Anyone else have a bad CNA experience

[mcclot1993]

about several months back I started my very first CNA job not to mention my first job I ever heard I started out of full time daylight shift at a place called HCR Manor Care. Without my choice at all they threw me up on a rehab unit. When I first started I only received 5 days or orientation before being thrown out of my own where I was responsible for taking care of 11-13 patients who all have therapy appointments some with 5 or 6 minutes from the next patient I had to get too. People constantly coming in and out it was almost like a hospital new admits people getting discharged. I was also responsible for passing breakfast trays and lunch trays and getting so many vitals and weights, and check my patient every 2 hours and cleaning up their room and trash bags. It made things so hard especially they would fire you fi you gave someone the slightest skin tear cause they said it was completely unavoidable to give someone a skin tear. You wear not allowed to use hoyer lifts by yourself so with so many other aides being busy it could be another half hour before you could get a person up out of bed and then they would be late for the therapy appointment and then you fall behind and cannot get your stuff done. So after being shown how to do a lot of things after one time they threw me out of my own where I had to put up with all that stuff and they saw that I could not handle it and gave me extra 5 days of orientation. I hardly made it a month there. Everyday I had a full assignment I had on my own decision sacrificed my lunch breaks just to get all my work done and still could not get everything done. I had put so much effort and work into trying my best to please these people. So on my final day there I had a full assignment and this was the worst day by far. I had trouble with a patient trying to get dressed for therapy and no one was around to help me not to mention other things going on at once. I was falling behind because I had no one to help me with hoyer lifts cause I was not allowed to use them by myself or else I would get fired. The other aides there did not appreciate me and gave me a hard time as well. I had struggled to get people ready I was not able to pass lunch trays that day regardless of all the other times I was there to help pass trays. I don't even understand why I was thrown on a rehab unit to begin with no other aide understood why they threw and brand new CNA on a rehabilition unit with how fast pace it was. once again I sacrificed my munch break so at the end of the day I was tired, exhausted ,stressed , hungry so I get called in the DON office and they said they were letting me go off my probationary period because I could not meet orientation. They handed me a sheet that had a list of things. One being that I did not know how to empty a colostomy bad after being shown. I was not exactly sure how to do it so I got help which was what I was suppose to do when I was not sure about something and I got reported for it and was marked against me. I was not able to help pass trays one day because it was impossible to get any sort of help from anyone in trying to get a few of my people up regardless I was there other days to help pass lunch trays. The aides reported me for every little thing that I said or every little mistake. I understand I am brand new to this and I am dealing with peoples lives but it takes more than just a month to get used to this job and perfect your skills and become confident in yourself. If I made a little mistake they should tell me what I did and then I make sure not to do it again not go behind my back and report me and abunch of other little things that I did not do right but like I said I am brand new you cannot expect someone to be this good at this type of work so fast especially being thrown up on a rehab unit. I remember my clinical instructor before I got done with nurse aide program even told me don't work for manor care. Does anyone think that I did a horrible job or does anyone think I got screwed over a little bit.

[Hygiene Queen]

about several months back I started my very first CNA job not to mention my first job I ever heard I started out of full time daylight shift at a place called HCR Manor Care.Without my choice at all they threw me up on a rehab unit. When I first started I only received 5 days or orientation before being thrown out of my own where I was responsible for taking care of 11-13 patients who all have therapy appointments some with 5 or 6 minutes from the next patient I had to get too. People constantly coming in and out it was almost like a hospital new admits people getting discharged. I was also responsible for passing breakfast trays and lunch trays and getting so many vitals and weights, and check my patient every 2 hours and cleaning up their room and trash bags.

I don't know anything about HCR Manorcare, though I have heard of them.

Learning the ropes is tough.

If you can start out on a PM shift somewhere, I would recommend it.

You have only one meal, no activities, no naps nor therapies to work around.

I have also found that it is far harder to get folks up and moving in the morning, but it is far easier to get those same folks to bed at night.

Usually, anyway.

I think PM's, though you deal with sundowning behaviors, is easier on a newbie, than a day shift.

