MALE NA

Career Nurse Assistants Programs, Inc.

National Network of Career Nursing Assistants

Task Force for Male Nursing Assistants  

"Men as Well: A New Avenue for Staffing in Nursing Homes and Other Long Term Care Settings"

Genevieve Gipson, Director

INFO SHEET 2008

About the Male Nursing Assistants Task Force on Adequacy of Staffing.  

Males are an important avenue for staffing of frontline positions in long term care.  But many artificial barriers exist for the male who wants to work in a nurturing role.  In this Task Force, male-nursing assistants discuss specific issues relating to benefits, recruitment, retention, acceptance, training needs and other considerations of males as caregivers.  Recommendations are provided to local, State and Federal Legislators and public officials and are used in releases to the media.  

Background:  A critical question being asked today is "Who will take care of Mom or Dad?"  Finding and keeping frontline workers is becoming more difficult, and many facilities across the country are in crisis with staffing..   People are needed in order to "make care happen."  It follows that it would be difficult for any facility to address issues of quality care if they did not have sufficient staff to meet the most basic care needs of their residents.  

The population served by long term care is growing older and increasing in numbers, and the demand for frontline workers is increasing in response to this shift. At the same time, the traditional pool of workers is shrinking or has other options for jobs.  Today's reality is that a nursing home can no longer depend on the traditional pool of workers to provide adequate staffing.  It is time to open new avenues for potential workers and to explore and males are one viable avenue for staffing.  

Many male nursing assistant find real pleasure in nurturing roles and they also help to create a more normal social environment for those who live and work in the nursing homes.  The need for competent and capable caregivers is increasing, and males offer a new avenue for staffing of frontline positions. We invite you to be a part of this important step to recruitment and wider use of males in nursing homes.  

The issue of "Assurance of Adequate Staffing" was identified as a priority by nursing assistants at the Annual National Leadership Programs in Washington DC (1998-2004).  Participants suggested that males are an untapped source of potential workers. They further recommended that a Task Force be convened to examine the issues of males in nursing homes.  

Purpose and Intended Outcomes: This Task Force addresses a very critical issue of staffing in nursing homes and has relevance also for home care and other long term care settings.  Frontline workers provide as much as 90% of the direct care given in nursing homes and are the largest investment a nursing home will make. Assuring adequate staffing is a major task for the nursing administration in nursing homes.   

An aim of the Task Force is address important workforce issues by creating a unique list of special needs, issues and recommendations relating to use of males as nursing assistants in nursing homes.  Participants also develop recommendations as well as individual and group plan of action for using these findings in their own work settings and in other areas.  These lists  provide a framework to develop projects of major significance. Current programs include Speakers Bureau, Calendar, Que Cards for Care, a TV interview program, news releases and  a curriculum is being developed for recruitment and retention of males as nursing assistants.  

Task Force Member Responsibilities:  Male nursing assistants who currently work in nursing homes, home care, hospitals and even Prison systems and other long term care settings are invited to participate in the Male NA Task Force. Additional information can be requested.  Click here to request more info  cnajeni@aol.com                    

Benefits:  Our aim is to assure adequacy and stability of staffing and to create a more normal social environment for the residents and the workers as well. It is estimated that two thirds of the residents are female, as many as 90% of the workers are female, and the probability of visitors being female is very high.  It follows that nursing homes tends to be more "feminine."  At best it is difficult for a male resident to reaffirm his masculinity in this environment.  Males can be very effective as caregivers and also help to create a more normal living environment for residents.

  To participate in this project contact:

                Genevieve Gipson Director

Anderson Waldon STNA, Chair

Male NA Task Force, National Network of Career Nursing Assistants

Email – cnajeni@aol.com