EVESHAM -- Assemblyman Brandon Umba (R-Medford) is sponsoring a bill intended to increase access to nurse aide training at a time when growing vacancies continue to place patient care at risk.
Umba, who is a member of the Assembly Human Services Committee, has proposed legislation providing a $1,000 tax credit to help cover tuition costs for participants in a state-approved long-term care facility training program for Certified Nursing Aides.
Certified Nursing Aides, or CNAs, are front-line healthcare workers who perform a variety of tasks, from assistance with patients feeding and bathing, to regular monitoring and maintenance of a patient’s intake and vitals.
The New Jersey Hospital Association has stated that the ongoing shortage of CNAs has led to dangerous patient-to-staff ratios for patients in a variety of settings, particularly in hospices and long-term care facilities.
“Nurse assistants play a critical role in the healthcare system and in the care teams within New Jersey’s nursing homes, especially since COVID has brought on major staffing shortages. These valuable frontline workers use their training, in partnership with registered nurses, to add to the quality of life of nursing home residents,” Umba said.
Umba says that past directives from the state to enforce lower nursing home ratios have failed to recognize an ongoing lack of new trainees and the fact that nursing aide training costs may be turning too many enthusiastic caregivers away.
“The cost of training should not be a barrier to individuals who want to join a noble profession badly in need of nursing aides. My bill would help lessen that barrier and provide more individuals with the proper training to care for our state’s residents in their golden years,” Umba finished.
The bill, A-267, has been referred to the Assembly Human Services Committee where it awaits further action.
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