Cna incident investigation

[Nnb07]

I need some advice on what will happen to me. I am a cna and recently I was involved with an incident that resulted in the resident falling from the stand up lift and breaking her hip. I was helping an aide transfer a resident from the chair to the bed and when the resident was standing up in the lift, I asked the aide if it was ok for me to go on break and she said yes. I left before the resident was transferred in bed and she was still standing. When I came back from break she told me the resident fell from the lift when I wasn't there.

The facility sent the information to the attorney general and department of health for nys.

I was suspended from work and I understand I am in big trouble but does anyone know the process or what will happen? Will I lose my certification and can I continue nursing school?

I know now I shouldnt have left and I really regret it and I'm so upset that the patient fell I feel so bad. But I don't know what to do and I can't stop thinking about this. Does anyone have any advice or information on what will happen?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Several posts have been removed. Please be aware that anything you post on the internet is discoverable in court. We advise people NOT to post about any possible litigation or litigation in progress.

[OpinionatedCNA, CNA]

That must suck, I don't know about OP's facility but all mechanical lifts requires 2 people in most facilities... except we're so short staffed that most aides don't do that and management doesn't care, UNTIL someone falls and then it's all your fault. Personally I want to move on from this job without a mark on my employment so I've decided that I will always wait the extra 20, 30 minutes to find someone to "help" (aka watch me while I do all the work because it doesn't take two to safely use a lift) me put a resident to bed. If the patients / patients families complain about how long it takes it's not my problem for following the facilities rules to ensure patient safety

Honestly unless the pt is 300+ pounds there's really no reason why two people are needed. Just another person to stand around and watch the resident fall if they're going too. You can do a billion things to prevent falls but if they're already falling I'm not breaking my back trying to be the hero.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Honestly unless the pt is 300+ pounds there's really no reason why two people are needed. Just another person to stand around and watch the resident fall if they're going too. You can do a billion things to prevent falls but if they're already falling I'm not breaking my back trying to be the hero.

There could certainly be reasons why a patient who is not 300 lbs might still need the help of more than one person operating the lift.

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

Very slippery slope

With rather careless actions

The ball will fall where it will....

You really don't want my actions as former DON in several LTC/SNF...

Best wishes..."

I will say positive I have always learned best from any mistake I may have made....

[peachtreednurse, RN]

WHAAT?? OMG!!! If the woman was capable of standing, why was a lift utilized, was a lift ordered for transfer? why not toilet her or use the bedside commode or an incontinence pad over the clean linen and place the lift over the softer surface, at a manageable height?

In my opinion, you should not be on the carpet alone. The other aid shares responsibility, especially if there was a break from the mobility allowed or ordered by the physician.

I imagine that the woman's mental status, physical impairments, expectation for rehab/ maintenance of mobility and detriment at this juncture will play into the overall scenario.

The best that could happen is that you won't leave a situation that can so easily turn bad. Even with the most diligent efforts falls occur, along with med errors, surgical mistakes, misdiagnoses, etc.

I suppose that is the reason for cliches like, "an ounce of prevention..."

[klicurn]

most facilities have a policy about requiring 2 competencies staff to be present when using a lift. if this is your policy, it really doesn't lookk good (doesnt look good in general to be hones, but especially if this is the case.) you arw legally entitled to your break. you can't put patients in danger to go wat a sandwich, you need to talk to whoever is in charge and say i have a few more tasks, i will need to adjust my break time. any manager/charge nurse who cares about patient safety will work something out with you

[Possum_RN]

I'm not sure if this has been hashed out yet (read three comment pages deep, then skipped), but I'm wondering something: in the facility I worked at, an automated sit-to-stand was a two person lift. A "stand assist" had no automated parts and was the one lift that was a one-person stand. It was often used to change a resident, and that was not a misuse of the equipment, as long as the resident was cleared to use it from PT. The two terms were used interchangeably, however. What exactly was this patient on?

