Am I being overly sensitive?

Sun0408, ASN, RN · Jun 26, 2012

If what you describe actually happened, I would call your clinical instructor tonight and tell them what happened so she/he could handle this appropriately. I'm really not sure the chain of command while a student..I would also follow up and if the instructor hasn't done anything I would contact the BON and ask where to go from there to see this is reported and handled correctly. Hopefully someone else will chime in and give better information.

No this is not the norm and that is abuse. It needs to be reported ASAP.

PMFB-RN, RN · Jun 26, 2012

She took the resident and flipped her so forcefully over on her right side that the resident smacked her head into the wall (her bed is up against the wall). I was speechless. Then in order to get the rest of it done, she flipped her back over towards us so forcefully that the poor womans face was headed for the side rail where I was standing. I quickly placed my hands around the rail so that instead of her face being smashed up against the metal railing, it was smashing up against my knuckles. The poor woman then looked up at me with the most terrified sad look I have ever seen in a person. She looked like some defenseless animal that got stuck in some trap and couldn't scream to get someone to help them!

*** I am shocked you just stood there and allowed a patient to be abused in such a manner! Why did you not immediatly put a stop to this patient abuse? It's shocking your fellow CNA would choose to abuse a defenseless human in such a manner. Even more shocking that you would just stand there and watch it happen without saying anything, or if required physicialy intervene.

I hope you at least immediatly informed the RN who is responsible for supervising the CNAs?

If you haven't even reported the patient abuse, verbaly and in writing, I hope you do so ASAP. It sounds like that CNA should be facing assault charges.

maddiem · Jun 26, 2012

You need to report the abuse. That is unacceptable what that nurse did. Tell your instructor and she will help you do what needs to be done. If you don't report the abuse that is aiding and abetting.

orthonurse55 · Jun 26, 2012

*** I am shocked you just stood there and allowed a patient to be abused in such a manner! Why did you not immediatly put a stop to this patient abuse? It's shocking your fellow CNA would choose to abuse a defenseless human in such a manner. Even more shocking that you would just stand there and watch it happen without saying anything, or if required physicialy intervene.
I hope you at least immediatly informed the RN who is responsible for supervising the CNAs?
If you haven't even reported the patient abuse, verbaly and in writing, I hope you do so ASAP. It sounds like that CNA should be facing assault charges.

I'm sure Mrsharris2011 was afraid to cause a scene as a student and was not sure what her "place" was in the facility. If I read correctly, your instructor was not in the building? First of all, that is not actually allowed as a clinical make up. Second, you should definitely report this to your instructor ASAP! That CNA needs to be dealt with before she manhandles any other residents! No, you are not overreacting. You are being a kind and caring future CNA. I am a CNA instructor and I encourage all of my students to report incidents of any type of abuse to me immediately.

Good luck in the future and don't let idiots like that one get to you!

ADN2B · Jun 26, 2012

Please report this person, immediately!

mindyfromcali · Jun 26, 2012

I'm sorry you had to witness that while trying to learn. That's straight up abuse, and I'm sure it was very uncomfortable not knowing what to do in this situation. The others are right. Please report this immediately and make sure that it gets reported to the proper authorities. It's never okay to manhandle residents no matter how much of a hurry anybody is in. Again, I'm sorry that you saw this while in a learning environment

