The American Health Care Association Wednesday took aim at a recent government-issued survey that revealed a high rate of workplace injuries among certified nursing assistants in long-term care. The survey also found that wages for CNAs are failing to improve.
“The conclusions of the study, particularly the National Nursing Assistant Survey (NNAS) results on Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) injuries and wages, are in direct contradiction with published federal data,” said Bruce Yarwood, president and CEO of AHCA, in a statement.
The study relies on “self-reported out-of-date 2004 data,” that overlooks data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Yarwood continued. The study being referred to is “The National Nursing Assistant Survey: Improving the Evidence Base for Policy Initiatives to Strengthen the Certified Nursing Assistant Workforce.” The Department of Health and Human Services conducted the survey.
While the report disclosed a 59% workplace injury rate for CNAs, other industry data indicate it is 20.3%. Also, the survey found that wages are not rising, but BLS data show a 5.3% increase in wages for CNAs from 2007 BLS data, Yarwood said.
