Advice? Sexual Harassment Related

[Emhotovec]

So I'm a home health CNA. I work with Veterans. I recently quit my major assignment and lost a ton of hours because of it. The reason I quit is because my patient, a middle-aged combat vet with anger issues and a history of violence, was telling people that we were in a relationship. I've been nothing but 100% professional with him and the claims had absolutely no truth to them. I self-reported this incident and my supervisor allowed me to quit the assignment, no questions asked since she had no reason to doubt me.

Keep in mind, I'm a 20 year old female. I'm tall and skinny and was being sent to the home of a much older male. I'm not afraid of anyone and I'm a very calm rational person, but obviously I'm very creeped out that he was saying these things about me. I don't even know the extent of what he said. This is especially weird considering the very sensitive and personal act of patient care. I was giving the guy showers. He'd try to put his hand in my lap when I filed his nails. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now that I know how he was thinking of me...yuck.

Now I've found out, through the lead RN, that the company/person who assigned me to him in the first place KNEW that he was inappropriate towards younger female CNAs. The last two women had to stop working with him for similar reasons. He's so desperate that he won't even allow the company to send male CNAs. He refuses them. He even tried to persuade one of the women to move in with him. The company sent a replacement for me and he threatened her.

I'm not happy with the fact the company decided not to tell me about his predatory behavior before I took the assignment. He was a very difficult patient with behavior issues. They disclosed that much, but neglected to inform me about his trying to hook up with CNAs.

Again. Slight, 20 year old female. Alone in a house with a large middle aged male. And they decided not to tell me he had a history of predatory behavior.

I think they conveniently left that out so I would take the difficult assignment. I'm not happy and feel gross and unsafe. Do I have grounds to report the company/scheduler who didn't tell me? If so, who do I talk to?

I'm a pretty shy and reserved person, so I don't want to bull-rush the company before I even know what to do. I could try to talk to HR, but that's going to be obscenely uncomfortable and I'd like to get some opinions/advice before I force myself to do that.

Any advice or opinions on what I should do would be very much appreciated. I don't even know where to start.

PS I'm still working for the company simply because I want to keep caring for my other patient, who hates change and has trouble getting used to new CNAs. I have been avoiding the supervisor who I feel is responsible. She's done some other shifty things, like trying to assign me on the down-low to a family who she already knew explicitly said they do NOT want young CNAs.

[CocoBug20]

I don't know how the job market is in your area, but maybe you should look for a new job if you don't want to do the messy thing and confront people. It sounds like more than one person responsible for your safety completely disregarded that in favor of attempting to keep their customers. Bear in mind that it was perfectly within their power to deny him female CNA's and if he didn't like it he could choose another health care provider; but instead they chose to place one of their younger and more vulnerable employees in this situation without a word of warning and no care for your safety. Clearly you're well aware of how bad the situation could have gotten- he could have been a real danger to you. You say you are staying because of one particular patient, but in this case you have to prioritize your own safety and if you think it might happen again, don't stick around. Bear in mind, though, I'm not a nurse yet and have no idea how to go about reporting or complaining about something- just thought I'd comment since no one else has yet.

[rhannah145, BSN]

I wouldn't really know where to start as far as potentially reporting your company, but I can say that you have every right to be upset and feel unsafe working for your employer after what happened. I've dealt with residents with similar behaviors in the past and I will agree with you that it can make you feel gross, unsafe, and unsteady when you go into an assignment without knowing the details of the behaviors you may encounter. As for the action you've already taken, I'd say your on the right track and handled the situation very well! I agree with the previous comment, that you may want to look for another place of employment in the meantime. I know it's hard to leave a job after bonding with your other patients, but I agree that you should put your own safety and comfort first. I hope that everything works out alright!

[Crash_Cart]

To change the behavior, you have to stop appeasing to the behavior in the first place. Stop sending in all the PYT's like he wants all the time. Just don't do it! It's nursing care, not a beauty pageant. Remember, none of the other patients on the nursing unit gets any special treatment, or specific staff members any differently. So why should he?

So yes, send a male ( like me) in to provide his care and when he refuses (yup, I already know he will !), then I would simply inform the charge nurse the patient is refusing care. (Yes, this is his right to do so.) Also be sure to have the charge nurse also go into his room and confirm with the patient he is declining care from the male CNA. At this point you now have two nursing staff who can confirm the patient said the same thing. Then be sure to document everything with red blood in the nurses progress notes for later.

Then when he starts kicking a fuss and reports ("me") about not getting any care from the CNA to his family or whatever, have someone in charge like the nursing unit supervisor or whatever, politely inform him (and especially if his family is there) that he simply keeps refusing any care provided from the "assigned" nursing staff when offered.

The nursing supervisor will probably start citing and reinforcing all the usual gushy sounding "rights of the client / resident" and everything, as written in all the colorful nursing - vacation resort brochures etc. lol

After all, we can't force anyone to accept any care they don't want it. Trust me, he will eventually start coming around to accepting care from a male, but he won't if you keep entertaining his nonsense.

He thinks if he keeps yelling loud enough, he can have things his way. So stop doing that and it will stop.

[Crash_Cart]

Additionally, get with with your nursing peers and get the ball rolling on support for a plan to get the nursing unit supervisor involved in making his family and himself fully aware of the healthcare facility "policies." Have the nursing supervisor explain to them that no patient can somehow get preferential treatment (certain nursing staff) over another, because that is unethical, and unfair to the rest of the hospital unit patient population.

They should also explain all he is required to have is a "CNA" help with his care and the age, height, color or gender of the CNA is entirely irrelevant.

I bet he and his family starts playing a different tune after that.