CNAs that take extended breaks

Specialties LTC Directors

Published

maybe it's just ltc or where i currently work but several of the cnas at my job take breaks up to 60min, twice during the their shift.

i asked a cna where she was after she was gone for an hour. she caught an attitude and said she was in the bathroom. she was clearly lying because another employee saw her on another unit talking.

another cna was gone for an hr and 15 min yesterday. i asked her where she was and she said she was on her break and did not feel like coming back in to work. i told her join the club, no one wants to be at work in 70 degree whether. i told her that she will have to be more mindful of the length of time she is on break.

i have to admit i'm very passive at times with cnas. however, this irks me to no end. it is not fair to me and other good aides to have to answer call lights that could have been taken care of by that patients primary cna.

i'm thinking about having a meeting with 3-11 shift to talk about this issue. if i don't see changes, i guess it will be time to start writing people up.

Specializes in geriatric.

I have been trying to figure out exactly how I'm supposed to be the LPN "team leader" since I took this position a year ago. I think that you need to pick your battles. If you react negatively to everything your team is doing eventually they ignore even the important tasks you ask them to do. Some things need to be ignored as long as patient safety and care aren't being neglected. Is the team having a rough day??? maybe not picking that day to address a concern would be wise. I have also learned a valuble lesson to never address concerns while you're upset. Give yourself a breather and come at it later. Another important thing I have learned is to not make things personal...that is a huge disaster. You can be friends with your co workers but there has to be a professional attitude when it comes to leading. Lastly ALWAYS lead by example.

Maybe I should clarify. I didn't mean I wouldn't say or do anything if I noticed people weren't being turned q2hrs or being changed regularly. I would talk to them about it and give them a chance to improve. The thing is, the work *does* get done despite the 18 different smoke breaks or whatever each shift. If I ever notice actual signs of neglect, I'll report it. But I'm *not* going to be the one to write somebody up or discipline them. That's not the floor nurse's job, IMO. That is the job of management, ie unit manager, house supervisor, DON, whoever.

I should add, I work at a large (528 bed) facility and there is alway at least a RN house supervisor on site, even on 11-7. I pass meds and do treatments on a 49 bed wing on 3-11. I simply do not have time to "babysit" the aides. That is what all the RN supervisors are paid to do. They don't have meds to pass,

treatments to do, or drs orders to note. And I know, they have their own work to do. Supervising the aides is part of that work.

Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
I should add, I work at a large (528 bed) facility and there is alway at least a RN house supervisor on site, even on 11-7. I pass meds and do treatments on a 49 bed wing on 3-11. I simply do not have time to "babysit" the aides. That is what all the RN supervisors are paid to do. They don't have meds to pass,

treatments to do, or drs orders to note. And I know, they have their own work to do. Supervising the aides is part of that work.

528 bed wow - can't imagine anything that big. You do have valid points if you always have an RN supervisor in place - this is just different then what I am used to. :)

Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.

For years, it has been the floor nurses responsibility to be in charge of the aides on their unit. No idea when that ever stopped. Not in any facility I am familiar with. If as a floor nurse you don't give your staff report at the beginning of the shift and near the end of your shift receive report from them.... you, the nurse will be written up for not completing your job duties. If you, the charge nurse, do not keep on top of the aides getting their wts, VS, doing their restorative, etc. during your shift will be written up.

Yeah I guess my facility is more the exception than the rule. To further muddy things where I work, the CNAs and the LPNs are in a union. The RNs are not. So we (practical nurses) truly cannot attempt to discipline the aides w/o opening a can of worms with the union. I apologize for hijacking this thread and for if I came off as rude. :)

Specializes in ED/ICU/TELEMETRY/LTC.
um for real??

there is always the off chance perhaps we go on break and accidentally come back ten mins later because we werent so watchful of the clock, or the drive thru took too darn slow, or because mother nature called (and violently so...)

but if you see your cna go on break and you then realize you are without a 2nd set of hands for an hr , tattle, tattle , tattle!!!

Yes, for real. And the post wasn't addressing the occasional 5 or 10 over, or the "drive thru(sic)" took to long. And as for your call of nature, that doesn't take an hour, violent or not.

Take your break at the appointed time, for the amount of time allotted or realize that actions have consequences.

For real.

Specializes in ER/SICU/Med-Surg/Ortho/Trauma/Flight.

Ok your the nurse, there the aide, nurse always trumps aide start writing, Let me tell you I used to be in ltc, but now I am an er and Icu house sup and nm, and if my aides are doing something wrong and my nurses arent reprimanding them I will write both nurse and pct up because its just as bad by you sitting by and not doing anything.Rod Rn, Bsn

Specializes in LTC.

I hate to have to "get after" my CNAs. However, if they are not able to be responsible and do things right then I will follow them around like a child. Irritates me. lol

Specializes in certified med tech and Lpn.

Unfortunetly, none of us want to babysit grown women but whether they are giving care or taking 60 minute breaks, it falls back on the charge nurse. Tardiness or absenteism is the job of the supervisor but once they are there, they are , sad to say, your problem. Your residents are the primary concern. If they are not being taken care of because the cna's are on an extended break, that falls on you, the charge nurse. Then the supervisors start looking at you in a not so good light. My cna's sign out when they go on break and get written up if they don't follow the rules. This is their job, and if they don't feel the need to do it because they are bored and don't want to come back in to work...well there are plenty of cna's that need a job and are good at it. They can be replaced.

Specializes in certified med tech and Lpn.
For years, it has been the floor nurses responsibility to be in charge of the aides on their unit. No idea when that ever stopped. Not in any facility I am familiar with. If as a floor nurse you don't give your staff report at the beginning of the shift and near the end of your shift receive report from them.... you, the nurse will be written up for not completing your job duties. If you, the charge nurse, do not keep on top of the aides getting their wts, VS, doing their restorative, etc. during your shift will be written up.

I agree. Even if you do have an RN supervisor in the building, they are not following you around on your unit so therefore do NOT know what your aides are doing or not doing unless you, the charge nurse, let them know because afterall you are the one in charge of the aides on your unit. It will fall back on you.

CNAs at your facility get breaks?

Sorry to hyjack the thread, but seriously, how do they even have the time? The LTCF where I work keeps a bare minimum of CNAs per shift, almost to the point where I believe it gets dangerous and humanly impossible (re: NOC shift), but that's another can of worms. If someone is gone, we notice! Right away. If I have to hunt down another CNA, maybe from another wing, to help me with a two-assist, I'll definitely notice and I'm going to say something to the nurse. These are people directly under my care as well, and I get really testy, really fast, if I feel like someone's slacking or abusing policies and one of my residents doesn't get turned, changed, or answered as quickly as possible. I feel bad taking a minute to pee, and I really only go if I've been holding it for three hours and can't wait a second longer! How can someone take a break for over an hour, let alone two in the same 8h shift?

If anybody's tattling, it's other CNAs who have to pick up the damn slack.

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