New cna cert being threatened

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Hello. I am an new cna. I've been employed with a company now for 7 weeks. I'm absolutely disgusted with the facility. My 10 days of training was with 6 different people, there are issues with infectious control, small town type of place, lots of young cans and drama to go with it. Hardly team players and people willing to help other staff members including the nurses. The list goes on and on. So here I am still with in my 90 days. Here's my situation. 2 weeks into employment I had to call out due to stomach virus. 3 weeks later another call out due to sinus infection. Now this week I had a procedure done at ER. I had a boil lanced due to a clogged sweat glad in ground area due to working and not getting proper breaks. I had a docs note for 2 days. I also had doc notes for other days I had to call out. Now with the issues I stated above with the facility I had a meeting with the DOR, expressing my concerns. The conversation was VERY unprofessional and nothing was resolved. Back to now. I had a no call no show due to the meds I was on (slept for 12 hrs). I spoke w the bosses and cleared it. Now next scheduled day of work my sitter cancelled. I contacted management and expressed what was going on. ( 2 weeks prior I put in a request for a shift change due to inadequate child care). This became a problem. I was not calling out of work but to simply keep them in the same page. The facility already is short handed and people are leaving due to being mistreated. Now I spoke to the DOR, via cell mind you, calling me questioning what was going on and accusing me and threatened me with resident abandonment, if I didn't show up for work. DOR stated that if I didn't go in I could have my certificate challenged and report abandonment. I expressed my I would not put my children at any risk for them. I have been looking for other employment that would better suit my time frames of working however I don't wish to go back to the facility after being threatened and the DOR thinking I'm foolish enough to think what she said is true. It was more of blackmailing. Abandonment is when I accept an assisngment and leave on the job etc. I did go in after finding a sitter after 2 hours. Again I don't wish to return to work for such a low set company. Any suggestions????

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Tell them you are quitting, as you do not feel you can adequately fulfill the duties of the position. Ask if they want you to work out your two week notice, or would they rather you left immediately as you are still on probation.

This puts the onus on you rather than them being able to accuse you of anything. It is the simple truth, you cannot do what they are asking you to do.

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I am scheduled to work the next 2 days and pending a background check and future drug test have 2 other offers on the table, projects start date on 15th of feb. So work isn't an issue. However the DOR know each other. So again blackmailing in the works. I am fresh cna so I feel like that was taken as I don't know anything with the threat when in hindsight they are clearly desperate for help, however I can leave at any point, with no notice, legally within my 90 days as well as them. I don't have to give a reason being an employee at will. I do know the laws and I don't take threats lightly expessioally when I put in the request for shift change 2 weeks ago. EVERY text convo I have is saved. I will not put up with this type of conduct.

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I'm just not sure what the best route in how to approach this is. I have no problem with speaking with who I need to, I was a manager for a long time previously. So yes I know laws and rights of employees etc. however it's not my problem or my job to be responsible for the short staffing issues. I also am 4 days out from the procedure on antibiotics and working w residents that are ill with similar infections. That is a huge concern for me.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

All other issues aside you sound very unreliable. Seriously calling out for a sinus infection, lack of child care and oversleeping as a new employee? I'm not sure they have anything to report you to the board for but I can't imagine they won't or didn't fire you. I hope going forward you are able to reflect back and make appropriate arrangements to show up for work when you are scheduled.

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I have to agree with above comment. You sound very unreliable and called off a lot and had a no call/no show in a short period of time. I would definately work on making sure you have adequate child care at next position.

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It sounds like you have already made up your mind.

Give your notice and quit.

In the future, try to be more reliable. Set 2 clocks to wake you if you are sleeping and sick.

I hope your kids were ok in those 12 hours.

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

Give your resignation notice before you are fired. Be professional and thank them for the opportunity. Do not burn any bridges. Do not list this employer on your resume or as a reference.

In the future, recognize that excessive absences are grounds for termination- excused by a doctor or not. You stated that the facility's short staffing is not your concern. Well, your child care is not your employer's concern. Neither is your medical state, provided you are not a danger to patients (and being on antibiotics, with a wound that is properly dressed and covered by clothing is not a risk to patients).