tomc5555 · Jun 26, 2012

I just spent this past weekend doing the last 16 hours of my CNA clinicals. I was actually making up time that I had missed due to work, so this was done on a hall with CNA's and residents that I had not yet normally worked with.
I was instructed by a CNA to change and dress a resident. Ok, no problem. However, this is a resident that I have never cared for. She is a petite lady, maybe early 60's and has obviously suffered from a major stroke. I have seen her many times in the dining room, but have never worked with her directly. Her lower body is completely rigid to the point where her right legs actually crosses over her left and both of her feet are pointing straight out (like when you point your toe down). Both of her arms are tightly constricted up against her body as are her hands. Her head is always bent pretty much backwards and her mouth wide open. Needless to say, being still "new" I was having some trouble getting her changed. I was so afraid that by moving her legs apart in order to get her pants on, moving her arms away from her body in order to get her shirt on, that I was going to hurt her as she was sooo rigid. So I guess I was taking too long because the CNA came in and was obviously frustrated that I wasn't done. I just told her, " I am sorry, I haven't cared for her before and I was afraid I was going to hurt her." So I stepped up to the head of the bead next to the rail and she proceeded to finish. She took the resident and flipped her so forcefully over on her right side that the resident smacked her head into the wall (her bed is up against the wall). I was speechless. Then in order to get the rest of it done, she flipped her back over towards us so forcefully that the poor womans face was headed for the side rail where I was standing. I quickly placed my hands around the rail so that instead of her face being smashed up against the metal railing, it was smashing up against my knuckles. The poor woman then looked up at me with the most terrified sad look I have ever seen in a person. She looked like some defenseless animal that got stuck in some trap and couldn't scream to get someone to help them! At that point, I glanced up to her wall, just trying to not look directly at what I was seeing. There on her wall were pictures of her from obviously not too long ago, but before her stroke. She was beautiful, laughing, smiling. Next to that were poems and cards from her children. I couldn't take it anymore, and told the CNA that I needed to run to the restroom ASAP. I left the room, closed the door but stood there for a second. Not 10 seconds after I closed the door, the resident let out the most horrible scream. Ugghhh...
I totally understand that this is a very demanding job. CNAs are extremely underpaid for the type of work they have to do and the physical demands placed upon them. However, is it just some what "acceptable" in LTC facilities to basically manhandle a human being in such a manner?? Am I being just overly sensitive because I am new to this line of work and haven't been "callused" yet??

I don't think this is a true post. Too many questionable facts. Who does clinicals w/out instructor?

What facility allows beds against the wall?

Kitsey · Jun 26, 2012

What facility allows beds against the wall?

Sorry for being off topic, but I'm curious...why can't beds be against the wall? Almost all the beds in my facility are up against a wall...

mrsharris2011 · Jun 26, 2012

Yes, this is a TRUE post. I honestly wish it wasn't!! Trust me, I am a Mother of two, run my own business and go to school. I have better things to do with my time that sit at a computer and make up fake posts, especially ones of this caliber. I have actually been an active "viewer" on this site for almost two years now. I just was never in a situation where I felt as compelled to get some feedback and advice until this situation occurred. Hence the reason why I never even registered until now. Hope that clears up any doubt for you, Tomc5555.

As far as the bed being against the wall, this is the only room at this facility I have seen set up as this one is. But when you walk into the room, straight ahead is this residents bed and it is sideways up against the wall!! I am not sure if is due to her condition, (rolling out, etc) or what. The other two beds in the room are straight up and down, so I am not sure. To be honest with you, I never even gave it much thought given that this is the first time I have worked this hall. This is a rather large facility, well it seems to me at least! But what do I know given that its the only one I have ever worked in! But there are 7 halls, 150 or so residents.

Like I said, this was a make up clinical. So this instructor was not one I had ever worked with before. And all I can say from the feedback I am getting, is that apparently the "school" I am going to is quite different from the norm. And I am not saying better, by any means! But even with the regular instructor I've had, as well as this one I had over the weekend, they just hang out at the nurses station the whole time. Not once has my instructor come into a room while I was providing care, either alone or with a CNA to observe, assist, direct etc. In fact, the only thing I have been signed off on is feeding a patient and she signed me off on that while I was feeding in the dining room. And given that next Saturday is my last make up day that I have to do, its going to be pretty interesting to see what happens come time for me to get my paperwork so that I can go take my Red Cross test. From the get go, my regular instructor pretty much cut me loose and let me just go off with a CNA. Each time she assigned me to one, she would tell them, "Here's a student for you, she'll be a great help, she's really good." But I was always kinda wonder to myself, "How the heck does she know given that she has never really observed me!" I am not sure if this was due to the fact that I am not a "youngster" (I am 43) so she felt like she didn't need to hold my hand or what, but like I said, come next weekend when I am finally done and ready to take my test, I sure hope I don't get any flack from them. I don't know, maybe I am in the wrong, after all, this is the first and only time I have ever gone to CNA school, but I didn't think it was really my responsibility to have to run around the facility looking for her every time I was getting ready to provide care in order for her to observe me and sign me off. Or at least she never instructed us to do that and I never saw any other students doing that!

