam, 91% earn their certification.

Program takes off

The CNA training program has helped recruit and retain more caregivers at the Society.

“Students train in our locations while they work and earn a paycheck,” Rochelle says. “They are trained in person by preceptors and nursing team members who are also their co-workers.”

The program curriculum includes online coursework and in-person labs and clinicals. Learning on the job helps students apply their knowledge in care settings where they get to know the residents they’ll serve after they graduate and pass certification.

It’s all to foster relationships that help older adults thrive and create careers that provide CNAs with joy and fulfillment.

“They build special relationships and friendships with their co-workers and their residents become like family,” she says.

The call to care

CNAs assist residents at the Good Samaritan Society with their daily needs during dressing, bathing and mealtime. They also help residents maintain function and document their needs and overall condition.

It’s physically demanding work that requires compassion, patience and a love for people.

Rochelle knows this firsthand. She started in the health care field as a CNA before following in the footsteps of her mother, who served as a Good Samaritan Society nurse for nearly 40 years.

“A CNA is more than their title alludes to. They are absolutely the eyes and ears of our nurses,” Rochelle states. “They’re intimately involved with day-to-day care and build lasting relationships with residents and their families.”