Sacramento, CA – The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California today applauded Governor Newsom for signing into law AB 2131 (Valencia), a bill that will help California meet the healthcare and long-term care needs of our diverse, aging population and remove barriers Spanish-speakers have faced joining the workforce as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) working in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
“AB 2131 takes a significant step toward addressing a critical shortage of caregivers in all areas of our healthcare and long-term care systems. At the same time, it makes care more responsive to our patients’’ needs. Quality care, delivered in our primary language, is even better care,” said Arnulfo De La Cruz, President of SEIU Local 2015 and Executive Board Member of SEIU California. “We are grateful to Governor Newsom and Assemblymember Valencia for standing with native Spanish speaking caregivers to broaden our range of opportunities doing the work we love and making healthcare and long-term care in our state more equitable for the people we care for.”
“Como hispanohablante, fue extremadamente difícil aprobar el exámen de asistente de enfermería certificado en el idioma inglés, a pesar de que soy una cuidadora de salud excepcional y me encanta mi trabajo”, dijo María González, asistente de enfermería certificada en un centro de enfermería especializado en Pittsburg, California. “Conozco a personas que habrían sido excelentes cuidadoras y se dieron por vencidas debido a que el examen solo era en inglés”.
“As a native Spanish speaker, it was extremely challenging to pass the English language Certified Nurse Assistant test, even though I am an outstanding caregiver and love the work,” said Maria Gonzalez, a Certified Nurse Assistant at a Skilled Nursing Facility in Pittsburg, California. “I know people who would have been excellent caregivers who gave up because of the English-only testing.”
Background:
AB 2131 will ensure better accessibility to individuals who are looking to be a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) by requiring the written and oral portion of the CNA competency exam to be offered in Spanish. This comes at a critical time when California is experiencing a severe shortage of CNAs, with the California Department of Public Health declaring a workforce shortage in 34 out of 58 counties, especially in long-term facilities. CNAs provide most of the hands-on care to patients in hospitals, continuing care retirement communities, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.
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