HJNO Jan/Feb 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2026 25 Elevating CNA Professionalism A policy is needed that elevates the role of CNA to a respected and valued profes- sion. What’s needed includes: • Fair pay and compensation: Provide a living wage. • Training and education: Subsidize CNA training, apprenticeships, and specialty certifications (e.g., dementia care). • Benefits and support systems: Offer sick leave, vacation, childcare, transporta- tion, and opportunities for savings. • Career pathways: Create ladders into nursing and allied health careers, while valuing CNA as a career in itself. Today, every state maintains its own CNA registry and sets specific training and competency requirements. While this ensures compliance with federal minimum standards under OBRA ’87, it also creates inconsistencies. CNAs moving across state lines often must retrain or retest, despite years of proven experience. In conversation with leaders at NAHCA and the National Institute for CNA Excel- lence (NICE), I learned that they envision a federal registry for CNAs — a single national framework that would: • Ensure consistent training and competency standards across all states; • Establish specialty tracks (e.g., dementia care) to allow CNAs to advance while staying in the profession; and • Create true portability, allowing CNAs to carry their credentials from state to state. Such a policy would elevate the CNA role, reinforce professional identity, and rec- ognize that this workforce is critical to the future of aging. Smiling, Humor, and the Power of Connection In my work as an ombudsman, I share with CNAs that smiling, laughter, and grati- tude are not just niceties — they reduce stress, boost immune response, and elevate mood. Humor adds another essential ingredient. At lunch one day, a CNA named Ms. Rosa balanced three trays while joking she “needed roller skates.”Residents chuckled. One woman who rarely spoke laughed out loud. Ms. Rosa later told me, “When I laugh with them, I feel like I’m in their family.” These small acts of joy become tools of workforce sustainability. Beyond CNAs: Building a Workforce Ecosystem Care cannot rest solely on CNAs. A resilient system includes: • Workforce in nursing homes and care facilities: CNAs at the core, supported by nurses, therapists, social workers, and administrators working in partnership. • Technology as an ally: Voice-activated assistants, fall detection, robotics, medi- cation dispensers). 8 • Expanding professional roles: • Community health workers: wellness checks and local resource navigation. 9 • Care navigators: coordinate medications, appointments, and care teams. • Restorative aides: support mobility and independence. • Family and volunteer networks: • Volunteers of America, Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together. • Area Agencies on Aging and Councils on Aging. • Villages and naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs). • Faith-based and intergenerational service programs. FRONTLINE INSIGHT — RESPECT FOR CNAS “CNAs may sometimes be perceived as looking idle, but often they are monitoring residents closely, taking a brief mental break, or preparing for the next round of care.” — Retired nurse, DNP, APRN, CNS-AG, with over four decades in long-term care CNA REQUIREMENTS FOR LOUISIANA: • 80 hours minimum training (40 classroom, 40 clinical). • Competency test (written/oral + skills). • 12 hours annual in-service. • Must work 8 hours every 24 months to remain certified. 7 Louisiana exceeds the federal minimum but continues to face challenges with retention, mentoring, recognition, and pay. BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING • Lowers blood pressure and depression. • Increases activity and purpose. • Builds friendships and reduces isolation. • Expands community capacity where staff are limited. 10 “Volunteers are not a luxury — they are a lifeline.”