A certified nursing assistant at Copper Ridge Care Center in Redding has dedicated more than 30 years to caring for residents at the facility.

Cathy Chappell, known to co-workers and residents as "Mama Cathy," has been working at the care center since 1993.

"They ask me why I stay, I ask myself too, but I'm telling you why, because I love my job," Chappell said.

Her dedication comes at a time when healthcare facilities across California are struggling to fill positions. State workforce projections show many counties are already facing nursing shortages, with demand expected to grow in the years ahead.

Jennifer Leigh Davis, assistant director of nursing at Copper Ridge, said Chappell's longevity in the field motivates others to join the profession.

"Seeing her in this field for so long, she's inspired anybody to get in it for the right heart and she has said you have to have that kind of heart to be in this field. It's not easy, it's challenging, but I feel like the rewards of the job are better than what people may think they are," Davis said.

Chappell says retirement is not in her plans yet. She plans to continue working as long as her body allows.

"You know what babe, I want to retire, then I don't, I still want to do my job. And like I say, I'm going to leave it in God's hands, my mind says I got to do what my body say, if my body says I can't do it then I might have to throw my card in, but knowing I got the strength, I'm going to keep pushing myself," Chappell said. "Cause every morning I get up, sometimes I don't want to come to work. But when I come to work and I look at when I walk through this door and I see everybody how much they missed me and I walk to a resident's room and I get that love, that's what pushes me more."

As facilities work to attract the next generation of caregivers, Chappell says the secret to staying in the job is simple. Love the people you serve.