CNA students complete training, join staff at Sweet Brook
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Eight residents of North Berkshire and neighboring
communities have completed a Certified Nursing Assistant training program at Sweet Brook Transitional Care & Living Centers in Williamstown. All eight will join the staff at Sweet Brook in full- and part-time positions.Karisa Roy, Margaret Denault (Mass. Alzheimer’s Association), Lindsay Holtzman, Heather Shartrand, Amy Johansson, Jamie Affhauser, Kathleen Gaffey, Mary Carpenter, Jolene Collins, and instructor Tammy Willis, RN.
Jamie Affhauser of Williamstown, Mary Carpenter of Williamstown, Jolene Collins of Stamford, Vt., Kathleen Gaffey of North Adams, Lindsay Holtzman of Stephentown, N.Y., Amy Johansson of North Adams, Karisa Roy of Williamstown, and Heather Shartrand of Williamstown, earned certificates of completion at a ceremony at Sweet Brook on Wednesday, April 1. Sweet Brook administrator and NBH Vice President of Continuing Care Susan Gancarz congratulated the group, saying “it is a privilege for us to take care of our residents. This is a wonderful introduction to nursing and healthcare.”
Tammy Willis, RN, was the instructor for the course. She said the graduates completed 75 hours of training over three weeks and learned about the tasks performed by CNAs including bathing and dressing residents. “But first, they learn about dignity and respect for the residents,” said Willis. “We emphasize the need for compassion and empathy because being a CNA requires a genuine desire to help people and care for them.”
Sweet Brook was recently recognized by the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board as a partner in developing nursing careers. Sweet Brook has assisted in the development of Project HEALTH (Helping Employers Access Labor Talent in Healthcare).
Willis, who was a CNA and later a registered nurse at Sweet Brook in the 1990s, said the students learned to empathize with residents by role playing. “We even have them sit on bedpans so they know what the people they care for are experiencing,” she added. “They spend four days of the course working directly with residents.”
The CNA course at Sweet Brook includes training in nursing care as well as information about nutrition, physical therapy, and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. “Not every program includes Alzheimer’s training, so these graduates received additional recognition from the Massachusetts chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association,” said Willis. “That extra training is very valuable in this setting.”
Willis said she recommends CNA training for anyone hoping to gain additional skills, including college students and those seeking summer employment opportunities. She noted that Sweet Brook may also pay for training for students who go on to a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program.
For information, call Sweet Brook at (413) 458-8127. Sweet Brook is a member of the Northern Berkshire Healthcare family of care providers and offers long-term nursing and transitional care, rehabilitation, and specialized Alzheimer and dementia care. On the Web: www.nbhealth.org.
