I have worked at a LTC facility for a while now and there is this older CNA that is approaching(believe it or not) her 70s. She works full-time and is a frustration to all the other aids on night shift. Our facility has two halls at night and on each end we have two aids. If one of the aids is this older CNA you are in for a rough night.

I absolutely hate working with her because she will not do anything by herself. Everyone else I work with we separate and then do the heavies together. I went in to change a 70 pound woman and the older aid decided to help me. It is exhausting only getting one person done at a time. If you need help with a 70 pound woman I think its time to retire.

Every time a call light goes off I usually jump up to get it. I got about 5 call lights in a row and while I was charting and the older CNA was just sitting there and another light went off a waited a few moments before I realized that this woman wasn't going to get it. So I logged off my charting and stood and who follows me? I just don't get it why does this woman need someone to do everything from changing someone to turning a resident's fan on?

The thing that really annoys me though is that the facility has been really nice to her they offered her a chance to go to housekeeping and she turned it down. Take a hint lady!

She has worked there for around 20 some years and so I know she makes more money than anyone else. I am so sick of working with her I dread it so badly.

Anyone else have to work with someone like this that makes working with them so difficult?

Oh well, she's old and probably only works because she has to. It must suck to be her. That said I can understand how you can dread working with her. Can you make "suggestions" to her? Like what if you came out and said, "Can you get that call light? I've answered the last 5 and I really need to chart" or "I can handle this woman by myself. If you go in So-andSo's room and get her stuff ready I can meet you in there in a minute."

I'm not saying that will work, but it's worth a try. I used to work with an older CNA who was slow and set in her ways and I did try that, and it didn't work. Anytime I said anything or even asked a question (if I hadn't worked on that unit for a while), she would just stare at me like I was the stupidest person she'd ever met, then walk away. Or say something snippy that had nothing to do with what I asked about. Go figure. But I've had other CNAs follow me around like puppy dogs and I've made those suggestions (that seemed like common sense to me), and it worked. Some people are more comfortable following the lead of others and they do it on autopilot, I think.

Thanks for responding. They are good suggestions but unfortunately they're ones that have already been tried. I like the lady and I guess it might be different if it were a different shift but since she is the only person I have to rely on at night it just makes it suck.

Have you considered killing her?

With kindness, of course. No help, I know, but might help the rant/release.