Approximately 70 members of the Wisconsin National Guard have completed their two-week certified nursing assistant (CNA) training and will be deployed to hospitals in the state.
According to a release from Governor Tony Evers, the individuals conducted their training at Madison College.
“The Wisconsin National Guard has been an invaluable part of our efforts throughout the pandemic, and this mission is no different,” said Governor Evers. “Members of the Guard are volunteering to step up so we can welcome more CNAs into our nursing homes across the state and expand capacity at our hospitals during this critical time. We are incredibly grateful for their dedication and sacrifice in service to their communities and our entire state.”
Previously, Evers announced the initiative to help hospitals during the surge of cases and hospitalizations attributed to the Omicron variant. They are working to address capacity issues and staffing shortages that have impacted the healthcare industry across the country.
“Having the National Guard members working with us has made a huge difference,” said Renee Groth, MSN, RN, nurse manager at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse. “With their help, we’ve been able to maintain bed capacity for patients while also giving our nursing staff respite from some of the tasks they were doing in addition to their regular nursing care.”
Throughout the pandemic, the state’s National Guard has assisted in different manners. For example, the unit helped distribute tests early on and vaccines when they became widely available.
However, since the decision, cases have trended downward. According to the Mayo Clinic, the average positivity rate has dropped almost 10 points in roughly one month.
According to a poll, the majority of Americans see the coronavirus as part of our daily lives and look to move forward.
– – –
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Wisconsin National Guard” by The National Guard. CC BY 2.0.
