CNA is always "sick"

[freewmnheidi]

What would you do if you found yourself working with a partner who is coming to work "sick" all of the time? When I say sick I mean self induced sickness from the night before. I work on a unit with 35 to 40 residents, and it is hard enough as it is and this girl has been put with me as a last stop. For the last three Sundays (we have every other weekend off) in a row i watched her come in all hung over and i mean no sleep. I really don't like to have to tell on other cna's but I could not take it plus the other girls on the floor said this has been happening more and more. We did talk to the DON, and after all of our statements were turned in they gave her three days suspension. I feel bad for her because i know what drug and alcohol use look like and when she is not hung over, she is a really good CNA. One of my best experiences as a CNA was with her. She has been at the facility I work at for 7 years. But still when you have peoples lives in your hands you can't be doing that. Its a danger to the residents, herself, her partners.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

We have someone like that, but I hardly ever have to work with her (thankfully, our schedules are very different). I know how annoying it is though because when I do have to work with her she slacks off all day and it's almost less of a hassle just to ask other people for help with transfers. Then again I work with plenty of people who are useless even without a hangover, lol.

I've said to her, "I don't know how you can do this to yourself. I never go out the night before I have to work because I *know* I'll be miserable the next day. How do you have a good time knowing you have to work in the morning?" I didn't say it be argumentative; my tone was more like, "OMG!! LOL!!!!" if you know what I mean. Of course this had no effect because even when she's not hungover she's kind of lazy. If this CNA is a good worker when she's feeling well, then maybe something like that would wake her up a little- perhaps she doesn't realize how bad she is.

If you've already gone to the DON with other people and she's been suspended, then I think the only thing to do is ask whoever is responsible for the schedule not to place you with her all the time.

[Poi Dog]

I have no sympathy for your coworker. She is an adult and is making the decision to do whatever she does. I would rather go play in a sewer than work with someone who is not at full capacity. *runs off to play in a sewer*

I wish we could pick our coworkers.

**Color me unsympathetic**

[CoffeemateCNA]

It's probably wrong of me to say this, but I used to work with a girl that was drunk 24/7 and she was the funnest person to work with. Ever. I don't know if it was just her personality or the Jack Daniels. I was really sad when she eventually quit (while surprised at the same time that she was never terminated).

[freewmnheidi]

Well the night before i had to work with her, I also stayed over and didn't get relieved at 6pm like i was promised ,it was more like 8:30 pm. So i worked 14 and 1/2 hours on sat and had to be back in at 6am to deal with her:( To put it bluntly, when i saw her in the shower room crying I wanted to smack her straight in the mouth.....I hate that i felt like that.

[LaterAlligator]

I have one coworker that's probably an alcoholic but she's still fun to work with. If someone never pulls their weight, they've gotta be pretty dang charming and funny to make up for it! The only coworker I hate being scheduled with is not only slow & inept but a total mopey-sad-sack on top of it.

[2ndyearstudent, CNA]

If I was the charge nurse, I would send her (or anyone else that looked like they had been up all night partying) for drug screening. If she has any ETOH in her system, she is a danger to patients, herself, her coworkers and the facility.

Even if she ended up with zero alcohol, she and everyone else in that facility would get put on notice in a hurry that partying all night before a shift is a BAD idea.

[caliotter3]

I used to get paired with a lazy, obnoxious CNA who had been fired twice for, in part, his bad habit of smoking pot at work. Finally, one night I had had too much. I gave the charge nurse a piece of my mind and told her I refused to work with that person again. If you don't want to work with her, tell your supervisors not to pair you with her.