You committed to reporting to work for your assigned shift, and it's your responsibility to take care of personal matters so that you can be there. You're going to be hard pressed to find an employer who is sympathetic to the unreliable child care plight of an employee who was already calling out nearly once per week. Maybe these call outs were the result of a series of unfortunate coincidences and is not representative of your reliability as an employee, but the facility doesn't know that. All they see is someone who continually fails to report to work as scheduled. I hope that your health fairs better in your first weeks at your new job. Good luck.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Moved to the CNA forum.

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Hi, yes I understand and can agree with everyone's prospective. I got sick from working. I also asked them where they stood and mentioned due to what had been going on, where we stood, that I didn't want to carry on working there and it wasn't fair for either party with how things were happening for me. I didn't get a response. The stomache virus and "flu" like cold that circulated into a sinus infection for me. I wasn't the only who who was sick during those times. So be mindful of that. My kids were fine they were will a friend who was babysitting that day (I went to take a nap before I had to work). I absolutely agree that it looks horrible but ive been able to verify everything for them. I'm not arguing the factor here. The true issue is I gave them 2 wk notice of my child care and it hasn't been addressed as of yet. Yes it takes time but I'm in a position where I don't have resources at my finger tips. Afa abandonment yes committing to the job is one thing, abandonment is considered when you are at work and walk off the job or such. which I would never do and this isn't a situation like that. I didn't appreciate the manner in which it was handled and it wasn't professional, after them being well aware of notice for a shift change. I have faults yep, the facility had faults absolutely. There issues aren't mine and my childcare isn't theirs, however meeting in the middle hasn't happened. If they things are to far gone then it's time to agree to cut ties and go our separate ways and be communicating of it.

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I had a boil lanced due to a clogged sweat glad in ground area due to working and not getting proper breaks.

Hi, yes I understand and can agree with everyone's prospective. I got sick from working. I also asked them where they stood and mentioned due to what had been going on, where we stood, that I didn't want to carry on working there and it wasn't fair for either party with how things were happening for me. I didn't get a response. The stomache virus and "flu" like cold that circulated into a sinus infection for me. I wasn't the only who who was sick during those times. So be mindful of that. My kids were fine they were will a friend who was babysitting that day (I went to take a nap before I had to work). I absolutely agree that it looks horrible but ive been able to verify everything for them. I'm not arguing the factor here. The true issue is I gave them 2 wk notice of my child care and it hasn't been addressed as of yet. Yes it takes time but I'm in a position where I don't have resources at my finger tips. Afa abandonment yes committing to the job is one thing, abandonment is considered when you are at work and walk off the job or such. which I would never do and this isn't a situation like that. I didn't appreciate the manner in which it was handled and it wasn't professional, after them being well aware of notice for a shift change. I have faults yep, the facility had faults absolutely. There issues aren't mine and my childcare isn't theirs, however meeting in the middle hasn't happened. If they things are to far gone then it's time to agree to cut ties and go our separate ways and be communicating of it.

I'm not sure what your "ground area" is, but work environments don't create clogged sweat glands, and if you meant groin, that's even more so not related to work.

It may not be an ideal work environment but you still aren't taking responsibility for your own actions. Your childcare is no employer's responsibility. I sympathize as a person, and it's nice if an employer tries to help you switch days, but they didn't create that problem and it's not their job to "meet you in the middle" when you can't work your assigned days. It may not be patient abandonment, but it most certainly IS an unexcused absence after a long string of other absences. In most of the jobs I've worked, you'd be fired for a string of absences in your first 90 days, regardless of the reason.

Cut your losses, take one of your new job offers, and do better next time.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
I am scheduled to work the next 2 days and pending a background check and future drug test have 2 other offers on the table, projects start date on 15th of feb. So work isn't an issue. However the DOR know each other. So again blackmailing in the works. I am fresh cna so I feel like that was taken as I don't know anything with the threat when in hindsight they are clearly desperate for help, however I can leave at any point, with no notice, legally within my 90 days as well as them. I don't have to give a reason being an employee at will. I do know the laws and I don't take threats lightly expessioally when I put in the request for shift change 2 weeks ago. EVERY text convo I have is saved. I will not put up with this type of conduct.

Just because you requested a shift change two weeks ago does not mean your employer is obligated to grant your request...that is why it is called a request. As others have stated, there is a lot of reliability issues on your end that hopefully you are able to reflect on and accept accountability and responsibility for.

Good luck.

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