Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Bemidji, MN · Full time Company website

Apply for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Nana Boozhoo,

Gaa-giigishkaakaawasowaad "A Place Where Pregnant Women Gather" Clinic at Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming "Birthing Long Ago in Home, Lodge or Hospital" is an Anishinaabe-led, nonprofit community health clinic rooted in the belief that healing begins with love, culture and community. We are located on the ancestral homelands of the Anishinaabe people in rural northern Minnesota, serving our community through a model of care that honors traditional and cultural wellness integrating western medicine. Our clinic is guided by the values of Mino-Bimaadiziwin — the Good Life — and the understanding that physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health are inseparable.

We believe that the best care for our relatives comes when traditional healing practices, cultural knowledge, and western clinical services walk together. Our all Anishinaabe team includes doulas, midwives, nutritionist, lactation counselors, traditional wellness and healing practitioners and western-trained clinical providers who work side by side in a spirit of mutual respect and shared purpose.

🌿 How we work (and how we hire)

At Mewinzha, we practice a person- and gift-centered approach. Our team works in relational practices that help hold the integrity and sustainability of our mission. We value the unique gifts, lived experiences, capacities, and ways of working each person brings, and we shape positions that support alignment, growth, and long-term sustainability — for both teammates and the organization.

🌿 Position Summary

This Certified Nursing Assistant will provide direct patient care support to the clinic providers and integrative care team within a cultural care model grounded in love and community. Working under the direction and supervision of our licensed nursing and provider staff, the CNA helps create a welcoming, safe, and well-prepared clinic experience for every relative who comes to us for care — honoring both Anishinaabe healing traditions and evidence-based western medicine.

The ideal candidate understands the strengths and unique health needs of American Indian people, including the health consequences of systemic inequities rooted in colonization, and the protective power of cultural connection, community bonds, and traditional ways of knowing.

🌿 Key Responsibilities

- Welcome and room patients; obtain and record vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respirations, temperature, oxygen saturation), height, weight, and BMI

- Collect intake information — reason for visit, health history updates, and medication and allergy lists — for clinic provider review

- Administer standardized screening questionnaires (e.g., perinatal depression, social needs) as directed, and promptly route results to the provider for review and follow-up

- Prepare exam and procedure rooms and set up equipment and supplies for well-woman exams, prenatal visits, and in-office gynecologic procedures

- Serve as a patient chaperone during sensitive examinations and procedures, supporting each relative's comfort, dignity, and privacy

- Assist providers during exams and procedures by positioning patients, passing instruments and supplies, and supporting patients before, during, and after care

- Collect, label, and process specimens (e.g., urine) and perform CLIA-waived point-of-care testing (e.g., urine pregnancy, urinalysis dipstick) and venipuncture per clinic protocol and after documented competency validation; prepare specimens for reference lab pickup

- Support lactation visits by obtaining infant weights (including pre- and post-feed weights), gathering supplies, and reinforcing education provided by the lactation team, RN, or provider

- Clean, disinfect, and turn over exam rooms; reprocess reusable instruments and maintain equipment per infection prevention and sterilization protocols

- Stock and organize supplies, monitor inventory and expiration dates, and complete equipment and refrigerator temperature logs

- Document vital signs, measurements, screenings, and completed tasks accurately and promptly in the electronic health record (EHR)

- Report abnormal vital signs, changes in patient condition, or patient concerns to the provider right away

- Support patient flow and care coordination across the integrative team — doulas, midwives, lactation counselors, traditional healers, nutritionist, and clinical providers — including scheduling support and reminder calls

- Participate in team meetings, daily huddles, quality improvement, and data collection activities

All clinical tasks are delegated and supervised by the providers in line with Minnesota law and clinic policy, and are performed only after training and documented competency validation. This role does not include independent patient assessment, clinical triage, or care planning.

🌿 Communication & Professionalism

How we communicate is as important as the care we provide. This role requires someone who listens deeply, speaks with compassion and clarity, and represents Mewinzha with professionalism and integrity — within the clinic, in the community, and with external partners. The ideal candidate handles sensitive conversations and emotionally complex situations with care and discretion and responds to feedback with openness and a willingness to grow.

