Passion and Fortitude: Stories from a CNA Activist

In today's episode I talk with Lori Porter, co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), a nonprofit organization that elevates the professional standing and performance of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) through recognition, advocacy, education, and empowerment. Porter is a nationally sought-after speaker on team building and transforming workforces into "care forces." In 2020, she was appointed and served on the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes Porter shares her incredible journey from being a disgruntled CNA at 18, a nursing home administrator at 27, and, eventually, founder and head of NAHCA. An exceptional storyteller, she describes in detail her path to where she is today and how some very special people she has met along the way helped to shape her destiny. Porter has a unique way of infusing humor into her stories, which are full of potent lessons as well as profound insights into the power paradigm that exists in long-term care. In this episode, she talks about why NAHCA exists and what the organization is doing to address the workforce challenges of today the issue. She challenges us to rethink our vocabulary and provides a call to action that leverages the power and influence inherent in the CNA profession.   Find Lori Porter on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/loriporternahca  Join the April 7 virtual CNA March on Washington here: https://www.nahcacna.org/cna-virtual-march-on-washington/