CNAs: Why The High Turnovers?

You see all of these advertisements about getting your Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification through these schools. They are often fast-track, meaning that classes are in session for at least four to six weeks. There are a huge demand for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs); this is expected to increase by twenty-one percent through 2022.

There is the exam--you can either pass the exam or fail the exam. You get the job working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA); you realize that it takes a lot of work and your energy. All of this can turn into a high turnover--especially in a long-term care facility.

Why The High Turnovers?

The following are some of the influences in which Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) make the decision to leave their jobs and possibly their career in health care. These are four major reasons:

• Problems with their physical well-being
• Lack of health benefits and paid leave
• Lack of job satisfaction
• Low pay

Problems With Physical Well-Being

In the majority of cases with Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), their physical problems are the result of constant demands by their everyday duties and activities. Any one that has ever worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) knows that it is a very physically demanding, which is often associated with duties, such as transferring patients/residents from bed to wheelchair (and vice versa), depending on your shift, moving heavy equipment (example: mechanical lift), and the lifting and twisting associated with re-positioning patients/residents. Doing all of these things on a daily basis can take its toll on the physical body.

There are some facilities that offer excellent health benefits and paid leave to Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs); these work places have the higher number of workers.

Lack of Job Satisfaction

The reason for the lack of job satisfaction among Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) was because of the emotional stress, due to dealing with the patients/residents on a daily basis, the constant demands of the job and very little respect from the upper management, as in supervisors.

Some Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs/LVNs) are assigning extra work to Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) because they do not want to do the "dirty work." This is in reference to giving patients/residents bed baths, cleaning bed pans, incontinence care, etc. Many nurses have the thought of " I have a license, I am above the "dirty work."

Low Pay

Full-time Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) can expect to earn about $24,000 a year, or approximately $11.73/hr, depending on location. Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) requires less schooling than it is to become a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN). There is a big gap in pay rates between Certified Nursing Assistabnts (CNAs) and Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs/LVNs).

This high turnover rate is having a negative consequence not only on the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNAs), but the entire health care. Patient/resident care becomes almost non-existent; there is the high cost in health care for hospitals and/or facilities. This is because the healthcare management team have to recruit and train new employees. In essence, the more job vacancies, the more work hours lost.

Are you a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the Comments box.