Called to Care

I’m a certified nursing assistant caring for patients with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other late-in-life conditions. CNAs, as we’re called, are frontline workers in skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities. I provide personal care, monitor my patients’ health and help them with everything from acute medical intervention to sneaking into the kitchen after hours to get them a sandwich or a cup of coffee.

Turnover in this job is high. The work is hard, and the pay doesn’t always support a family. Many CNAs, including me, have to work second jobs.

During the Covid pandemic, I cared for as many as 40 patients at a time because other staff members were sick or guidelines limited the amount of person-to-person contact. Many CNAs became overwhelmed and left the profession.

I stayed and am now training to be a licensed vocational nurse, the next step on the way to my goal of becoming a