I am a worried CNA

mrsabradford · Apr 29, 2004

I too am from NY (Brooklyn). My mother, brother and cousin were/are all CNA's. My mother worked privately in people's homes. My brother and cousin both work in nursing homes. I know what you are going through, sort of. I'm taking CNA classes while I'm taking pre-clinical to hopefully get accepted to the nursing program at BMCC.

Heed the advice from everyone. Follow protocol complain to your supervisors, however I would give them a letter and document everything with dates, times and names of people involved. Give as much information as possible this will let them know that you mean business. Also, report it to the state and lastly leave. I would suggest that you look for work in a hospital. The case load is less and there are more staff. You will find problems everywhere you go but this is ridiculous. You are only one person but one person can make a difference (Remember Rosa Parks) make your written complaints and then follow up with your superiors and the state.

I wish you well you seem to be a very warm and nurturing person. You picked a great profession. Unfortunately, not everyone in the profession fits your profile.

Krissy NY · Apr 30, 2004

Thanks so much. I am keeping my chin up...better times are ahead

So glad I found this forum!

Hugs

I too am from NY (Brooklyn). My mother, brother and cousin were/are all CNA's. My mother worked privately in people's homes. My brother and cousin both work in nursing homes. I know what you are going through, sort of. I'm taking CNA classes while I'm taking pre-clinical to hopefully get accepted to the nursing program at BMCC.
Heed the advice from everyone. Follow protocol complain to your supervisors, however I would give them a letter and document everything with dates, times and names of people involved. Give as much information as possible this will let them know that you mean business. Also, report it to the state and lastly leave. I would suggest that you look for work in a hospital. The case load is less and there are more staff. You will find problems everywhere you go but this is ridiculous. You are only one person but one person can make a difference (Remember Rosa Parks) make your written complaints and then follow up with your superiors and the state.
I wish you well you seem to be a very warm and nurturing person. You picked a great profession. Unfortunately, not everyone in the profession fits your profile.

:balloons:

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · May 3, 2004

..but I didn't quit. I started at this place as a CNA while in school for my BSN. Wow..I had a real eye opener. First off smoking was still allowed in the facility in the lobby which also doubled as a sitting room/ holding area and also had the nurses station. None of the CNAs helped me or trained me right. No one did care "by the book". (checks and changes q 2 hr, cleaning and drying then apply moisture barrier, teeth brushing etc) vitals were made up along with the charting. No wonder I never took breaks and stayed late to get charting done.

yes, I did complain to the supervisors... little was done to help or change. (they were just as lazy as the CNAs). Well, since I was due to graduate and believe it or not jobs were hard to find then, I decided to stay on as a nurse.. boy did things change :angryfire .. one day I decided to take the vital sign equiptment and keep it until the staff asked for it. Funny how vitals were charted and done without a cuff and thermometer? Those folks got a wake up call and write up :)

Since I know how diffucult CNA work is, I am never afraid to help when I can and also encourage the CNAs to ask for help. Those who don't and lie to get their work "done" are not tolerated.

Moral of my long winded story.. you can make a difference, but it may take some work and time. No it wasn't easy. We went from having Provisional licenses to being a deficency free facility :balloons: I have seen multiple DONs, NHAs, CNAs and nurses in my time..funny how me and a few nurses are still around after 10 years in the same place?

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · May 5, 2004

Have you reported any of this to your charge nurses. I am a charge nurse in a alzheimers locked unit and I would want to know because I would start the *** stompin parade. Remember if you know abuse occurs you are just as responsible if you dont report it. It just pisses me off that the older population who need special care , have to worry about abuse or mistreatment. It is very dangerous to be making up temps and weights. What if a patient actully had a temp or was under weight and needed a supplement. These are the type of people who need a desk job.....:angryfire

QUOTE=Krissy NY]Hello

I am a CNA at a large long term care health care facility, most of my residents have alzheimers or are quite combative

I am 32 and the other CNA's I work with are 21 or 22. They are extremely unprofessional...admitting to me that they "make up temps" and "make up weights" "why waste time on that when you can go outside and have a cigerette???"

It sickens me. They do not answer call bells.THey steal linen from beds I open. They try to switch residents with me on the night they know the resident is a shower or a treatment. They take advantage of the new nurse on the floor..i.e. only doing their last turn to save their butt

Please tell me it is not always like this. I am also curious as to how a 21 year old has 3 kids and is a heavy smoker already???? These are my co-workers

I put in for a floor change...I hope it works

Krissy

Caligurl · May 5, 2004

Hi Krissy,

you sound the exact same way I did when I first went into LTC as a cna.

i went to the administrators a butt number of times asking them to do something about the new aides they hired, to show them or at best, let me train them in giving care. i'm no professional, but the people i trained were always complemented, i was complemented as well and it helped me get through to some extent. but the fact remains, there are cna's employed at my former employer who give the WORST care. they will leave residents in their "T's" (attends, diapers, whatever you call them) for hours on end. There were aides who only did their last round while sitting around all nite doing nothing and not answering call lights.

we had a meeting once regarding the "making up of weights, BPs, etc...) and it still kept going on. the same aides who were doing this are STILL employed.

a lot of cna's quit their jobs because they see a lack of care going on and no matter how many times they document and report it, these same uncaring cna's are STILL employed!!! its an outrage. meanwhile, the great cna's are leaving their jobs and going elsewhere while their former residents are recieving the worst care.

this sickens me. it really does. i worked with a lot of under 21 girls who had children and gave the worst care. it makes you wonder how they take care of their home and family if they don't get their jobs done.

