Number of long-term care patients increasing in La Crosse County, while number of CNAs on the decline
Of that,
Regardless of the voluntary overtime allotted, about a dozen nursing shifts remain unfilled per day in county-run facilities, said
The staffing problem isn't unique to
The shortage is the result of a combination of problems such as significantly low statewide unemployment and shifting demographics -- the state's population is aging, more people are predicted to enter into retirement and fewer people are predicted to enter into the workforce to replace those exiting the workforce, said
Employers are unable to find qualified people to work in large numbers of positions across
"The issue is compounded in lower-paid positions, such as an industry like long-term care where Medicaid and Medicare from the federal government don't adequately pay for (the) full cost of operating a large-scale nursing facility or assisted living," O'Malley said.
In 2018, more than 90,400
Regardless of that increase, there was a 27.1% decline in the number of first time registrants to the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry between 2012 and 2018, and despite that decline, the need for personal care workers is predicted to increase 26.4% by 2022.
The aging population projected for the next few decades not only means there will be fewer people in the workforce, but also there could be more individuals who need more services and specialized care, O'Malley said.
In the next 12 years, the number of
O'Malley also pointed to the pay scale for certified nursing assistants in the area as another reason for the staffing problem, as it's more difficult to fill positions that pay between
If a person enters the workforce as a certified nursing assistant, it's only a matter of time before they move on to a higher nursing position or leave the medical field for another higher-paying profession. According to the
"It's going to be a challenge not just in
And the problem could affect those who aren't on government-subsidized medical programs at the start of their care.
If a person enters long-term care with the assets to pay for private care, they're paying for medical services at a higher rate. If they deplete those resources and enter a county-run facility, they rely on government programs like Medicaid and Medicare, which don't pay for the full cost of care, O'Malley said.
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The
CNA Shortage
"County homes generally have a higher percentage of residents who are on Medicaid," she said.
But, because government-subsidized medical assistance programs don't usually pay for the full cost of care for a resident, the facility is required to use other pay sources to cover the cost of care. And due to the lower rate of medical reimbursement, the county-run facilities are unable to pay employees a competitive wage.
"I see a group of CNAs that are getting close to retirement, have made this their career, and they're going to be leaving us" in the next five years Plachecki said. "I don't know how we'll replace them because we're not finding people who are interested in caregiving as a career" due to low wages.
Plachecki said she is watching with trepidation as the number of residents who need long-term care increase, but the number of people willing to work as a care provider decrease.
"We could never fill all of those beds today because we wouldn't have the staff available to provide the care," she said.
Currently, 40% of the staff at
Johnson
Not every county operates a long-term care facility,. In fact, it's increasingly unusual that a county operates a long-term care facility, said
"Then, their outcomes aren't as good because you take people away from their community of support," Johnson said. "We have continued to make the commitment to operating
The county is trying to maintain a high-quality workforce in a competitive environment, but it is not used to increasing worker pay to meet private-sector market demands and attract the candidates needed to fill open roles. However, that could change.
The
"That's unusual for us because we are treating this group of employees 'differently' (than other county workers) because we have to maintain that workforce," Johnson said.
If approved, the new pay rate for non-licensed positions -- including certified nursing assistants -- will go into effect
"We believe the new ranges will be more attractive when hiring new staff and help us to retain current employees," he said.
------
The best and worst paying cities to be a nurse
Intro
Photo Credit:
Looking for guaranteed employment in the next few years? Become a nurse.
According to the
Demographic and social trends are contributing to the rise of the nursing profession. The combination of an aging population, retiring Baby Boomers, emphasis on preventive care, and increased life expectancy has led to an increased demand for nursing services, as well as home aides and other healthcare service professionals. As the specific demand for residential care facilities increases, nurses will need to be available around-the-clock.
On a national level, nurses are well compensated for their work. In 2017, the median pay for nurses was
Although nurses provide similar services nationwide and work similar shifts, wages are not evenly distributed across the country. Some cities offer better wages for nurses than others.
To determine which cities offer the highest and lowest salaries for nurses, LiveCareer, an online resume builder, analyzed salary, employment, and cost-of-living data from the
Most of the best paying cities are in the West, with 9 of the top 15 in
--LiveCareer
The best paying cities for nurses
15.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 60,260
14.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 102,330
13.
Photo Credit: rudi1976 / Alamy Stock Photo
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 39,290
12.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 23,100
11.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 5,500
10. Urban
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 8,480
9.
Photo Credit: trekandshoot / Alamy Stock Photo
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 27,720
8.
Photo Credit: Andrew Zarivny / Alamy Stock Photo
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 15,620
7.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 22,500
6.
Photo Credit: Purestock / Alamy Stock Photo
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 5,340
5.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 7,560
4.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 35,480
3.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 15,990
2.
Photo Credit: 21earlybird / Stockimo / Alamy Stock Photo
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 4,270
1. Sacrament-
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 18,240
The worst paying cities for nurses
15.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 13,490
14.
Photo Credit: Vespasian / Alamy Stock Photo
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 5,970
13.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 3,930
12.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 6,730
11.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 7,370
10.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 11,150
9.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 3,140
8.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 7,310
7.
Photo Credit: kacielandis / Stockimo / Alamy Stock Photo
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 5,670
6.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 13,750
5.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 7,780
4.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 3,530
3.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 6,220
2.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 54,350
1.
Photo Credit:
* Nursing median salary (adjusted):
* Nursing median salary (unadjusted):
* All occupations median salary (unadjusted):
* Total number of nurses: 4,260
Methodology and full results
Salary and employment numbers are from the
For each metropolitan area: Nursing median salary (unadjusted) is the annual median wage for registered nurses provided by OES; All occupations median salary (unadjusted) is the annual median wage across all occupations provided by OES; Total number of nurses is the estimated total employment of registered nurses rounded to the nearest 10, also provided by OES.
To compute the cost-of-living adjusted Nursing median salary (adjusted), the
If you are considering nursing as a career path, registered nurses usually obtain a B.S. in nursing (BSN) or an associate's degree in nursing (ADN). All registered nurses must be licensed. For tips on applying to nursing jobs, the
___
(c)2019 the La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wis.)
Visit the La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wis.) at www.lacrossetribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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