Bad experience... help?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

Specializes in Cardiac/Stepdown, Rehab.

Hi everyone! I hope that someone might be able to offer me some insight...

I left my job in human services because I decided that I wanted to attend nursing school (RN). I am taking pre-reqs now and thought that it would be a great idea to get experience as a CNA. Well, I saw an advertisement for nursing assistants (not certified) in LTC, so I brought in an application. I was pretty much hired on the spot, not interviewed, etc. I did have the PPD test done and had the background checks completed... but I had a bad feeling about just walking in and being hired like that.

I went in for my first day of "orientation" last night and it was terrible. The facility is going through administration changes and it seemed very disorganized. The med tech who was in charge of everything (who I barely saw all shift) was very rude to the nursing assistants and expected me to do just "jump in." This person spent their time gossiping and using very foul language in front of the residents. They made the residents get out of bed to sit at a table an hour before the food was served, and would not let them go back to their rooms until after they got their medication (but the Med Tech was busy talking instead of administering meds). I also witnessed the nursing assistants using poor hygiene with the residents (not changing gloves between changing patients, washing the women from "back to front," etc).

I finished my shift last night and will not be going back. I've been very upset about the care of the residents and am trying to figure out what to do next. I can't commit to a CNA course because of my school schedule...

Am I right to leave? Am I just not cut out for this stuff? Should I try another facility?

I'd really appreciate any input...:o

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Try another facility. Not all are like that. I'm wondering why this facility hires non-certified CNAs? To me, that was a red flag. Other things to ask when interviewed:

1. How many CNAs do have on staff that have been here more than 2 years? Don't ask the general "how's turnover?" because you will get the equally general "things are wonderful here."

2. How many RNs and LPNs do you staff on each shift? For how many residents?

3. How many shifts for orientation? Will I be counted as STAFF from the beginning? If so, this is another red flag.

Hope this helps a little...sorry you had such a bad experience but I feel equally bad for those residents.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Stepdown, Rehab.

Thank you for your reply! I will definitely ask those questions next time. My heart goes out to those residents... I really hope that with the change in administration, something will be done about how they are treated...:madface:

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Ouch. What an awful experience.

Don't second-guess yourself that you're not "cut out" for this. You were plopped into the middle of a bad situation.

CNA certification generally isn't terribly demanding either of time of of $$. It may not be free, but the hands on training of a decent program through a community college or tech school may very well be worth it.

Good luck. Best wishes to you, and keep us posted!

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Specializes in Cardiac/Stepdown, Rehab.

Thank you I will be shadowing an RN in another facility, and am trying to find a CNA course in my area that won't interfere with my classes...

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"Am I right to leave? Am I just not cut out for this stuff? Should I try another facility?"

PLEASE PLEASE don't give up on getting experience as a CNA, just go to another facility. The one obviously is horrendious conditions (you run into many levels of these conditions almost everywhere). You are cut out for this because you saw right through all the horrible care (okay NOT care) by every employee there. Please keep pushing through and try another facility. LTC's I have worked at (if you're not cert. yet) give 4 months or so to get your cert.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Geri.

Find what state agency that monitors LTC facilities in your state and report just what you experienced. It sounds like a number of Residents Rights are be violated and need to be addressed. They will not devulge you name to the facility. Please.....Do it soon!!!

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Specializes in ICU. Med/Surg: Ortho, Neuro, & Cardiac.

Sorry that you had that experience!

I'm not like a lot of other people that I work with to where I get pissed off at the smallest things, but it REALLY PUSHES MY BUTTONS when patients (residents, in your case) receive that kind of care--or lack thereof.

I think you are totally right for not going back to that facility, maybe it will show them that something just isn't right. And I hope a lot of others do the exact same thing until they get the big picture. Above all, I hope that the facility gets their act together and starts treating residents right. If I were you, I might even report what you saw to whoever handles to the appropriate board or agency for your location.

I agree with the rest, don't let this discourage you. Try for other places. And most definitely try to earn your CNA license if possible...yeah, most of what you need to know can't be taught in a class, but it definitely helps to have the basics down.

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I agree that you should go to another place but do not expect to find conditions to be very much better. You might find a facility where a better effort is being made to take good care of the residents, yet again, you might find a place that is just as bad, if not worse, than the first one. I hope you can find a CNA course to fit around your schedule. That would be helpful for you. If you do start over in a new facility and decide to stay, just don't let anyone else's poor practices or poor attitude to bring you down. Yes, it is quite possible to find out that you are the only person on your shift who makes an effort. That should give you more impetus to finish your nursing program so that you can impact a workplace by properly supervising your assistants. We all have to remember that a good portion of the reason that the assistants conduct themselves this way at the first facility is because they are getting no or poor supervision. That is the fault of the nurses. Good luck.

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