Justus · May 5, 2004

I'm having a hard time understanding what the age, the # of children and whether or not one smokes has to do with their ability to act professionally? I've worked with just as many 21 yr.old pains in the butt as I have 50 yr. olds. So long as they leave their home life at home, take the breaks as required and do their job effectively / professionally ...all else seems irrelevent.

At the same time I too have seen the problems described thus far in this thread. They do not begin and end with CNA's but apply to all nurses in all manner of their choice of employment whether that be LTC or Hosp.

The bottom line is simple (should be) we all need to get over this "good ol' girl" line of thinking. I recently read a thread where a nurse was complaining that she "doesn't like tattle tails"...well too bad. If these problems are to improve that is exactly what it is going to take. Susie may be my very best friend BUT when it comes to doing my job she takes the back seat to every single one of my patients even if it costs her job or mine. I'd much rather lose my job for protecting my patients than lose it because I failed to OR much worse lose one of my patients. At some point the professional CNA's must take a stand and make what the were taught actually mean something. Until then, we're just pi$$ing in the wind.

TBLPN, LPN · May 26, 2004

LTC is very rewarding, but has many, many areas that just want to make you pull your hair out!!! As a charge nurse in a LTC facility I can tell you, I have a small handful of CNA's that I can ask to do something and I know that it will be done and done properly. While for the rest of them, I might as well do it myself. Unfortunately, you have all the same problems in all LTC. Administration is more than aware, I make sure of it, but not much is usually done to correct the situations. Some CNAs resent having any kind of authority exerted upon them. You know, they run the unit! I hate to generalize, I shouldn't, because I do have a couple of aids that go above and beyond the call of duty. I would definitley trust them to one of my family members, but for the others, absolutely not. You know, hs snacks are not being passed out because it takes them too long to eat it.........AHAHAHAHAH!~! ADL books being done days in advance......like they know what is going to happen in two days.

Being a CNA is hard work, I was one. But if you aren't willing to put forth the effort then they should find another field.

Your situation, keep personal documents, as well as document per facility policy, alert the DON and you keep up the good work. It is well respected and the residents your caring for deserve people like you.

kathy_79 · May 28, 2004

hello, :)

first, i am so mad when i hear people do what your co-workers do. it is not right as they will get pay for that anyway. can someone imagine be treated without respect and dignity? i don't.

document, report to supervisor,if it doesn't help report to dept of public health ( can be done anonim, it's up to you),

do not give up, you find your way.

i started when i was 21 and i never did anything bad to my pts. it is not right, they are human beings like we are, just unfortunatly, they depend on us, what if the same happens to us in future? some people will get payback, God knows, God sees,

take care,

Krissy NY · Jun 4, 2004

I'm having a hard time understanding what the age, the # of
children and whether or not one smokes has to do with their ability to act professionally? I've worked with just as many 21 yr.old pains in the butt as I have 50 yr. olds. So long as they leave their home life at home, take the breaks as required and do their job effectively / professionally ...all else seems irrelevent.
At the same time I too have seen the problems described thus far in this thread. They do not begin and end with CNA's but apply to all nurses in all manner of their choice of employment whether that be LTC or Hosp.
The bottom line is simple (should be) we all need to get over this "good ol' girl" line of thinking. I recently read a thread where a nurse was complaining that she "doesn't like tattle tails"...well too bad. If these problems are to improve that is exactly what it is going to take. Susie may be my very best friend BUT when it comes to doing my job she takes the back seat to every single one of my patients even if it costs her job or mine. I'd much rather lose my job for protecting my patients than lose it because I failed to OR much worse lose one of my patients. At some point the professional CNA's must take a stand and make what the were taught actually mean something. Until then, we're just pi$$ing in the wind.

I am not accustomed to dealing with the low life I had the misfortune of working with. I feel that the "hard" lifestyle these people were entertaining effected their behavior at work as well as their disregard for the residents and delight in causing problems on the unit. I was angry when I typed the post (and kinda angry today ...but that is how I feel)

Sorry if I p*ssed in your wind.

:imbar

ZAHMAN · Jun 4, 2004

The technocality of the situation is that CNA's are classified as ancillary personel and that the R.N. is responsible for the CNA's actions, including charting/documentation. This is an unfortunate situation in that the LTC covers it's a** by showing through paperwork/competancies that the CNA's can perform certain tasks. The liability aspect is that the R.N. (Who ever is on that shift) must oversee the CNA's duties for that day, including proper documentation. The courts will find fault with the R.N. for not following through with proper LTC procedures/policies even if the CNA is falsifying/ommiting care.

Yes, the CNA will be terminated, but the R.N. or supervising person for the day will get the wrath of the court system. In addition to reporting these people to the proper entities, I would also suggest descretly letting the charge person for the day know what is going on. (Only if you feel comfortable)

ZAHMAN

nursecompassion · Jun 4, 2004

i have never witnessed anyone on my shift doing this at my ltc facility, but if i did i would definitely report it. try not to put all of us 20 somethings in the same category. there are those of us that truly love our jobs, and our residents. i find ppl at my work of all ages that could give more than they do. of course, i have a big mouth at my work (not meaning gossip, just meaning i don't put up with crap from others) and i told my supervisor's when i started i was'nt there to make friends i was there to care for my residents! some ppl are just around to bring home a paycheck and unfortunately it sounds like they work with you. good luck with the situation.

julee