Advice Please?

bigbadduck · Apr 8, 2009

Oh...and I forgot to say, I did give a shower last night to someone and the CNA left me alone again to go to lunch and the poor woman had diarrhea FOREVER in the shower! I just wanted to cry for her :heartbeat.

texastaz · Apr 8, 2009

Recommend you read the 3-11 shift post, is explains pretty much how is goes. 5 shifts-well it takes time to fine tune your skills- as it happens things will go smoother and faster. The bulk of the job in a LTC facility is exactly what you are doing. CNA is not like the picture books - prettty much keeping bottoms clean, dressing and undressing patients(weak side first), showering, shaves, brush teeth, brush hair, transferes, feeding, making beds, empty trash is it. Take a bubble bath - if your mentor made it/so will you. :smokin:

AgriWoman · Apr 8, 2009

Sounds like you need to talk to your supervisor, a charge or head nurse. You should be paired with a CNA that a supervisor feels is better qualified to train you. You are not starting under very good circumstances If you are not getting help from a nurse with some pull, go to the DON. It's bad enough that you are not being trained properly and feeling overwhelmed, but this CNA obviously has issues of her own which puts residents at risk. This is unacceptable! You need to share your concerns as well as inform your supervisor that this other CNA's work ethic and caretaking skills seem to be lacking. You can do it with tact and show your professionalism

Bless your heart for being caring and sympathetic to your residents. They deserve a kind hearted person, you! :)

Chris

sonomala · Apr 8, 2009

Honestly before today I would have told you to stick it out, report the cna ect. But that was before today when I got fired. I've worked my rear end of, put up with stuff from the other cnas that makes high school seem like a good alternative, cared for every resident and now I've been fired. It could have been worse though, just last week I heard of cnas telling lies about cnas they didn't like to get them fired. And it worked they were fired. So honestly if they're all against you now I say quit while you can. Its not worth it, there are tons of other places, so I'm told, where this stuff doesn't happen.

macrich84 · Apr 9, 2009

I know this might be easier said then done, but sometimes we are busy or just don't think about stopping to show someone else the ropes. The best advice I can give you is to be firm but friendly about getting help. Remind them that you are suppose to be training. Don't!! do anything that you aren't sure about or trained to do without someone else with you. Even if that means being a pain in the butt to the other CNAs. Better safe then sorry for yourself and your residents. Also, if you know something should be done, such as the showers or other care, and it's not done.. you need to report it to the charge nurse or your supervisor before it falls on your head. The one's training you can't blame you if you have already brought it up as an issue.

If you are unsure about certain tasks you have to perform... look up how to do them on youtube. If you still need hints about how dress someone with an IV bag, I'd be more than willing to pass on how to do it.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Apr 9, 2009

Up until you mentioned the baths being skipped I thought, "Well that doesn't mean she's lazy." She probably didn't have time to stand around for 10 minutes watching you figure out how to change someone hooked up to a bunch of tubes and instead put someone to bed. You do have to do certain things by yourself a couple times before they come naturally to you. It can be daunting, I know! The first time I had someone who kept pooping all over the shower I was like, noooooo how am I supposed to do this? and now I throw a bucket under the shower chair. When I first started I treated foley bags, feeding tubes and IVs like they were made out of eggshells. But if I ever skipped a bath I was supposed to do I would be in trouble! I don't even know what would happen.

Do you know what the routine in general is? Because things didn't really fall into place until I figured it out. I knew how to do the tasks but not when. I'd show up to work and be like "uhh I remember doing a bunch of sh*t yesterday but it all runs together." At my work we do first rounds (get everyone toileted and up for supper), walk people, and then vitals and water pitchers. Then supper comes. After that we start putting people to bed. We're not supposed to give showers until after supper. First rounds everybody takes care of everybody, but after supper you only do the people on your assignment. You squeeze in rounds at 6 and 8 and at 10 you do a final set of them, again on only your own people. Once I knew what I was responsible for and what was supposed to come next I spent less time doing nothing.

I would definitely ask to be trained by another person. Just say you're having problems learning with her "training style" and would like to try someone else.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Apr 9, 2009

put up with stuff from the other cnas that makes high school seem like a good alternative

:yeah:

Pauligirl · Apr 9, 2009

If you want to be PROPERLY trainined, like you mentioned, sign up for a CNA course at a local college or career school. Oh yes, they usually cost money but you will be PROPERLY trainined. :smokin: Especially since you say this work is your "calling".

