Just need to vent.

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I'm a CNA in nursing school. I ALWAYS have 15-30 patients during my shift, which is rediculous and not safe, especially on an ICU cardiac stepdown unit where the patients are all high acuity.

Yesterday I spent 1 hour and 45 minutes in a room cleaning up a patient who was continuously pooping. (She was in her chair and had a liquid bowel movement. I got her cleaned up, sat her down, it happened again. Got her to the commode to "get it all out," got her cleaned up again. Transferred her to bed, she pooped as soon as she was situated. There was poop on the floor too so I had to clean that as well). This patient also refuses to move without max assist out of laziness (she makes her husband feed her and hold her cell phone while she talks on it...but if he's not there she'll do it herself. She is capable, she chooses to be "incapable").

So, during this time I am not answering my phone because I am in PPE and DEFINITELY have poop on my gloves. I am not going to stick my hand in my pocket to get my phone (which at this point is ringing nonstop, getting calls from both patients and nurses).

The nurse walks in while I have the patient on the commode and am getting her cleaned up and goes "Jeeze (my name) don't you ever answer your phone?"

I tell her I've been in the room for at least an hour now and she goes "oh. I believe it." And walks out.

Later I get a call from my charge nurse, she had one patient that day and I had 15. The patient we had together wanted to get to the commode every 15 minutes like clock work. She told me that she "has done it the past 6 times and I have yet to do it." I had gotten him to the commode. Just because you didn't SEE me do it doesn't mean I didn't do it...

She wrote me up for "ignoring" call lights. They wouldn't even look at my call light badge to prove I was in rooms helping patients the entire time. I feel like she wanted to write me up so bad because I was "making her do aid work."

I also tried to explain to her that if I were to have left the patient I was with to take her patient to the commode would have caused me to be written up anyways for knowingly leaving a patient in her own stool.

I don't know what this post was meant to be. I guess it's just a rant. I'm looking for a new job (I actually spend my lunch breaks filling out applications...) but I just haven't gotten any calls yet.

I'm just getting really discouraged about becoming a nurse and working in a hospital. I'm afraid I'll never get into a "good place" that actually gives a damn about both the patients and employees.

Any words of advice or encouragement are appreciated.

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I'm sorry about that just read your topic! I haven never worked at hospitals but I realize the huge responsibility a nurse gets through taking care of patients! My friend is a nurse and he everyday comes up with a new incident happens at the hospital where he works. I know sometimes an employer or a manager wouldn't consider an assistant or nurse's situation. My friend was suspended for 3 days off work once! All of that was cause he couldn't receive a patient to care cause there wasn't an open bed for him anyway that was back home in my country where I used to live lol. Take it easy on yourself and I believe a nurse is exposed to all types of torturing in their job. Just learn the every new day is a new life to live and enjoy. Being lectured for some that is not taken into consideration by your employer doesn't mean your wrong or you don't do good! Misunderstanding and miscommunication I would name. Be proud of yourself cause you just do good :)

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I'm a CNA in nursing school. I ALWAYS have 15-30 patients during my shift, which is rediculous and not safe, especially on an ICU cardiac stepdown unit where the patients are all high acuity.

Yesterday I spent 1 hour and 45 minutes in a room cleaning up a patient who was continuously pooping. (She was in her chair and had a liquid bowel movement. I got her cleaned up, sat her down, it happened again. Got her to the commode to "get it all out," got her cleaned up again. Transferred her to bed, she pooped as soon as she was situated. There was poop on the floor too so I had to clean that as well). This patient also refuses to move without max assist out of laziness (she makes her husband feed her and hold her cell phone while she talks on it...but if he's not there she'll do it herself. She is capable, she chooses to be "incapable").

So, during this time I am not answering my phone because I am in PPE and DEFINITELY have poop on my gloves. I am not going to stick my hand in my pocket to get my phone (which at this point is ringing nonstop, getting calls from both patients and nurses).

The nurse walks in while I have the patient on the commode and am getting her cleaned up and goes "Jeeze (my name) don't you ever answer your phone?"

I tell her I've been in the room for at least an hour now and she goes "oh. I believe it." And walks out.

Later I get a call from my charge nurse, she had one patient that day and I had 15. The patient we had together wanted to get to the commode every 15 minutes like clock work. She told me that she "has done it the past 6 times and I have yet to do it." I had gotten him to the commode. Just because you didn't SEE me do it doesn't mean I didn't do it...

She wrote me up for "ignoring" call lights. They wouldn't even look at my call light badge to prove I was in rooms helping patients the entire time. I feel like she wanted to write me up so bad because I was "making her do aid work."

I also tried to explain to her that if I were to have left the patient I was with to take her patient to the commode would have caused me to be written up anyways for knowingly leaving a patient in her own stool.

I don't know what this post was meant to be. I guess it's just a rant. I'm looking for a new job (I actually spend my lunch breaks filling out applications...) but I just haven't gotten any calls yet.

I'm just getting really discouraged about becoming a nurse and working in a hospital. I'm afraid I'll never get into a "good place" that actually gives a damn about both the patients and employees.

Any words of advice or encouragement are appreciated.

To be honest, I have learned not to stay in a patients room longer than a few minutes, or as long as it takes to get them 'cleaned up'.....once. If nurses or administrators don't see that you have a lot of work to do and ARE doing the best you can. then initiate the write up. then you get fired for doing your best.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I'm sorry you had such a horrible shift. I think it may have helped if you communicated with the charge nurse before an hour & 45 minutes passed by with the one patient-- though they sound like they wouldn't have offered you help in any case.

Yes, there are good places out there. If nursing is what you want to do, you can find a facility that shares your values, you just need to be persistent.

Best wishes to you!

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Specializes in Certified Vampire and Part-time Nursing Student.

This sucks, it sounds like your manager is mad that you can't be everywhere and do anything while being severely understaffed. It's really a no win situation for you. Tell her as professionally as you can that nothing will change if you continue to have this many patients at once. Other than that there's nothing else you can do besides finding another job.

Also this sounds like it might be a bad idea for you since your manager seems to dislike you but whenever I have someone who is constantly with diarrhea, you aren't required to change them every time they squirt a tiny bit, our facilities policy is every two hours. Same with the lady going to the bathroom every 15 min. What I do is when this happens I just report to the nurse "Mrs X is asking to go to the bathroom again but I just took for 5 minutes ago. Right now I am busy with Mr Y and I will help her when I'm finished with him." Then you can go and take care of the people that you would be neglecting if you were actually taking this lady every 15 minutes to the bathroom without getting in trouble with management. Basically if they just used the bathroom, they are now at the bottom of the queue until you see to all the other patient's needs if they have any.

Maybe that's harsh but ain't nobody got time for call-light abusers, sometimes being a compassionate CNA is not taking Mrs X to the bathroom for the 5th time in the past two hours because she really wants attention and instead providing incontinence care to your total care patient who is unable to use their call light :up:

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

I'm sorry to hear all of that. 15-30 patients is beyond overwhelming for a CNA who actually has to give direct patient care. For patients that are challenging, you should possibly get help and let someone know you are in there. Another important thing to do is to set boundaries with patients; some will test you to see how far they can go with you. Are there other CNAs on the floor with you? There should be some teamwork in motion because 45 minutes is a long time to assist one patient.

Since you're in nursing school, it's best to limit stressful situations and if you can't resolve the issues at work then it's a good idea to look somewhere else.

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