Who responsibility is colostomy care?

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Apr 16, 2007

My CNAs do it unless they're unavailable, in which case I do.

I have no idea of licensure but this facility is very much complaint with the law so I tend to think that this is a function that can be performed by unlicensed personnel.

jb2u, ASN, RN · Apr 16, 2007

You would want to check the Nurses Practice Act for the state that you are in. It will tell the nurse what procedures they can delegate to cna's. You can also ask your facility for a copy of your job description. This should tell you what procedures your facility expects you to perform. In general, procedures delegated to cna's should be non-invasive, repeatitive with little variation, and the cna should have already been trained and checked off on how to perform the procedure. This may NOT be the case in all states and in all facilities, however, so, please check with your state and facility. I have worked at facilities that required the cna to perform the colostomy care and some that wanted the nurse to handle this care.

Jay

sissyboo · Apr 16, 2007

I think CNAs can only empty/measure the contents of colostomy bags. As far as changing it--I wouldn't. Whether by law I can or not--I haven't been trained to do so.

I hear some CNAs get extra training from their employers and do more invasive procedures...but I'm not one of those. That stuff is for the nurses right now!

As a CNA I do ADLs: feeding, bathing, dressing..etc, etc. I do vitals, I&O...pretty basic stuff!!

kmarie724 · Apr 18, 2007

In my facility, CNAs empty and rinse out the bag, but putting on a new bag or irrigating the stoma is done by a nurse.

couldntbhappier · Apr 18, 2007

Yesterday in class, we learned that CNA's can empty & measure the contents of the colostomy bag BUT a NURSE must be the one to actually CHANGE the bag.

Hope this helps!

~Becky

StaceyA1971 · Apr 19, 2007

couldntbhappier said:
Yesterday in class, we learned that CNA's can empty & measure the contents of the colostomy bag BUT a NURSE must be the one to actually CHANGE the bag.
Hope this helps!
~Becky

You know I often wondered about this too. As when I first started out my in the workforce etc. I started out at 17 years old in a nursing class at school. I was placed in a local nursing home as a c.n.a. At this particular place they had myself and others of the same age. Doing colostomy care to include changing , cleaning , etc. And there were also occasions to where we also inserted catheters too. Maybe , it was just a bad nursing home in which I started out in. But there were times that we as the cna's were expected to go above and beyond.

Meaning takign vitals ,weights , dressing and or undressing residents , bathing , feeding , making beds , passing ice water/ nourishments , Granulex treatments (for decubitus) , caths , colostomy bags etc. I will never forget being new to the "field" and to the nursing home. And a nurse handing me a can of Granulex and telling me to cleanse so and so's "bedsore". There began many major crash courses , that our school instructor hadn't prepared us for as aides.

Back in 1988 as a cna I earned $3.35 an hour to do all of the above and then some. I worked at that home for about a year , moved to another that was as bad if not worse where help was concerned. As it was there were nights that the aides would each have 30+ residents to care for. And throw in on top of that nurses duties as well as housekeeping duties. Eventually ,I quit that circus and went into in-home nursing and loved it. Worked 48 on and 48 off. Took care of no more than 4 persons at a time. Got some major crash courses there too. Because not only then was I there to bathe and dress , feed etc. I was also there to cook , administer shots , medications and so on.

I really came to love in-home as it was the best of both worlds and then some. But the lady that I was working for went out of business , filed bankruptcy etc. So here I was an in-homer without certification etc. Ended up going into another field , management to be exact. And thus far have not been back into nursing. But as of late , I have not been working. And the desire to get back into nursing is pretty strong. I have tossed around the idea of going for an L.P.N. course and then possibly into R.N. But am leery about costs pertaining to courses , as I learned a valuable lesson with my husbands school loan !! :angryfire

I really do not have a desire to go back into cna classes either. I am so divided on what to do. I am unsure about whether to go into Geriatrics , hospital setting or doctor's office settings. Is anyone else here also struggling with the financial aspects , what route to take etc. ?

Any suggestions would be appreciated on this ! Here's a rundown , I am not currently employed. I live in Kokomo , Indiana and there is an I.U. campus here as well as Ivy Tech , as well. Are there any cna's here going for an LPN or an RN degree ? If so , what do you think about it ? And what about online courses ? Can you really take online courses and them prove to be effective in the long run ? As I am all up for online courses , but if I take them I want to be able to actually get a job !!

Again , any suggestions would be greatly appreciated !

Stacey

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2007

StaceyA1971 said:
Are there any cna's here going for an LPN or an RN degree ? If so , what do you think about it ? And what about online courses ? Can you really take online courses and them prove to be effective in the long run ? As I am all up for online courses , but if I take them I want to be able to actually get a job !!

You can not go CNA to LPN online. You can go LPN to RN online which I am doing right now, via Excelsior. I am learning a lot. To successfully do school online, though, you must be very self-disciplined and able to read for comprehension without someone to explain things. If you have those two qualities it will definitely work for you.

StaceyA1971 · Apr 19, 2007

Suesquatch said:
You can not go CNA to LPN online. You can go LPN to RN online which I am doing right now, via Excelsior. I am learning a lot. To successfully do school online, though, you must be very self-disciplined and able to read for comprehension without someone to explain things. If you have those two qualities it will definitely work for you.

Thanks for your fast reply. I have been advised by a few that I have talked with about this. That it is best to obtain an LPN and then work for the RN. Seeing all sorts of classes online for nursing degrees. I just wondered their validity , accredidation etc. is all. I didn't want to spend hours wracking my brain , hours of preparation , hard earned money and so on. For it all to be for naught.

As far as self discipline , I do excellent on my own. I also tend to retain things well without having to go over and over things. So I do feel that an online course could suit me fine. But am anxious when it comes to financial aspects and or accredibility of online courses. Reading and Comprehension was always a strong plus for me in school etc. So I wouldn't think at this time it would be a problem.