I assume the facility isn't relying on the other aides to inform you of infection control and universal precautions.:uhoh21: Hopefully the facility has put together a training booklet for you to take home and study. As also suggested you can look on youtube for demonstrations. The facility also might have an outline for the work routine of different shifts (when baths are done, etc..).

As an untrained, non certified, right off the street nurse aide it's not your place to judge who's lazy and not doing their job properly. And running to the supervisor or DON is not going to do you any good. Unless you're reporting physical abuse! The aide's that were chosen to "train" you are probably the ones who have worked there the longest. And I'll bet you a penny they didn't volunteer for the additional job duty of trainer. They're not getting more pay because they're training you and part of having a CNA does not qualify an individual as a trainer.

I doubt the other cna's and nurses are working against you! You're blaming them for your lack of experience and training.

bigbadduck · Apr 9, 2009

If you want to be PROPERLY trainined, like you mentioned, sign up for a CNA course at a local college or career school. Oh yes, they usually cost money but you will be PROPERLY trainined. Especially since you say this work is your "calling".
I assume the facility isn't relying on the other aides to inform you of infection control and universal precautions.:uhoh21: Hopefully the facility has put together a training booklet for you to take home and study. As also suggested you can look on youtube for demonstrations. The facility also might have an outline for the work routine of different shifts (when baths are done, etc..).
As an untrained, non certified, right off the street nurse aide it's not your place to judge who's lazy and not doing their job properly. And running to the supervisor or DON is not going to do you any good. Unless you're reporting physical abuse! The aide's that were chosen to "train" you are probably the ones who have worked there the longest. And I'll bet you a penny they didn't volunteer for the additional job duty of trainer. They're not getting more pay because they're training you and part of having a CNA does not qualify an individual as a trainer.
I doubt the other cna's and nurses are working against you! You're blaming them for your lack of experience and training.

I don't have a book or anything. I don't know the "routine". The turnover rate in this facility is HUGE. The girl that was training me had to most seniority at 2 years. Her instructions included things like, we have to take out XXXX's catheter. I had a cow! What? I asked her three times? Take it out???? When we got there, it was just an empty. No gloves, either. Trust me, and I don't mean to be righteous. I'm 53 years old and I know when I'm being picked on (the new kid) and when someone is being lazy. The CNA training me WAS asked if she wanted to do it. I want to do the right thing for these residents. Most all of them didn't ask to be there either. I want to make their last years pleasant. Once I learn the routine, I'll be working on my own. Oh, and we don't have our OWN residents. We have an entire wing that we just go through all the room and tend to who is next.

azcna · Apr 9, 2009

It sounds like you worked at a place I used to work :down: If the people are that mean to you I would really, really suggest getting a different job. Who wants to work with lazy/hateful people like that? You have been working 5 days TOTAL and they think you should know everything?? Come on! I still don't know everything! No one does, really. There ARE nursing homes out there with good, nice, and helpful aides. I feel sorry for the residents that live there. And really, you deserve to be treated better than that. Do you really want to learn from a bunch of uncaring people?

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 9, 2009

To be honest, I think that the facility should require that you receive the CNA training before being hired, because (unfortunately), no one really does any part of nursing 'by the books'. You may be picking up bad habits from even the best, caring CNAs and become confused by the time you actually take the course and then, take the state test (especially if you are still working while attending classes).

In any event, this is no surprize. The same happens to nurses, doctors, everyone. I am not making excuses for these people, but want also say that there is not enough time in the day to follow the text to the 't' so to speak. HOWEVER, we are all supposed to perform safe care to the patients. I would ask if I could work with a different person to see this pans better, but if not, then, see about moving on. I do understand what you are experiencing, because I went through this in all realms of nursing...psych tech, CNA, phlebotomist, medical assistant and now LPN. It really doesn't change, but what you can do to become proactive in your training is to say to the person that you are new and learning, to please slow down. You may also ask to change partners, to hopefully, a more caring person. But if you already see early that the entire place is a dump and the employees are abusive to each other, a high turnover, etc...it may me time to step off to greener pastures.