“I think health care is more about love than about most other things. If there isn't at the core of these two human beings who have agreed to be in a relationship where one is trying to help relieve the suffering of another, which is love, you can't get to the right answer here.”
—Donald Berwick
By Alex P. Vidal
ASIDE from helping hone their skills to become Home Health Aide (HHA) professionals, the HHA bilingual supervising nurse instructor of the Queens-based Sunnyside Community Services, Inc. has exhorted trainees to “love your clients, first and foremost.”
“That’s why if you remember during the first day (of the class) when I asked you to introduce yourselves, some of you said that you’re here because you need a job,” sighed Jorge E. Gomez, MSN-Ed, BSN, BBA, RN, CCM. “I appreciate your frankness, but that’s not enough.”
Gomez, a Colombian-American, emphasized: “You must have at least the dedication and compassion in you heart to take care of the elderly; (to be effective HHAs) you must love your clients.”
Gomez goaded the 17 trainees in his class that romped off on March 9 and concluded on April 2 to establish a rapport with their clients and make a good impression of themselves on first day in the job.
He reechoed the sentiments of Siobhan Simpson, HHA training program director, for the 17 trainees to be always mentally and physically fit in order to become effective healthcare workers.
“When you are in your clients’ homes, always be professional and focus on the Plan of Care; be honest and serve your clients with all sincerity and dignity as health workers,” Gomez added. “If you think no one is watching, somebody up there is always watching us.”
HHAs are reportedly in demand in the United States. A shortage of home care workers—home health aides (HHAs) and personal care aides (PCAs)—produces major consequences.
Americans are getting older—the leading edge of the Baby Boom generation is now 77—and that brings an increased need for long-term health care in the U.S.
Gomez, who dabbles full time as registered nurse (RN) in New York hospitals and is reinforced in the HHA project by veteran skills mentor Gloria Caballero and Carlos Meza-Alvarez, has also encouraged HHA trainees to explore the nursing profession.
“As RN, you will go a long way,” he hissed. “You may start from HHA, CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse), Associate Nurse, and get a bachelor’s degree for RN (Registered Nurse).”
Gomez said those intending to purse RN as a profession may incur a staggering amount of student loan, “but after that, when you have become nurses, you can pay off the loan.”
The United States is projected to experience a shortage of RNs that is expected to intensify as Baby Boomers age and the need for health care grows, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
Compounding the problem is the fact that nursing schools across the country are reportedly struggling to expand capacity to meet the rising demand for care.
AACN is working with schools, policy makers, nursing organizations, and the media to bring attention to this healthcare concern.
AACN is reportedly leveraging its resources to shape legislation, identify strategies, and form collaborations to address the shortage.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines—Ed)
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