Paying fair wages helps nursing home staff and residents | Opinion

Ever since high school I wanted to be a nurse. I love what I do as a certified nursing assistant in Richland for the past eight years. I know I’m making a positive difference in the lives and health of the nursing home residents I care for.

At Richland Post Acute, we are caring for residents with high needs, often on a skeleton crew of staff. It’s much better for residents when we can take time with them.

No one likes to be rushed. But when we are stretched thin, we have no choice but to practically run to take care of everything - getting vitals, ordering meals, helping residents with showers and bathrooming. When call lights are on and we can’t get there fast, it’s very frustrating for both of us – nursing assistants and the folks we are caring for.

Caregivers aren’t in this line of work just for a paycheck. Our jobs are mentally, physically and emotionally stressful. Getting fair pay that helps us make our own ends meet is really important. That’s why it’s such a big deal that we certified nursing assistants (CNAs) at Richland Post Acute, and other nursing homes in Washington state owned by a company known as PACs, just won significant wage increases after nearly a year of bargaining our contract.

Nursing home caregivers keep residents safe and cared for, we deserve respect and fair pay. We CNA’s care deeply about our residents’ wellbeing. They are our fellow community members and they deserve consistency in care that high staff turnover makes impossible.

It’s worth noting that studies have found union member nursing home staff have greater job satisfaction, quality, and retention, and that facilities with unionized staff report better care quality and safety, including fewer injuries.

The cost of living keeps going up. But the wage scale hasn’t kept up. Winning fair pay helps us keep and recruit skilled staff and that benefits all of us - staff and residents alike. We are the people caring for your family, friends and neighbors. When we make livable wages, that money circulates in our local community, supporting our area small businesses and families.

My fellow nursing assistants and I are proud of the hard work we do. I love the feedback I get from the residents I care for when they come back just to visit and say “Hi.”

Better wages mean better staffing because CNAs who know our residents best will stay longer, and that means both caregivers and the people we care for are happier. We know we make a positive difference in the health and the lives of nursing home residents.

With more and more nursing homes being purchased by for-profit corporations, it’s great to see when companies like PACs step up and do the right thing. Providing competitive wages for essential caregivers will help lower turnover and improve staffing, so important to protecting the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable residents.

Anadelia Flores is a certified nursing assistant at Richland Post Acute in Richland, Wash.