Here's the situation. I'm an LPN, and work in a hospice/acute care facility, which only holds up to 16 pts. At night (shift i work) a full staff is 1 RN charge nurse, 1 LPN, 1 CNA for less then 8 pt, 2 cna if we have more then 8 pts. The census has been low lately, which makes them call off the cna's. We still may have 5 or 6 pts, and they expect lpn and the rn, to do ALL the work. And you know that's going to fall on me the LPN, because the rn has to do all the assessments. So, here I am trying to take care of my duites which consist of treatments, like, wound care, tube feedings, iv analgesics, suctioning and things like that. Lets's not forget scheduled meds and prn, because of the fact we have hospice pts, you know there are alot of prn pain meds.
Then on top of that, i have to answer all the call lights, fill water pitchers, turn q2hr, baths, diaper change,I's and O's, empty Foley's, do vitals, reposition, need I go on. All of this is duties of a CNA. Before I was a LPN 3 years ago almost I was a CNA. If i really liked that job, I would still be doing it.
I know once you become a nurse, you don't just stop all together doing some of those things. But give me a break its like being a cna all over again. I have spoke the DON, and told her, if I going to be responsible for 2 job title's worth of work, I want 2 pay checks. She just looked at me sort of laugh, like I was joking or something, and said if we had the money for that, we would have a CNA on shift. I know that makes since, but it's at my expense that there is no CNA there. I'm the one doing all the back breaking work that I didn't sign up for. Yes the RN does some, but it's mostly me.
Well I'm looking for a new job. Had 2 interviews already. Do you think I'm wrong?
OMG. I read this, and i wanna laugh. This is the attitude that makes CNA's resent nurses. I work full time in a ICU at a hospital. In my unit, there are NO cna's. It's nurses, and total care only. We do it all. I also work prn in a ltc facility. on the 3-11 shift, it's me and three aids for 35 pt's. And, yeah, i bust my butt doin my work and helping them too. If you don't wanna do "cna" work, then honey, it's time for you to leave the field of nursing.
5-6 patients for two nurses really doesn't sound that bad to me. I'm not a nurse yet so I can't say that I've done it myself, but I've seen worse.
Last winter at the hospital I worked at, there was a day when all four aides scheduled for the day called in, unable to make it do to sickness/weather. They couldn't get anyone to come in, and the whole 30 bed unit (mostly extensive assist elderly people recovering from surgery/falls) was staffed from 7 am - 7 p.m. by just an RN, an LPN, and the secretary. YIKES. They survived though, and definitely appreciate the CNAs more now.
That said, if you are unhappy there, it probably is best that you look elsewhere. I don't think it's worth it to stay someplace you're unhappy - life is way too short. Though with the economy the way it is, you might end up doing a lot more CNA duties while facilities are cutting staffing, at least until things start to get better.
I think, zoe, that you are at risk of becoming the type of nurse the aides resent.
Your ratio is excellent. And you are not responsible for baths, etc, on nocs in an acute unit.
The RN needs to pitch in on turning. But how many water pitchers need filling 11 - 7?
C'mon.
When I worked nocs in a hospice, we filled all pitchers at the beginning of the shift, and refilled them all with fresh ice and water again before days came on.
Since days (7a to 7p) had all three meals to deal with, we did a large amount of the personal care, stocking, and so on.
We did the majority of the baths, as well. Non-responsive pts don't seem to mind if they get their bath and linen change @ 0200. :)
A&O pts are often awake and lonely on nocs, and many find a bath comforting. We did a lot of baths on nocs.
Still, I do agree that the OP's ratio is excellent.
If you were to have your RN, and work in a specialty area, you do not have CNAs for the most part and the RN does exactly what you have posted in addition to doing assessments, etc. Same goes for the ER setting as well.
With all of the lay-offs all over and soon to be more and the fact that LPNs are no longer even being hired in certain areas, I would be happy that you have the job.
Anything that the CNA does, can be done by the nurse, whether the LPN or the RN. It is part of taking care of a patient, and is not limited by the degree that one has, nor the training. If a patient needs to be cleaned, it most definitely should not be left for the CNA to do it. You would not want that to be done to your family member, so it goes both ways. And I am sure that the RN helps out as well, or should be.
But there are also many facilities that no longer have CNAs, so there is no one else to do these so-called chores, it is done by the nurses.
I have to add that I did not read most of the other posts here but just adding my two cents to the few posts that I did read.
I am a PCT in an Oncology/Hospice unit. The usual pt load is 6-8 for the RN's and for us techs it can be up to 10-12 or as low as 5. It all just depends. Honestly, I find your post very insulting, not only to me as a tech and a nursing student, but if I was your patient or patient's family.......I would be thoroughly ****** that you have an attitude that ANY task is beneath you. We all take care of the pt. The RN's have their scheduled meds, tx, and things to do, just as I do as a tech. But we work together and the few of them that "are above doing CNA work" are the ones who do not last long on the unit, the ones who are complained about to our DON, the ones the family fires because of attitude/lack of care/or lack of timely care (because they call the tech and have to wait until a tech is available instead of getting their hands dirty and doing it themselves).
No one likes to wipe butts, clean up puke, give baths, or any other task that is time consuming or unpleasant. However, we are ALL TAKING CARE OF THE PATIENT. That is why we are PCT's, CNA's, RN's, or LPN's. It is in the job description for ALL of us.
Last time I checked, under job duties for LPN or RN there was not a section titled "These are the things you no longer have to do because you are not a CNA and you are now above that level".
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I am surely not here to offend anyone. What I am here for, is opinion's, all opinion's, wether you agree with me or not.
Some people may have picked up from my post, that I think the cna duties are beneath me, but that's not it. I stated,I don't want to do them,but, i know as a nurse you have to do some of these duties, but I'm doing them all, for all the pts, not just mine. If this is the job description, then I should have stayed a cna.
As far as lack of attitude or caring, I am a professional, when I step into a pt rooms, it is to give the best care no matter what task i'm doing for that pt, and make that pt feel at the very least respected. None of my pt will feel disrespected or undeserved when I done with them. That's one of the reason I am leaving this job, because I am a caring and compassionate nurse who takes all task seriously and put forth full effort, and cuts no corners. Doing total care for 6 pts which is equivalent of 2 titles of duties ( cna, lpn) is wearing me out. And if I feel so warn out that I can't do my best for the pt, then I need to find another job, where I can give my full potential, because its not the pt fault that we are under staffed, and its not my fault either.
Now, all of you can say what you want but CNA duties is for the most part BACK BREAKING work, and you know it. I'm just being honest and saying I don't like it, and don't want to do it, at least in the capacity that I am doing it( for 6 pts).
With that said, I have a home health pt I do private duty for once every other weekend, pays great, the case requires skilled nursing care, and guess what else ADL's turning and things like that. I do it with no problem, its just me and 1 person to take care of. Not a whole floor. With just me doing all the "cna duites".
I love everyone's opinion and i think all for being honest and telling me how it is:yeah:
First of all it really sounds like you guys need some team work. tpc for 6 pts can be done and yes its tiring to do it all. The rn can also take people to he br, fill water pitchers ect. I wouldnt stay there if your not happy. If you don't feel that your giving your pts what they need.
GOMER42
310 Posts
wrong and elitist
It is not the patients' fault that there is no CNA, but it is your responsibility to fulfill their needs be it through LPN or CNA duties
Tell an interviewer that you don't want to do CNA duties and I can guarantee you won't be hired