I work in this long term care facility that really needs to be closed down. I find it very hard to believe that it is even still opened. The DON and Administrator have an attitude of tolerance for abuse. I have previously given them written reprimands for CNAs for verbal abuse and neglect, cursing residents and even roughing them up with care. They still continue to allow them to work. I even gave the Administrator notice that stated for her to ask me to work with a particular CNA is to ask me to tolerate abuse; the CNA came right back to work. I have reached my breaking point. I advised them that recently I worked with a nurse who was asleep for at least 5 hours during her shift and failed to give a resident an IV ABT and another one tube feedings. They pretended to investigate and then let the nurse come right back to work. When I spoke with the CNA staff that was present that night two of the three told me that no one had asked them any questions concerning the nurse because they would have gladly reported her as this is something she does every single night she works. The third CNA I never got to question but she would most certainly lie for the nurse. She is also notorious for sleeping and a very close friend to the nurse.
This nurse actually has 2 other jobs and often times she is scheduled to work 56 hours in a row, non-stop with only 3 hours left for eating, showering and traveling back and forth to work. She actually brags that this nursing home is where she sleeps. I have reported this nurses behavior in the past and it is falling on death ears. I even reported that she worked in a facility 3PM-11pm on the very days that she was scheduled to work at our facility 7PM-7AM; she would take her lunch break from the other facility and come to count narc and get report, hang around for an half an hour pretending to give medications and then leave to go close her other shift out at the other nursing home.
Well now I am feed up!:angryfire And I advised them that since they refuse to address my concerns that I would report the nurse to the professional licensing board. I did just that in an official complaint. I also filed an official complaint with the corporate headquarters of the company. Within 24 hrs of my complaint they sent three representatives from corporate to talk to me. But I really think they are only seeking to minimize the company's liability and have no genuine interest in what is going on in the facility. I am at my wits end as to what to so. I really think the relationship that the state ombudsman have with the management of the facility is less than professional and she works really hard to make sure their complaints are unsubstantiated.
I would like to know if anyone knows any federal investigators or who one would contact to investigate gross neglect and abuse in nursing home. There are so many incidents of abuse in this place, that is is frightening, Nurses routinely don't give medications and patients are sent out to the hospital with grand mal seizures only to have very low levels of Dilantin and Valporic acid med. We even had a Dr. to call us on the weekend in the wee hours of the night and insisted he speak with an administrator then and there. I had to give him her home phone number. The next day or so the unit manager and DON went on the medication cart and removed a large number of medication from the cart that was dated at least two and three months previous and put them in large garbage bag. This was definitive proof that the nurses were not administering the meds but they just covered it up. I think the nurses were give a suspension for one day.
I am so furious:angryfire And this has to stop. I am sure I have cost myself my job but I really don't care. If they take me off the schedule then I will probably file a law suit. I just have to find the right attorney for the case.
Thanks for letting me vent. I would appreciate any feedback and advise you all can give me concerning this matter.
