CNA issue~can anyone advise?

flashpoint · Jul 7, 2004

If you told her to go home and she refused, I would call a nurse manager or the DON or whoever is authority over the department. I can understand people getting upset and blowing off steam once in a while, but this is above and beyond what is acceptable.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2004

That kind of behavior should not be tolerated. If she talks to you that way, imagine how she talks to the patients. I don't work in LTC but I function as a tech on a med/surg floor. I have also floated to other floors. Never have I seen such unprofessional behavior as you describe. Not even close. That one would be fired. Now that she's shown her true colors, you have no choice but to follow up with the nurse manager to have her fired. Alternatively, if that's tolerable behavior, I'd find another place to work.

jschut, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2004

That kind of behavior should not be tolerated. If she talks to you that way, imagine how she talks to the patients. I don't work in LTC but I function as a tech on a med/surg floor. I have also floated to other floors. Never have I seen such unprofessional behavior as you describe. Not even close. That one would be fired. Now that she's shown her true colors, you have no choice but to follow up with the nurse manager to have her fired. Alternatively, if that's tolerable behavior, I'd find another place to work.

The scary part is that it's rumored she has done the same to the MDS Coordinator and only been written up.

Wonder what all it's gonna take?

All I know is that I don't want to go into work tomorrow cause I have to work with her and it'll be the same thing over again. I hope not, but I see it.... :stone

mscsrjhm · Jul 7, 2004

Just dealt with the same thing at a sub-acute unit in a LTC setting. 2nd shift CNAs telling me they would not get weights, taking 1 hour long lunches (employee of the month!), and yelling at me to mind my own business. I wrote up each incident (3), and left it to administration. Nothing was done, so I will not work there again. Luckily, I am agency. There own nurses get all of their own vitals- administration said that the CNAs cannot be trusted to get vitals!!

Time to move on.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2004

"Of the 50 states, 38, as well as the District of Columbia, allow you to record a conversation to which you are a party without informing the other parties you are doing so. "

The above was copy and pasted from "The First Amendment Handbook"

http://www.rcfp.org/handbook/c03p01.html

Remember Linda Tripp taping her conversations with Monica Lewinsky?

She started doing this on her own, keeping her own personal records before the scandal broke. It was legal.

You could do the same thing with this CNA.

It is NOT illegal, if you are party to the conversation. The same is true for wiretapping.

TBLPN, LPN · Jul 7, 2004

I myself have encountered several CNA's who think they are in charge and run the floor. Going to the DON is not always effective. Keep documenting, keep a notebook with you and document everything, and keep writing her up. Unprofessional behavior has no place in LTC, or anywhere, but LTC seems to be overflowing with people wanting the money, but not working, or behaving badly and getting paid for it. Good CNA's are hard to find and I feel a lot of their inappropriate behavior is overlooked because help is hard to find (good help). Good Luck!!!!!

OneRN · Jul 7, 2004

I worked as a CNA in a LTC facility during my prereqs and Level 1. I was a good one, but some of the ones I worked with were just this side of convicts and gang members. It's a tradgedy what takes place in long term care. One guy (and I don't care if I get banned for saying this) got fired as a dishwasher for harrassing females during his shifts, went to another nursing home to get hired as a dishwasher. They said they didn't have any dishwashing positions so they hired him and trained him to be a CNA. Once he got his certification, he quit there, came back to my facility, and was promptly hired as a CNA (the same one he got fired from as a dishwasher). He wouldn't even wear the required scrubs, and he wore a doo rag nylon on his head. He would go into the demented pts rooms, turn on BET and eat potato chips and leave the wrapers (no pun intended) behind, and the TVs blaring BET. By his own admission he was a former "villan."