It made things so hard especially they would fire you fi you gave someone the slightest skin tear cause they said it was completely unavoidable to give someone a skin tear. You wear not allowed to use hoyer lifts by yourself so with so many other aides being busy it could be another half hour before you could get a person up out of bed and then they would be late for the therapy appointment and then you fall behind and cannot get your stuff done.

Never use a hoyer lift by yourself.

Unfortunately, sometimes you do have to wait a bit before you can get help, but better to wait than to attempt to do something by yourself that is potentially dangerous.

That said, when you get help, make sure you have everything ready to go so that, when your help arrives, you don't waste their time doing all the things you could have set up before they arrived.

This courtesy will make people more receptive to helping you.

While you are waiting, think about other tasks you can do...as long as your patient is safe... so that you can use your time wisely and not fall behind.

Example: have your patient washed and dressed and on the hoyer sling with the hoyer standing by, while you tidy the room, gather supplies, or answer a quick call light ("I'm next door, Mrs. Smith. I will come back in 15 minutes to get more water/make your bed/call your daughter").

So after being shown how to do a lot of things after one time they threw me out of my own where I had to put up with all that stuff and they saw that I could not handle it and gave me extra 5 days of orientation. I hardly made it a month there. Everyday I had a full assignment I had on my own decision sacrificed my lunch breaks just to get all my work done and still could not get everything done. I had put so much effort and work into trying my best to please these people. So on my final day there I had a full assignment and this was the worst day by far. I had trouble with a patient trying to get dressed for therapy and no one was around to help me not to mention other things going on at once. I was falling behind because I had no one to help me with hoyer lifts cause I was not allowed to use them by myself or else I would get fired.

That is frustrating because everyone else is struggling to manage their own hefty assignments, as well.

Remember this and (later, when you are more experienced, yourself) be the one who takes the time to help out the struggling newbie on the floor.

Some places have the culture of "every man for himself" and it's too bad that it sounds like that is what you experienced.

Again... the hoyer... there is a reason they would fire you for using it solo... they have been known to tip over, resulting in serious injury or even death.

The other aides there did not appreciate me and gave me a hard time as well. I had struggled to get people ready I was not able to pass lunch trays that day regardless of all the other times I was there to help pass trays. I don't even understand why I was thrown on a rehab unit to begin with no other aide understood why they threw and brand new CNA on a rehabilition unit with how fast pace it was.

You would think that if your coworkers recognized that the rehab unit was too intense for a newbie, that they would have been more supportive.

Unfortunately, they may have been feeling resentful of having a newbie foisted upon them and their already stressful unit.

That is not to excuse any bad behavior, but I'm just pointing that out.

once again I sacrificed my munch break so at the end of the day I was tired, exhausted ,stressed , hungry so I get called in the DON office and they said they were letting me go off my probationary period because I could not meet orientation.

Well, if you were missing your lunch, that's an indication that you were trying very hard and that you cared enough to try and take care of all your patients.

I wonder, that with working so hard and with more time, you would have actually done well.

Trust me, I've met plenty of folks who wouldn't miss their lunch if their patient was on fire.

In time, you most likely would have learned how to wisely utilize your time and still get a break.

But efficiency takes time and repeated experience.

Some people get it quicker than others.

They handed me a sheet that had a list of things. One being that I did not know how to empty a colostomy bad after being shown. I was not exactly sure how to do it so I got help which was what I was suppose to do when I was not sure about something and I got reported for it and was marked against me.

You were shown one, but did you actually get to do one?

If it was your first time doing it yourself and you were unsure if you remembered it correctly, then you were absolutely correct to seek help.

I hope this does not prevent you from asking for help in the future.

I was not able to help pass trays one day because it was impossible to get any sort of help from anyone in trying to get a few of my people up regardless I was there other days to help pass lunch trays. The aides reported me for every little thing that I said or every little mistake. I understand I am brand new to this and I am dealing with peoples lives but it takes more than just a month to get used to this job and perfect your skills and become confident in yourself. If I made a little mistake they should tell me what I did and then I make sure not to do it again not go behind my back and report me and abunch of other little things that I did not do right but like I said I am brand new you cannot expect someone to be this good at this type of work so fast especially being thrown up on a rehab unit.

