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HRSA/Bureau of Health Professions/National Center for Health Workforce Analyses. (2004,February). Nursing Aides, Home Health Aides, and Related Health Care Occupations -- National and Local Workforce Shortages and Associated Data Needs. Health Resources and Services Administration.
Abstract
Nursing aides and home health aides are two of the major occupations responsible for providing patient care of a paraprofessional nature to chronically ill, disabled, and elderly persons. In recent years, recruiting and retaining these workers has been increasing difficult.
Recognizing the importance of this segment of the health workforce in meeting the care needs of an increasing percentage of the population, the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) in the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) has commissioned and directed this study. The study concludes that informed workforce planning is needed to document the extent of existing shortages in these occupations and thereby assist states and institutions in addressing them, as well as to assess the impact of present and future initiatives to balance supply and demand.
The comprehensive assessment presented in this report was based on a review of eight key Federal datasets, certified nursing aide registries in 45 states, and fieldwork in California, Illinois, New York, and Wyoming. Fieldwork included interviews and focus groups with long-term care providers and State officials to assess their current data collection activities and data needed for future program and policy development.
These efforts, along with a review of the literature, resulted in (a) confirmation that there exists a widespread shortage of long-term care paraprofessionals and (b) affirmation that the shortage is likely to be far more severe in the future. The report concludes with a series of suggested strategies for improving data collection relating to these occupations, building on existing datasets and data collection activities.
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