ALF gone bad

sounds like the place I used to worked it .

i'm currently on orientation for at an alf and here are some things that just may be deal breakers for me:

1. cnas do not do any vital signs at all, even though it is in their scope and job description. when i asked the don why she states its because they are already doing care. ah..you can get used to that. i have never actually worked anywhere where cna's had time to do vitals. have always had nurses doing them themselves

2. left over narcs are kept in a cardboard box under a desk that is accessible to everyone. wow...scary and a deal breaker. not worth the trouble this could cause

3. med techs check blood sugars and give insulin.... didn't see that in their job description in my state qma;s are legally allowed to do blood sugars - but insulin is out of their scope for sure. wouldn't take responsibility for that

4. instead of calling or faxing the doc they send him emails.... so not used to that another thing that one could potentially get used to ...if there wasn't some other really big issues

5. cnas or caregivers are poorly trained and don't even report falls. well they could be trained?

6. narcs are not counted at shift report by med techs see #2 response - yikes, this is trouble just waiting to happen!

the list goes on.........

how's the feedback from the don when you question some of this? is she/he experienced? sounds like a scary place and you may need to come up with plan b. good luck

Some of these issues could affect your license, which you must protect above all other concerns. You can find a new job but you can't get a new license. You have a few options I would say, A) the easiest perhaps is to quit and move on B) Prepare a list of items that are obviously illegal or covered by your Nurse Practice Act with reference to why they are being done incorrectly. Your DON may simply not know(?). (Your approach will be key here, tread carefully). C) Report to the state (which might lead to job loss a couple of different ways) D) Report to the board of directors (could get DON fired, or you if she is their friend) E) do nothing (not ethical!). If you have good reason to invest effort into this place and are willing to risk your job, moving for change is the right thing to do. I would at least address the narc issue. That has the potential to send someone to jail. Good luck.

Scary stuff. Better get out of Dodge, sooner than later.

Best wishes!

What do they call the box, the hors d'oeurve platter? OMG, run!

The narc issues are the worst part. 100% of the time, there ends up being a diversion problem. Abusers look for that kind of facility as they know it will take longer to get caught. I've worked with diverters and now, any time I am working in a clinical situation, I want to see the narcotic count plan before I accept the job.

Trust me, being interviewed by the police because your co-worker is an addict is no fun.

time to become an ex-employee :)

RUN!

The job market may be tight, but loosing your license and having to fight for a job behind the counter at McDonald's isn't something most people would like to do. Good luck!

I really don't want to quit. I'm tired of job hopping. I sat down with the DON to discuss my concerns. Well she wasn't a bit moved by what I had to say. I was told" this is just the way it is". I'm thinking about asking the delegating nurse what she thinks....

Stop asking anyone else. You'll just pi$$ off the DON. Leave.

Run like a scalded dog.