Lovely, isn't it? LTC taught me only one thing: there is a fate worse than death.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2004

I worked as a CNA in a LTC facility during my prereqs and Level 1. I was a good one, but some of the ones I worked with were just this side of convicts and gang members. It's a tradgedy what takes place in long term care. One guy (and I don't care if I get banned for saying this) got fired as a dishwasher for harrassing females during his shifts, went to another nursing home to get hired as a dishwasher. They said they didn't have any dishwashing positions so they hired him and trained him to be a CNA. Once he got his certification, he quit there, came back to my facility, and was promptly hired as a CNA (the same one he got fired from as a dishwasher). He wouldn't even wear the required scrubs, and he wore a doo rag nylon on his head. He would go into the demented pts rooms, turn on BET and eat potato chips and leave the wrapers (no pun intended) behind, and the TVs blaring BET. By his own admission he was a former "villan."
Lovely, isn't it? LTC taught me only one thing: there is a fate worse than death.

I think I worked with this guy, too. And...some of his "possey."

CHATSDALE · Jul 7, 2004

about the tape recording these laws vary from state to state but it would not hurt as a back up in case you needed it.....i know a worker whose boss liked to belittle women and say absolutely vulgar language...he later said that "they liked it" the tape was sent to home office and the guy was fired i don't know if her co-workers knew who sent in the tape...she said that some of them said that you have to develop a tough skin or stay home..i hope that the next generation is better

Worthy · Jul 7, 2004

Good grief!

After four weeks of LTC work, I DO NOT understand why some people get into this line of work. I mean, if you don't like people, why not just get a job at Wal-mart? The pay can't be much worse. It's mindless. Less physical work. Better hours.

My biggest fear is getting old and being taken care of by some of the people I work with. They terrify me. They are "clique-y", rude, and uninspired to become anything more than what they are.

They regard me with suspicion when they hear I am in nursing school. One girl showed repeated interest in my program. I brought her the course outline. She lost it. She then asked for the phone number of the college. I told her it was in the book. She didn't want to take the time to get it, asked I bring it to her. For Gawd's sake, it's a phone number, call information!!!!!

Just today she cornered me and said "you never brought me that phone number". I told her I'd brought her the book a month ago. She then asked if there were any more colleges that offered the program, since the September class was full (Ah, so she did call them, and hello...it's July, yes September would be full). I mentioned another local college, one I do not attend. Her response.

"Can you bring me the phone number?"

:rolleyes:

I am almost CERTAIN that if you cannot get through the registration process of the program alone, you are doomed in the coursework itself, honey.....

kevcam · Jul 7, 2004

Let me be clear, first of all, 90% of the CNA's I work with are worth their weight in gold, and I am in no way slamming them.
I am a LPN who works night shift in LTC. I have a very difficult CNA who works with me. I have tried to be nice and get along and at best, she will smirk as I say anything to her.

Well let's look at it another way....

How long has she worked there?

Are you telling her how to do things she has already been doing for years and years?

Are you treating her with respect?

Do you trust her and treat her like you do?

Are you much younger than she is?

Do you talk about her behind her back?

I worked my way through nursing school as a CNA and I can tell you firsthand, that about 1 in 5 nurses treat CNA's like dogs. Remember she is doing a tough job for very little money, and perhaps she feels justified in her behavior toward you.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2004

I worked my way through nursing school as a CNA and I can tell you firsthand, that about 1 in 5 nurses treat CNA's like dogs. Remember she is doing a tough job for very little money, and perhaps she feels justified in her behavior toward you.

Maybe she does feel justified, but she isn't.

I was a CNA for three years. I worked agency, so I worked with many different nurses. Only 2 or 3 ever treated me badly.

The others (at leat 100) treated me like gold. Probably, because I knew what my job was as a CNA, and I did it very well.

Since, I've been a nurse, many CNAs have been awful to me.

No matter how nice and respectful I am. In fact, I've gotten a lot more respect from them since I've started being much more of a hard @$$.

I've found that many CNAS respond better when I act like a drill sargeant. This goes against my nature- I'd rather joke around with them, and treat them as equals, but I don't get any respect with that approach.