A problem at work last night.

LPN_mn · Mar 28, 2005

That kind of thing is the reason I quit doing MR/DDS group home nursing. You are not suppose to supervise the NA's but you let something go wrong and you are the first one getting the butt chewing. This happened numerous time at the group homes that I oversaw and I finally went in and gave my notice because I was tired of taking the butt chewing for things that they did but I was suppose to fix things but not supervise. I really do feel for you because I have been there. I would go to the house supervisor and tell her/him that the situation needed to be fixed. If they don't do something I would go up the chain of command until they got it that I was not there for them to run over. Good luck and hope things get better for you.

kharing · Mar 29, 2005

When you say you reported this incident...was it internal? If so, that would explain the reaction you have received from the staff. Supervisors are rarely in the homes - too busy with team meetings, phone calls and paperwork. Most of the time, management is more concerned with filling shifts - not the day to day operations of the homes. Low pay and high turn over is a major problem in this field.

Have you ever approached the staff directly before going over their heads? If so, would it be possible to report confidentially to your state's department of health the next time you feel something isn't right/appropriate?

I ran into a problem at work last night.
I work in a facility that takes care of MR/DDS people.
I do NOT supervise the aides in these homes. They have their own supervisors.
I walked into one of these homes last night just before suppertime to give my meds, and I noticed all the plates sitting on the tables full of food, but no people at the tables eating.
Then a worker from the main cafeteria/kitchen came in with a sack of extra plates, so I figured they were short of plates, because an aide came in and filled a couple more plates then went back into the living room and told the people,
"Yall go eat." These mentally challenged people came in to the kitchen, sat down and started to eat, but no aides in the kitchen. I was the only one in the kitchen, I was at the med cart.
Well, the aides were in the living room watching a home video of a little boy's birthday party, while these people were in kitchen eating. If I had not been there they would have been in kitchen alone.
So I had to report this, and it is possible neglect. I notified my supervisor, she notified theirs, the superintendant was called. BIG MESS, but I can't take the responsibility of one of these people getting choked and not having someone close by for help.
So NOW all the aides are pissed at me. BIG TIME PISSED.
I know I did the right thing, I'm not worried about that, but how should I handle it now, when I go in there and the aides act pissed at me?
This is always a problem at this job. I am not their supervisor and I'm not supposed to say a whole lot directly to them, it has to go thru chain of commands.
I've had people pissed off at me before, on this job, some people wouldn't speak to me for a year, and I just ignored it.
But I'm tired of handling it this way.
If they had been in there doing their job, this wouldn't have happened in the first place. Not MY fault.
I really feel the facility supervisors should give more support to the one who is doing the reporting to prevent the hard feelings that are caused in situations like this.
Anyone here have any advice?

LPN1974, LPN · Mar 29, 2005

LPN-mn and kharing....thx for responding.

LPN_mn, I feel the same way, I know why you quit......it's hard to work with these people and not be the supervisor or at least have some kind of authority to say something.

But I have no authority and we are not supposed to say much directly to the aides. They have a supervisor, so I have to call MY supervisor, she called theirs, and their supervisor does the talking to the aides who comitt the offenses. We followed the chain of command.

I also have no authority to call outside of the facility, supervisors do that. The superintendant decides if it is actual abuse and she notifies the appropriate authorities. Apparently she decided that this is not actual neglect, and doesn't require state police adult abuse professionals to investigate.

The situation is being handled within the facility. But believe me, she doesn't cut any slack for anyone...if it's abuse or neglect she reports it. I have seen people be handcuffed and removed from the facility.

And kharing....since I work the evening shift, I probably couldn't get ahold of anyone outside the facility, such as the state department of health. The policy says abuse or neglect has to be reported IMMEDIATELY, which means it is reported to the superintendant, esp on evenings, as we have no other course to follow at that time of day.

But now that I have told on them, they are mad at me. See, when I go in that home now, they won't speak to me, I will get the cold shoulder treatment. If I ask for any help they probably won't help me, altho, I can pretty much handle the people in giving them their meds.

It's even dangerous now, IMO, to go in there by myself. They could make up a big lie on me, and they would all gang together and tell it. I wouldn't put it past them.

My main question to you all, was how to handle the coldness in the home now, that I've told on them.

See, the problem is being handled. They are being watched closely now, and may even get some disciplinary action, but I will never know about that, because the supervisors won't tell me that.

The cold shoulder treatment and being ignored will be hard to take, but I don't CARE. I DID do the right thing. They can just ignore me.

If they had been doing their job, they wouldn't be in trouble.

And it is true about high turnover in these type facilities. Pay is low, and they practically hire just anything that walks in. If they don't have a criminal record, and have a high school diploma they get hired, but just because they don't have a crimimnal record doesn't always make them the best caring employees.

Well, hopefully it will work out.

I didn't have to go in there tonight. Another nurse did that home tonight.

kharing · Mar 29, 2005

Thanks for clarifying and answering my questions. Okay, first - this policy about Supervisors being the ones to report abuse is wrong! Agencies use this system to keep the State from coming in. If the agency is sorting through incident reports and deciding what is/isn't abuse or neglect, that's just crazy! There must be a toll free number that you can call in your State to report this company...don't use management to handle any further issues. Take it outside of the company.

What you are experiencing or going to experience is retaliation. See if you can switch homes. If not, there must be a "house manager" that works in the home full time. Build a relationship with him/her. If that's not possible, you just might be better off looking for other employment.

I am an independent contractor in this field after YEARS of working for agencies. I've worked in places where staff were smoking crack on shift (none fired), Several hundred dollars stolen from a non verbal, non ambulatory older female (no one implicated), a person served drowned in a bathtub unsupervised and other mind blowing incidents. I'm too outspoken to work for anyone but my clients! I left and started contracting my services through the State.

I wish I could give you some advice on salvaging your relationship with the workers, but to be honest - I doubt you will be able to. The problem starts at the top - I think I mentioned that management isn't concerned about the day to day....... Working in this field is a calling - but most people in it are not client centered. Good luck, and keep advocating!!!!