The details are fuzzy to me as I was not involved, but I knew of a CNA at my facility who was under investigation for a fall, who apparently hired an attorney who saved her butt by proving that the facility did not properly train the CNA to use the lift she was using at the time of the fall (we had three different models of lift, and it was not noted which lift model we were signed off on during our annual training). It sounds like an attorney may be in order for the OP.

To those nurses chastising the OP, I just want to say that I had a reputation for being a 'slow', even at times a 'lazy' CNA....because I insisted on using lifts as indicated (and didn't take part in other shortcuts). If it was a two-person, I was not going to do it alone, or leave to begin another task. I got a lot of flack for it, as it was noted that I could not get as many residents up in the mornings as other CNA's could. It's a difficult situation for CNA's: risk having an accident and be renowned as an effect worker...or stay safe, but have a more stressful work life as a result. Work culture for CNAs often encourages risky short-cuts. I encourage any nurses in LTC to actually supervise their CNAs and check that short-cuts are not part of the culture, if this upsets you.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

WHAAT?? OMG!!! If the woman was capable of standing, why was a lift utilized, was a lift ordered for transfer? why not toilet her or use the bedside commode or an incontinence pad over the clean linen and place the lift over the softer surface, at a manageable height?

A sit-to-stand lift can be used for people who can bear weight but are difficult to get to a standing position and/or who can bear weight but aren't steady with ambulation.

If you look at this post earlier in the thread, you'll see some videos of a sit-to-stand lift versus a Hoyer-type lift.

[Aunt Slappy]

It's a difficult situation for CNA's: risk having an accident and be renowned as an effect worker...or stay safe, but have a more stressful work life as a result. Work culture for CNAs often encourages risky short-cuts. I encourage any nurses in LTC to actually supervise their CNAs and check that short-cuts are not part of the culture, if this upsets you.

Absolute truth here. If you cut corners and are fast, you're a "good" CNA. If you're perceived as too slow even if your reasons are good ones, you're a "bad" CNA.

[Possum_RN]

A sit-to-stand lift can be used for people who can bear weight but are difficult to get to a standing position and/or who can bear weight but aren't steady with ambulation.

If you look at this post earlier in the thread, you'll see some videos of a sit-to-stand lift versus a Hoyer-type lift.

Ah, yes, I'm familiar with those two lifts. I was referring to an assist-to-stand, which looks like this:

It has no automated parts, and thus, in my facility it could be operated by one CNA without a spotter. Since the OP mentioned they asked the patient if they were ok, I thought perhaps they were referring tho this type of lift. I'm not sure though.

*Edit* whoops, Brillo, I thought you were replying to me, my bad! Guess you can't delete a post...?

[peachtreednurse, RN]

A sit-to-stand lift can be used for people who can bear weight but are difficult to get to a standing position and/or who can bear weight but aren't steady with ambulation.

If you look at this post earlier in the thread, you'll see some videos of a sit-to-stand lift versus a Hoyer-type lift.

For the sake of brevity I wondered if it may have been as a "quick-change" attempt more than a "mobility" need. I really don't believe the type of lift used was specified in the initial post. In any case, the cause and affect to the woman that sustained the fractured hip, was of more concern to both the poster and responder, at that time. I am aware of the assistive devices and know that the least required for safety and maintaining strength and independence, enter into the plan of care. But, thank you for the input...

[Possum_RN]

I have never worked in a hospital that required two persons to use a lift, for those that have, what does the second person do?

Sorry to spam-post, but I didn't feel like this question was properly addressed. The first person operates the lift controls and pushes the patient. The second person spots. This may seem like a silly waste of personnel, but at my facility, we used a hoyer that really let those patients swing! The second person held the patient steady, and made sure their head did not bang the large metal bar as they were positioned. You also made sure a fidgety patient didn't reach up to mess with straps that could pinch them as they were being lifted of lowered. On an assist-to-stand, the second person again watched the straps, and the feet to make sure the patient kept their feet flat and on the platform.

Basically, the first person watches the lift, the second person watches the patient.