As far as going to the instructor to report what I saw, I appreciate the advice I got regarding such. In hindsight, I probably should have done it at that moment, however like someone above mentioned, being that I am a student there, its somewhat of a tough position to be in given that who wants to be a "tattletale". Obviously, I know that none of that should matter more than the well being and safety of a resident, but like I said it was a situation I've never been in before. We recently had to place my 89 year old Mother in law in a nursing facility, and never while visiting her have I observed such treatment but obviously I only go to her room.

I would also like to mention that while we were in theory, our instructor told us the procedures for filing a report of abuse and she showed us a copy of the form to use. However, she also told us that while we are there to remember that we are the students and that they are the staff. That we are not to question how they are doing their job. After all, there is "the way state wants things to be done, and the way they are done in real life." She said that in the past, students have questioned CNA's about the way they were doing something as it wasn't by the book and the CNA's get mad, complain to the DSD or whomever and then the school runs the risk of losing the facility as one to do clinicals at. As it is, they are done to only one facility right now. They had two when I started but they recently lost one due to students using their cel phones while in the facility. I can almost guarantee you that if I go to my instructor about it, she won't pursue it. She may say that she will, but I don't think she will. After all, if she does and then they lose this last facility, she won't have a job!!

With that being said, I think I will just go directly to the ombudsman and report what I saw. I would never in a million years want anyone treating my loved one in that manner, nor anyone for that matter. I will do it today. I already now feel like total crap after reading these responses that I hadn't done it right then and there!

Thanks for the assistance!

orthonurse55 · Jun 27, 2012

I am sincerely questioning the integrity of your program. Aside from that, I am glad you have decided to call the Ombudsman. It's the right thing to do. As for your instructor being afraid of "losing" this last facility to go to - I would not WANT to take my students back there anyway! I stopped going to one place because it was dirty and unorganized! Had I seen or heard about abuse, there is not way we would have ever gone back there! It is not the atmosphere I would want my students around.

jval · Jun 27, 2012

...I don't know about this. It seems fake. Maybe it's just the dramatic writing. Or maybe it's a combination of the writing and the not doing anything about the situation. Might as well have been invisible.

Both of her arms are tightly constricted up against her body as are her hands. Her head is always bent pretty much backwards and her mouth wide open.

Do we really need to know how open or unopen her mouth is? Lots of strange details in this writing. Seems like it's there to get a rise out of the reader...

The poor woman then looked up at me with the most terrified sad look I have ever seen in a person. She looked like some defenseless animal that got stuck in some trap and couldn't scream to get someone to help them!

...Really? This makes it so fake for me. If someone was to show you the most terrified look you've ever seen, would you not even say anything? Do anything? Especially if that person is fragile and helpless? I don't buy it. You could have at least said, "It looks like she's in pain, is that normal?"

Not 10 seconds after I closed the door, the resident let out the most horrible scream. Ugghhh...

Also, if you are at the end of your clinicals, I don't understand why you would have a problem working with residents you are unfamiliar with? Also, I don't understand why you would be so timid to dress a constricted resident? The more nervous and uncertain you are makes them feel insecure and worried; as I'm sure you know... Also, why in the world would you not say anything to your instructor? You could have sent an email, not "tattling", just asking; "I was having trouble changing a constricted resident today, her CNA got frustrated with me and took charge. To me, it seemed abrupt and forceful. Should I take special precautions when moving constricted appendages? Or am I being too sensitive?".

I remember a moment of shock, (not to the degree you have written about) I was changing a resident for the first time. As I got to her brief diarrhea got on the bed and on some clothes. I delt with all of the contaminated fabrics then continued to dress her in clean clothes. My instructor walked in; shocked that I was still changing the same resident. She "tossled" the resident around and changed her with experienced, lightning speed. I say tossled because that's how I first perceived it. I was shocked to see that amount of quickness and force used on someone who can not assist. You can't be so sensitive; I learned. It's better for both the CNA and the resident if you get the task over with instead of stuggling, trying to put an arm in a sleeve for a minute or more.

It looks worse than it is. NOT saying the story you told of abuse is in anyway normal. It's not. It's abuse.

As I read this story, I imagined it coming from an 18 yo, or someone in their early twenties...