🌿 Teamwork & Flexibility

This is a small, mission-driven organization where every team member contributes beyond their clinical title. The ideal candidate sees the whole picture and is willing to step in where needed — whether that means supporting clinic operations, assisting with outreach events, helping prepare spaces for ceremony or community gatherings, or contributing to organizational projects. Roles here are interconnected, and shared purpose matters more than rigid job boundaries. This position includes other duties as assigned that support the mission, operations, and goals of Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming.

🌿 Culturally Integrated Care

- Approach all work with humility, recognizing that Anishinaabe people and communities hold deep knowledge about their own health and wellness

- Practice culturally safe care with an understanding of the historical impacts of colonization on the health of American Indian women and families

- Work respectfully and collaboratively alongside traditional healers, Elders, and cultural practitioners as equal partners in the care team

- Support patients who choose to incorporate traditional healing practices — such as smudging, talking circles, traditional medicines, and ceremony — into their wellness journey

- Understand and respect that traditional and cultural wellness practices are not "complementary" or "alternative" — they are foundational to Anishinaabe health and healing

- Recognize and honor the role of family, extended kinship networks, and community in health decisions and care planning

- Participate in cultural learning guided by Elders and teammates

🌿 Community Engagement

- Build and maintain trusting relationships with community members, understanding that trust is earned over time through presence, consistency, and integrity

- Participate in community health education, outreach, wellness events, and cultural gatherings

🌿 Required Qualifications

- High school diploma or GED

- Successful completion of a state-approved nursing assistant training and competency evaluation program

- Active listing in good standing on the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry (or eligibility for listing through Minnesota competency testing or interstate endorsement before the start date)

- Current BLS certification, or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire

- Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, and comfort using an electronic health record

- Demonstrated experience working with American Indian / Alaska Native communities, or demonstrated commitment to learning and serving within an Anishinaabe-led healthcare setting

🌿 Preferred Qualifications

- At least 1 year of experience as a CNA, preferably in an outpatient clinic, women's health, maternal/child health, or primary care setting

- Experience providing patient care in American Indian/Alaska Native health populations or settings, or in rural healthcare settings

- Knowledge of or willingness to learn about Anishinaabe culture, language, values, and healing traditions

- Phlebotomy training or certification, or experience with point-of-care testing

- Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) or Certified Lactation Specialist (CLS), or interest in pursuing lactation training

- Interest in continuing nursing education (e.g., LPN or RN pathway)

- American Indian / Alaska Native candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

🌿 What We Value in a Candidate

Beyond clinical skills, we are looking for a person who embodies:

- Integrity (Gwayakwaadiziwin) — Honesty in all interactions with relatives that come to us for care and colleagues

- Respect (Manaaji'idiwin) — Respect for Anishinaabe culture, sovereignty, and self-determination in health

- Humility (Dabaadendiziwin) — Willingness to listen, learn, and be guided by the community and its cultural leaders

- Courage (Aakode'ewin) — Willingness to advocate for patients and challenge systems that create barriers to health equity

- Relationship (Dodaadowin) — Understanding that healthcare in this community is relational, not transactional — and that trust is built through showing up, being present, and following through

🌿 What We Offer

- Competitive salary

- Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance

- Paid time off, paid holidays, including recognition of culturally significant days

- Continuing education allowance and paid training days

- Liability insurance coverage

- Retirement plan with employer contribution

- Supportive, team-based work environment grounded in Anishinaabe values

- Monday–Friday schedule, with no on-call, nights or delivery responsibilities (may work occasional evening or weekends).

- Ongoing cultural learning opportunities guided by teammates and cultural leaders

- Opportunity to work in a model of care that truly integrates traditional healing and western medicine

- The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in a community that will welcome you as a relative

🌿 How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following to the link provided:

1. Cover letter describing:

· A bit about who you are, the gifts and experiences you bring, and why you're interested in working with Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming

· Patient care experience and interest in the position

· Experience working with American Indian communities (or commitment to learning)

· Understanding of how traditional/cultural wellness and western medicine can work together

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position is open until filled.