Dates of Project: December 2004 to April 2006
Field of Work: Workforce development for frontline health care workers
Problem Synopsis: Despite their importance, frontline workers—home health aides, nurse aides, psychiatric technicians, social workers, and human service assistants who often are the first point of contact for patients—are poorly paid, do not receive benefits and have little opportunity for advancement.
Synopsis of the Work: From December 2004 to April 2006, researchers in Baltimore, Boston, New York City, North Carolina, and Washington DC, designed five diverse projects that explored issues impacting the frontline workforce. Their activities included conducting focus groups and interviews with workers, employers, and funders; administering a national survey; and reviewing the literature on existing and past workforce development initiatives.
Key Findings: Key findings from the five projects include:
The growth rate of the frontline health care workforce (32.6%) is more than double all other U.S. occupations—Bur. of Labor Statistics, 2003
An examination of 10 education and training initiatives for frontline health care workers found "a common set of challenges that prevents the expansion of existing programs or the creation of new ones to alleviate workers shortages and deliver consistent high quality care." To meet these challenges, employers must provide training programs that "make it easier, make it work, and make it pay" for frontline workers.
Frontline health care workers are expected to perform tasks once performed by professional staff. For example, home health care workers report having to understand the complex interactions of the medications their patients take. In a hospital and community health center, certified nursing assistants now do what registered nurses used to do—watch patient monitors, take patients' vital signs and assist physicians with exams such as pap smears.