Can You Lose Your CNA License for Job Abandonment?

Nursing Students CNA/MA Nursing Q/A

I work in med-surg telemetry with 24 patients. Usually the floor is staffed with 4 nurses and 2 tech. Our unit is super busy considering that we are on surgical floor. On top of that we had 400 lbs patient who required 6 -7 people to turn for dressing change.

I was working on my third day when we were short staffed. The minute I found out I was the only tech for 24 pt I walked out and stated that I was quitting.

First, I was worried for my safety. Am I going to function well knowing that I have 24 patients? This is also not the first time this has happened. Not sure how they pass with the Joint Commission.

My manager told me I could lose my CNA license for job abandonment. Is this true?

17 Answers

Patient abandonment perhaps, job abandonment no. Depends upon whether or not you left the job before or after accepting your assignment. Could be a fine line here. Best to seek the advice of an employment attorney should you be notified of Board action.

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

If you clocked in for your shift, then yes, technically you walked out on your job and can be fired. Often facilities will report this to the Board of Nursing as well. I'm sorry, but the BON takes these matters very seriously and you may face sanctions if your manager does report you.

In the future---assuming you keep your certification---if you feel an assignment is unsafe, TELL YOUR MANAGER. Don't just throw up your hands and quit. Not only will you be ineligible for rehire, but word gets around and it may be difficult, if not impossible, to find another job. Best of luck.

Since you were not ultimately responsible for the patients as an assistant, I don't see how this is abandonment. It is quitting without notice, though, and it does look bad.

I'm under the impression that CNAs don't have an actual "license", but I could be wrong...

It might have been better to do the best you could do under the circumstances and put in your two weeks notice after finding a new job.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Pangea Reunited said:
I'm under the impression that CNAs don't have an actual "license", but I could be wrong...

In some states, such as New Hampshire, CNAs have occupational licensure and are called licensed nursing assistants (LNAs).

As others have said, if you clocked in even if you hadn't taken report they can report you for abandonment and you can loose your license/certification.

Yes, you can. It is considered abandonment by law.

Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

Like the above poster said, it depends on whether you had accepted the assignment or not. It sounds like you didn't accept the assignment, because you left upon finding out that you were alone.

Had the other CNA left already? Did you inform someone you were leaving? They can take your certification away for abandonment, yes.

However, even if they HAD left, it's not really abandonment unless you didn't inform the nurses you were leaving, because ultimately they're the ones who are responsible for the patients. It can also be abandonment if there weren't enough nurses/aides to care for the patients based on any state ratio law.

i think a better way to have handled it would have been to call your supervisor, explain the situation and use the words "Not safe", etc.

newboy said:
CNAs have a license?

Like others have stated, if you signed/clocked in, it can be considered patient abandonment. In these cases, it is best to do your shift and then simply quit afterwards.

Well in my state we are licensed and have to renew our license every two years. However it is my understanding that if you accepted a patient then it would be patient abandonment.

I've heard two different scenarios when it comes to abandonment. I've heard that you have to actually accept the assignment and then I've heard once you've clocked in, if you leave then it's abandonment. I'm thinking that unfortunately the clocking in thing could be correct, since in some facilities if the next shift doesn't show up they can legally tell you that you have to stay or they can report you for patient abandonment if you do not stay as instructed (this was at a nursing facility-if nobody showed up and everyone wanted to leave then the residents would be left unattended if this wasn't enforced. I'm not sure if the same is for CNAs in a hospital environment). Personally, when I was an aide, I would have killed for that ratio. (I would have killed for only six patients primary care as a nurse when I was in the hospital). I'm hoping that things have gotten better and this is an accurate portrayal of what is common practice now (left hospital setting in 2009) as the patients deserve better care than they can get with staffing that is spread too thin. Not to mention it's a safety issue.

If you make an agreement over the phone with a staffing over the phone and you go to an assignment at a facility. But when you get there, they tell you you need a sign on to see patients, and you do not have that sign on. You continue to ask for assistance at this facility but the nurse tells you it is not their responsibility to help they refer you to another cna who tells you to ask a nurse and you continue to get the same runaround, thing is i forgot my cell phone at home and could not find it after looking for it, could not contact the staffing agency cause they deal only with texting and regular mail. They in turn tell you they will report you. But how??

Specializes in education,LTC, orthopedics, LTACH.

I would really like to see the actual "law" or an example as otherwise it's lip service IMO

Patient abandoment. Yes, you can lose your license over this.

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