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by Fred C. Wilson III
May 16, 2012
“Growing old is like being increasingly penalized for a crime you have not committed.”
-Anthony Powell-
Certified Nurses Assistants (CNA’S) are lifelines of the Philippine nation. Fil-Ams (Filipino-Americans) are care givers to the world. They are highly trained, hard-working, motivated, and professional. From my observations most are women though a few are men. Many if not most nurses’ assistants are Filipinos coming from a country where educated persons are plentiful but jobs scarce. The lucky ones immigrate to the United States or Canada. Working as a CNA in either of these two countries is often fast tracks to citizenship.
Salaries vary with clients; most receive good salaries though not nearly enough for valuable services rendered to clients and host families. Observing these people at work, I concluded that it’s a job I could never have. A CNA will do jobs that most ‘regular’ Americans/Canadians abhor. The CNA profession is one of heroic self sacrifice. They deny themselves much needed sleep often rising throughout the night to clean elderly people who’ve defecated/urinated on themselves or just want a drink of water. They bathe wizened fecal/urine stained bodies of patients as demanded. I’ve witnessed tiny Filipinas wheel patients much larger than themselves for long distances in all kinds of weather. In hot summer sun and frigid winter evenings they never complain. These devoted caregivers ferry patients to stores, houses of worship, and perform a myriad of other chores out of pure devotion. They eagerly perform duties well above what their contracts call for.
The majority of these women were well-trained professionals back home who’ve sacrificed professional status for higher paying healthcare positions to support large families back home. By now you’ve asked yourself why this guy is writing about a subject most Filipinos know a lot about. Because of all the Filipino publications I’ve read I’ve yet to see a single item about the heroic service certified nurses assistants perform in any of them as I remember. Their story is long overdue.
I have plenty to say about these silent heroes. Many if not most care givers in this country are Filipinos. Most are women few are men. Theirs is a demanding profession in terms of needed services and on-the-job difficulties. Many if not most of these wonderful people worked at high status lower paying jobs back home. It took a lot of guts (intestinal fortitude) for them to leave home and families to work here. CNA salaries are substantially higher than high status professions in the Philippines.
The hosting families that certified nursing assistants work for are usually kind and generous. Case in point: There was a dear friend of mine an African-American CNA whom I occasionally attended Mass with, a nice man. He’s recently deceased. John (not real name) was a trained CNA. His employer paid for his education to become a nurse’s assistant. This speaks well for the people most CNAs work for. I even know of a CNA whose employer gave him a brand new BMW as a thank you gift for services rendered! Very few host families are abusive to their ‘helpers.’ I’ve only known one woman who was abusive to her care giver though I’ve read of numerous abusive situations in foreign countries other than Canada and Western Europe where verbal attacks, daily beatings, sexual abuse, and an occasional murder are common occurrences.
CNA training courses are offered at a number of facilities in Chicago. Use your search engine to inquire and type in: Certified Nursing Assistant Programs-Illinois. Despite the collapsing job market, the demand for nursing assistants is growing. Given their high quality of professionalism Fil-Ams are in most demand. Client families generally prefer gentle, professional, and knowledgeable Filipinas to other races deemed rougher and far less caring.
There are job hazards. Agencies sometimes undercut nurses’ assistants in a variety of ways through low pay, excessive fees, etc. I know of people who left teaching and other professions to set themselves up as health care agencies. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to work for an agency though I’m not questioning their respectability. If you or anybody you know are interested in working as a nurses’ assistant, urge them to work as an independent contractor/employee. Knowing others in the field is a definite plus factor. They can lead you to high paying employers. Pay and treatment is far better than working for an agency. CNAs must be ‘people persons. Nursing assistants serve as the eyes, ears, and mouths for elderly/disabled patients. When interviewing for jobs, nursing assistants are often hired on the spot; that’s how high the demand is for dedicated/qualified healthcare professionals.
The typical day of a caregiver varies depending upon the situation. Here’s some questions/answers about this profession I’ve complied from caregivers I’ve known through the years; you may find them interesting:
Question: What are some of the problems facing CNAs?
Answer: That depends on the situation; sometimes patients are heavier than caregivers. At other times caregivers may be assigned hospitals where overzealous staffers may insist that caregivers toe the line (conform) to hospital rules and regulations. On very rare occasions the patient may be a racist who has had bad experiences with Asians (Vietnam War, failed romances, etc.) A good CNA has to work through this. Worse case scenario is that client patients/families refuse to pay what’s owed. There are certain family ‘obligations’ forced upon the working healthcare provider by the folks back home. I’ve known caregivers who surrender most of their hard-earned pay to send to poor relatives in the Philippines.
Question: What are some of the rewards as caregiver?
Answer: They vary aforementioned. I know of this one Fil-Am gentleman who works for a rich client. Whenever the client attends fancy functions (dinners, vacations, and cultural events) the caregiver dines at the rich man’s table enjoying all the gracious amenities thereof! The job may not be all ‘gravy’ (fun & games) the life does have its rewards.
Question: What are caregivers’ biggest challenges?
Answer: Patients get sick, have to be hospitalized, hosting families unexpectedly cut caregivers’ salaries, refuse to pay them, and patients die in the arms of their beloved Fil-Am caregivers. Patient sickness and death can wreak havoc in the lives of home health care providers. I’ve known of caregivers who’ve undergone the grieving process as though deceased patients were family members. Caregivers grow attached to the patients/families they serve.
Question: What is the future of certified nursing assistants as a profession?
Answer: ‘Business’ is by all accounts booming and will be for decades to come! My hat’s off to these loving and dedicated health care professionals.
Since the conclusion of the 30 Years War Faith (Religion) and Reason (Empirical thought) have been at each others throats. The tug of war between the two disciplines goes on today. In the next edition of Megascene’s Philippine Adventures we’ll discuss this on going argument and the part Filipino-Americans play. Till then GOD bless you and drive carefully.
(vamaxwell@yahoo.com)