You are right on.

You have a big responsibility and are dealing with real live human beings!

You don't want to make a mistake that will harm someone and you need feedback that is conducive to learning and improving.

I don't understand why you would be reported behind your back, either.

In no way does that allow for you to learn and improve.

You can't fix something if you don't know what's wrong!

In this case, you weren't reported because anyone wanted you to grow as a CNA.

You were the subject of people who do not know how to be supportive and teach.

I know rehab is tough, but I wouldn't even focus so much on that, because it sounds like, possibly, an unsupportive environment no matter what unit you would have been on.

It sounds like the culture of the place stinks.

I remember my clinical instructor before I got done with nurse aide program even told me don't work for manor care. Does anyone think that I did a horrible job or does anyone think I got screwed over a little bit.

Again, I don't know about HCR, but take this experience and use it to your advantage.

Take any skills you learned there and utilize them elsewhere.

Remember how you felt to be new and go on to become someone who is a supportive team player who fosters a good learning experience for those newbies who come after you.

Been there, done that.

Take care.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

HCR Manor care has a horrible reputation around here. Where I work newly certified cna's with no work experience get a 6 week orientation, they are paired with a mentor and are given the responsibility for one resident the first day, the number increases until they are given a complete assignment.If one is struggling but showing promise the training period will be extended.Good cna's are a valuable resource and we treat them as such.

[mcclot1993]

Well I am glad to say after a month I got fired, I came to another place and started working part time night shifts and it is a lot smoother where I was oriented on all 3 shifts for 3 weeks infact I got off of orientation a week before because I was doing so well. It took a while before I could trust people there knowing they were not going to stab me in the back and the people there like me the DON and aDON like me a lot and some of the other aides ask how I am doing so I am much happier. It took awhile for me to relax and drop me guard after my previous experience and even some of the other aides asked me why are you so worked up about being fired or why are you so on guard for like where judging your every move but I never told them why because about my previous experience. This place we can use sit to stands and hoyer lifts by yourself if comfortable enough or else you would have to use 2 people. I think that is pretty good rule.

[mcclot1993]

I was shown my mistakes but I was reported anyways. I just thought it was wrong someone who was brand new got reported soon as they did something incorrectly the first thing when they were off orientation.

[mcclot1993]

In anyone else opinion does anyone else think that I was treated a little unfairly at Manor care and was not given a chance. Sorry for multiple posts I could not find a way to edit my other posts.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

You did but it's time to move forward from it

[mcclot1993]

I know I have I just like to know if anyone has been through the same kind of experience.

[tcooks7]

In anyone else opinion does anyone else think that I was treated a little unfairly at Manor care and was not given a chance. Sorry for multiple posts I could not find a way to edit my other posts.

Well, I think maybe the problem was prioritizing for you. You have to plan out when & how you're going to do things before you do it. That would have helped you a lot with your ordeal. I also think you did the right thing asking for help because you didn't know how to empty the ostomy bag, but were you shown this several times before or just once? Also, were you trying to do every single thing they showed you to do in school? Sometimes you have to take shortcuts, figure out what's more important & do that. When I was a CNA, my first job was at a nursing home & after only 3 days I was put by myself & the sneaky CNA's intentionally gave me the hardest lineup. I was so stressed & far behind & not one of them helped me out. With me enjoying a challenge, I stuck it out & became the aide that everybody else would go to for help.

Glad to hear that you are somewhere else, working at a slower pace. You can gain more skills & if you wanted to go back to 1st, I'm sure you'd be able to handle it!

[mcclot1993]

I was shown only once. Soon as I was off my orientation that slightest thing I did wrong was written up about me. I know I cant make mistakes with peoples lives on the line but I am also brand new and it takes a while to learn the ropes of being a CNA. If I made a mistake one time okay that's fine I would have to be sure not to do it again and my other co workers I told at my new place thought it was ridiculous. I am pretty sure none of the CNAs there did not care about helping me atleast at my new place I feel a little more important.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

moved to CNA for best response.

[mcclot1993]

Sorry I thought this was the right section