The National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA) warned Tuesday the shortage of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) could lead to burnout and increased health problems for the nation’s CNAs.
During a webinar on self-care, NAHCA Chief Clinical Officer Lisa Sweet said the pandemic has increased stress levels for CNAs because many are forced to work longer hours and face additional challenges at home.
“This has been one of the most challenging years ever for CNAs because many have children who are at home taking classes, while other CNAs have had to take off work because they were infected with COVID,” Sweet said.
Workforce stress and injury were a growing problem among nursing assistants even before the pandemic. The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found nursing assistants had the highest incident rate of days away from work than any occupation.
Moreover, in 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that burnout was becoming a global workforce crisis and included it in its International Classification of Diseases. Employee burnout can be costly to companies because it can increase staff turnover and affect worker performance and client satisfaction.
NAHCA, which represents home care and other long-term care workers, cautioned worker burnout can result in myriad illnesses including high blood pressure, depression and chronic fatigue.
Sweet said because of increased demand for care during the pandemic and a shortage of care workers, “employers encourage us to neglect ourselves to a great degree.”
NAHCA urged CNAs to make sure they take short breaks between visits with clients. It also suggested exercising and spending time outdoors during time off to relieve stress.
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