That ain't my resident! I am dumbfounded...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

So I was orienting a new CNA the other day and as I was explaining our unit's routine and such, the ADON came in and needed to float one of our aides to another unit. This CNA said "Oh, I bet there's gonna be a battle over this!" I was confused until she told me that she "Don't float. I only work my hall. If they're short that's their problem." I was speechless. And an aide trotted right over to the other hall to work. Then, later, one of a coworker's residents was yelling that she had to pee. So I went to go toilet her, and this CNA said "That ain't our resident. Why don't her aide take her?" What the #%@#! Who cares? I guarantee the resident didn't care WHO her aide was. (her aide was with another resident at the moment) When I explained that in this facility, ALL the residents are ours and if the resident needs something that is in your scope of practice, um, you meet the need, the CNA was horrified. She made comments like this the whole shift. I guess I'll either break her or she'll quit, which may not be a bad thing. I'm just...that's just weird.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

SOunds like she needs to be fired or obtain a better attitude.

Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
SOunds like she needs to be fired or obtain a better attitude.

Who thinks like that? The facility I work at is the only place I've ever worked, so I guess I just can't fathom that attitude. That is evidently a common problem?

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

When I was an LPN (about 14 years ago) a bad attitude and lots and lots of new CNA's was the norm. I doubt that it has changed. My son's girlfriend is an aide at a nursing home and has worked there for about a year and she is the only one who has ever worked there that long. Very sad for those of use getting older.

Whether we like to accept it or not, most people don't have the stamina/capacity to deal with the "neediness" of many nursing home residents. I've met people who were really great people until you put them on the floor of a nursing home, they just buckle under the pressure and stress and turn into bitter grouchy people.

But being not much more than old people mills, where the dollar is the bottom line, high turnovers and bad attitudes will not likely change until the ratio of patient's these aides are expected to care for decreases dramatically and the pay comes up.

Depending upon the state where one works, the educational requirements for CNAs all too often does not include all the skills needed for good job performance. When this lack of proper education is compounded by completely unrealistic patient loads, wages low enough to qualify the person for food stamps, and general lack of respect from the nursing managers and administrators, it shouldn't be surprising if CNAs burn out quickly from overwork.

Specializes in Education, Administration, Magnet.
Depending upon the state where one works, the educational requirements for CNAs all too often does not include all the skills needed for good job performance. When this lack of proper education is compounded by completely unrealistic patient loads, wages low enough to qualify the person for food stamps, and general lack of respect from the nursing managers and administrators, it shouldn't be surprising if CNAs burn out quickly from overwork.

:yeahthat:

Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Who ever interviewed her before hiring either was duped by her or didn't make a good assessment of her. What a toad! She'll be gone soon enough. The sad thing is all the energy that you'll have to put out to write her up in order to get rid of her that could go toward working with the patients. :(

Hmm.........perhaps a word with the charge nurse might be in order? Or the ADON, whoever it is that needs to know this stuff.

Specializes in Long-term care.
Whether we like to accept it or not, most people don't have the stamina/capacity to deal with the "neediness" of many nursing home residents. I've met people who were really great people until you put them on the floor of a nursing home, they just buckle under the pressure and stress and turn into bitter grouchy people.

But being not much more than old people mills, where the dollar is the bottom line, high turnovers and bad attitudes will not likely change until the ratio of patient's these aides are expected to care for decreases dramatically and the pay comes up.

I could not have said it better myself. To coorporate, it is all about the money. Our census is low right now (low 80's) So they have mandated that one nurse from each shift does not come in and one aide also. This leaves my whole wing with 40 residents and 3 aides (if we are lucky).

To top that all off, our ADON has been filling out the census reports ahead of time and has been lying, writing that we have more aides and nurses than we actually have on certain shifts. We have been advised not to correct it.

They say that in Texas there is no longer a CNA/Resident ratio, that the med-aides and nurses "count" as an aide would, I'm sorry but this just is not right. Most of the med-aide's refuse to get their hands dirty if they are "passing pills" and a majority of the nurses are busy 100% of the time doing charting, assessments, talking to dr's, etc.

The bottom line is that there needs to be some sort of law that nursing homes should be forced to provide more staff. I do not know how much longer I can work as a CNA, honestly. It is ridiculous.

does this person know with that attitude that if she does get fired that they could turn her into the state or registry?

Specializes in Utilization Management.

Unfortunately, that's not simply a lack of teamwork. That's survival skills in the CNA world. Let me tell you how it is (in some nursing homes):

If you really believe that "all" the residents are "yours," you'll find yourself taking care of "all" the residents, and you will be completely run over by CNAs who do not lift a finger to help you in return.

The result is, YOU burn out, and they're still there 10 years later.

It's very frustrating and it makes me angry to even have to think about it, but it is so true in too many places.

+ Add a Comment