Can anyone make sense of this? Vent

Nurses Activism

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I was employed at a ''family run'', ''for profit'' nursing home, for eight years. During those eight years I faced many challenges.

Now by family run, I refer to the fact that family decided whether or not their abusive loved one could receive medication, they even determined what slings/lifts we, cna's/psw's were to use.

I repeatedly got into ''trouble'' for refusing to two person lift residents,that clearly needed to be a mechanical lift. The family was in denial of the deterioration of mother/wife, convinced that she could still ''bear weight'

I refused to tilt a wheelchair up in the air for a morbidly obese resident,to sit, so that she could get her butt all the way back (the chair was far too small, yet her family refused to buy a new one)

The mantra was..''it is their home, they can do what they want'', which included urinating down furnace vents, defecating in chairs, walkers, floors

I was ordered to use broken slings, unsafe equipment

Many times I was injured by abusive residents, I filled out incident reports, and nothing got done..I was told that I didn't know how to do my job. Other girls were getting punched, etc, but they didnt report it, for fear of losing their jobs. Is there something that I am missing here?

Things came to a head when I reported to admin what a resident said to me and I was subsequently called ''a liar'' ..among other damaging insults, which included ''you haven't fit in for a long time', ''no one likes you'', ''you have no friends'

I quit

I needed to get this out. I have held it in for too long, on the upswing I have an upcoming interview for home health...

Are these normal situations in ltc?

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Wow! I don't know if this is the "norm" for profit LTC, but I just wanted to say that I'm so glad you got out of there!

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Thank you NightNurse. I am now simply recovering from ptsd, I believe..

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Not the norm based on any LTC I've ever worked in (4 as a CNA, 1 as an RN...plus I've had elderly relatives in 3 more).

Yes there is more now in favor of residents' rights which is a good thing. But that doesn't include the right to be lifted by staff when the safe thing is a mechanical lift. YOU have the right to protect YOUR back.

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I can't believe you lasted 8 years. I certainly would not have. Hope you have better luck in the future.

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Luckily this is now a non issue with me now. I believe in residents rights as well, but not at the expense of psw/cna rights...wait..did I even have rights?

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Luckily this is now a non issue with me now. I believe in residents rights as well, but not at the expense of psw/cna rights...wait..did I even have rights?

Exactly! I'm sure it is hard for families to see their loved one in such a way that they need the mechanical lift etc., but that's reality. You can't risk injury to yourself. Plus you are risking injury to the residents by doing transfers that the staff are physically incapable of doing.

Glad you're outta there!

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I stood my ground over the years, as painful as it was. I even got reported for hearsay, that apparently I said six months prior, which I have no recollection of ever saying, nor would I ever say..write ups here, three day suspensions there...all the while trying to maintain my sanity for doing my job correctly, as a new grad out of school. I didn't apply anywhere else, as I was young and naive and believed the DOC when she said ''no one would ever hire you'' . Needless to say I experienced a low self esteem, but have since reclaimed it, and myself, while out of work, temporarily

I do have a question, however, how do I explain to future employers why I up and quit after eight years without making my former place of employment look bad? This is the tricky part

Thank you for your support..I really need it

:)

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

"After working there for 8 years, I decided I needed a change of environment, and am looking for new opportunities"

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Mar 11 by [COLOR=#003366]MrChicagoRN "After working there for 8 years, I decided I needed a change of environment, and am looking for new opportunities

Thank you Mr.ChicagoRN

That is a perfect response!

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This is not supposed to be the norm. It is quite a sick situation. Glad you got out of there, but I would report this "family run home" to the state Elder Affairs.

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Thank you DragonPurr. I am still not working, however, I feel so much better, more myself. I am considering my options very carefully, as I never want to be in such a horrid situation again

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