Is this supposed to be "quality care"??

[WannaBeNrse]

Hi,

I am just curious if what I am experiencing is common in nursing homes all over the country, or if I just work at a "bad" one..... my problem is, basically, the care I am able to provide with the work load I have is not the care I wish to provide. On most days, I feel like I don't have a snowball's chance in hell to get everything done.

Here's the situation: Our LTC has 3 wings, two with 18-20 residents each, and these wings have two aides on, and one wing with 13 residents, and I have to work this wing by myself. Two of my residents are 2:1 assists, 5 are on tabs alarms and should technically not be left alone in the bathroom (but i don't have a choice), and in the morning I have 2.5 hours to get them all ready for breakfast, this includes one bath (which takes at least half an hour). The problem is, when the first few residents are done with breakfast, they need to be toileted, but the rest of my residents isn't even out of bed yet. I don't have any help with answering lights etc. (since i am by myself on this wing), so i get further and further behind, and all along my charge nurse keeps reminding me of things she wants done an hour ago. Needless to say, i get completely stressed out, i am constantly watching the clock, and the slightest deviation from the normal routine makes things even worse. I don't have more than 10 minutes to spend with each resident- some of them take almost this long to get out of bed. I don't have time to let them decide what to wear. Sometimes I am not able to answer the call light until it is already too late, meaning the resident couldn't "hold it" any longer....The night shift "gets some people up for me" usually, but that alone doesn't help. Also, I don't think it's okay that residents - and mostly the ones who are too sick/too weak/too confused to object- have to get up and dressed at 5am or even sooner, just because our facility is not adequately staffed in the am shift. Quite honestly, if my grandparents had to live in a place like this, it would give me a stomach ache.

I have worked at this place for about 4 months now, and I am really ready to quit. I like the residents and I actually like my job itself, but the working conditions just do not agree with my ideals. Is it like this everywhere? Because if it is, the nursing crisis in this country is even bigger than i thought :-(

[callmekipling]

and one wing with 13 residents, and I have to work this wing by myself.

in the morning I have 2.5 hours to get them all ready for breakfast, this includes one bath (which takes at least half an hour).

Is it like this everywhere? Because if it is, the nursing crisis in this country is even bigger than i thought :-(

When I worked LTC, I had 12-15, wanderers with alzheimer's, one bath/weekday and 3 hours to do 'em all. Last time I figured it out I had about 12 minutes per resident. You've got 13 in 2.5 hrs, half hour to bathe one, so we'll make it 12 residents in 2 hours. That's 10 minutes per, assuming no interruptions. And I know that's being optimistic.

Sadly, rare is the LTC facility where this isn't the case. There are other, better opportunities out there for CNAs, and you don't get any extra points in heaven for taking a really crap job.

I remember when my charge nurse vented to us that the visiting hospice bills for a whole hour per pt, and they were only staying 50 minutes. That was my cue to exit, stage end (get it, end stage? meh.) and i haven't looked back.

Nor should you.

[xokaygrlox]

ok so i work in a level 1 trauma center that is listed as one of the top hospitals and learning facilities... but it is seen everywhere that staffing is always a problem... patients are nothing but a number to alot of these nurses, cnas, and doctors... the hospitals and facilities are all based around politics and money... the longer the patient stays that doesnt have insurance the more money they lose... it is you yourself that has to make that 10 min that you do have with your patients the best 10 min that you give them... and if you are doing your job right than you have to do your best with what you have... its a hard thing to do if you truly care about your patients... i know because there are times where me as a cna question the doctors on their care of the patients because i truly care about people and everyone deserves the best care no matter why they are in the hospital they are human... treat people the way you want to be treated...