Today I don't know what happened. I am a float CNA. I am only on call (contingent) and have no set hours. I got called in to work 1st shift today. (I work in a hospice residence) Normally I get called in to work 2nd or 3rd shift. I felt a sense of being overwhelmed early in shift, but shook it off due to not having worked many 1st shifts. Most of my residents have foleys, in fact all but one. For some reason, I kept thinking that he had one as well. I checked on him several times throughout the morning, set him up for breakfast and figured I would do his morning care after he ate, as I didn't have much time before the trays came out. He wouldn't eat and looked so uncomfortable, but he doesn't communicate well at all, as the cancer has spread to his brain. I wasn't able to get to his care right after breakfast, but thought it would be ok, after all, I thought he had a foley in. I was so busy trying to keep up with all of the needs of the other residents, I only popped in to check on him and kept planning to do his care as soon as I got a break. His daughter came in and was so mad. He normally gets on the commode first thing in the morning to have a bm. I was unaware of that (I overlooked that on his care plan). She asked me if any care was done on him yet and I told her no, that I was going to do it right now. I was in sheer horror when I realized that he did not have a foley and had been sitting in a wet brief. He was in tears when I walked into the room, and I thought it was because he missed his family. It was because his brief was wet and he was waiting to be put on the pot so he could have a bowel movement. I felt, and still feel so horrible. We got him up, put him on the commode and he did his business, then felt so much better. We washed him up and gave him his lunch and he ate like there was not tomorrow. What have I done?? I am working there to make people feel more comfortable not to make them uncomfortable! I was unorganized, overwhelmed and had just plain old screwed up. I cried when I left his room. I told the charge RN what I had done and just couldn't help but cry. She assured me that no harm was done to him, but still, I am having a hard time not kicking myself over the few hours of discomfort that I caused. I cried all the way home today.
How can I be a good RN if I screw up like this as an aide? I feel so lousy.
Awww...don't beat yourself up about this anymore :icon_hug: I'm an aide in a LTC facility, and with all of the residents' different needs/schedules/etc., it's nearly impossible to remember EVERYTHING all the time, especially if you're switching shifts a lot. I always work second shift-except for one miserable time they stuck me on first, and wow, was that awful. I felt so miserably overwhelmed that I was considering running out the door and all the way back home! So the fact that you were able to pull off an unfamiliar shift with only one small (in the scheme of things) mistake should be an encouragement.
I understand your feelings, though, b/c I'm kind of a perfectionist, too. Even just realizing that I forgot to take someone's dentures out at bedtime or that I kept them waiting longer than I would have liked to take them to the toilet can make me feel almost guilty. But I always tell myself that I am doing my best, I can only do ONE THING at a time, that I am improving EVERY DAY, and that I have to be gentle enough on myself to allow for mistakes and let go of the "superwoman" complex. You sound like a conscientious person and a really good aide, so don't let one mistake discourage you :-)
just apologize to the man and don't let it happen again. you will learn from the mistakes that happen. i'd love to have a person like you on my team! :heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat
I feel your pain. Things happen. What matters is that you were able to remedy the situation and that you had that much empathy for his discomfort. It's tough to be everything.
We have no aides where I work. I am constantly stressing because a patient desperately needs morning care but I still don't have assessments done or need to pass meds. I generally keep my cool pretty well, but once broke down because 3 of my 4 patients all were incontinent of stool at once. Sometimes it's just too much to keep up with.
Keep your chin up, you can't be perfect all the time.
PianoGirl20
60 Posts
Awww...don't beat yourself up about this anymore :icon_hug: I'm an aide in a LTC facility, and with all of the residents' different needs/schedules/etc., it's nearly impossible to remember EVERYTHING all the time, especially if you're switching shifts a lot. I always work second shift-except for one miserable time they stuck me on first, and wow, was that awful. I felt so miserably overwhelmed that I was considering running out the door and all the way back home! So the fact that you were able to pull off an unfamiliar shift with only one small (in the scheme of things) mistake should be an encouragement.
I understand your feelings, though, b/c I'm kind of a perfectionist, too. Even just realizing that I forgot to take someone's dentures out at bedtime or that I kept them waiting longer than I would have liked to take them to the toilet can make me feel almost guilty. But I always tell myself that I am doing my best, I can only do ONE THING at a time, that I am improving EVERY DAY, and that I have to be gentle enough on myself to allow for mistakes and let go of the "superwoman" complex. You sound like a conscientious person and a really good aide, so don't let one mistake discourage you :-)