Cna Mad About Write Up Now Making Allegations!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hello,

I recently had to write my cna's up because it was near lunch time for the residents and they all were in the dining room sitting down. I was at the nursing station when I heard one of my bed alarms go off. I went down the hall running (literally) because I didnt need anybody to fall. Where I am employed if someone falls we have to come to work on friday which is my day off and meet with the falls prevention team at 2 pm. Anyways so while I am down the hall I have two call lights going off also so I am running to answer all. Now after all that confusion I go look for my cnas nobody is on the hall just to find out they are in the dining room sitting down congregating. I say"Nobodys on the hall. I need someone on the hall." They look at me crazy and continue to sit their. I then went and got my supervisor. Who went to the dining room and it took her a few minutes then they came to the hall. She infact told me to write them up and I did. Well after that all h%$ broke loose. We brought each of them in one by one. And they were mad. When we were done the male cna got up in my face as I was coming out of the office and yelled at me in the hall "I don't appreciate what you did. You did not have to tell the supervisor."(Really he said her name but I won't list them here.)He would not even let me get a word in edge wise and then told me as he walked off "You americans are always trying to document something." What does he mean by that I am asking you? Animosity was brewing they had went to all cnas in building and told of course their side of the story. I then at my cart heard one the cnas say. "Well you know what you have to do about that? Get them after work when they want to get you in trouble." Now is it me or is that intimidating. I then contacted my D.O.N.

(Continued) I told the D.O.N. This is enough I am tired of being treated like this. Tired of them direspecting me. When I ask Them to do something They will not ,the list just goes on and on. I have been dealing with the attitude for six months. They want to tell me what to do not vice versa. And I have also been dealing with "you americans are lazy!" it is always this american this or that I told my supervisor I cannot help it I am from The U.S. To make a long story short next they said they wanted to talk to the D.O.N my supervsor asked them Me not around about what? They told her "I can't say right now I have alot to say I want to say it at one time." Now little did I know that it would get worse before it got better. By the end of the shift. One of them had walked up to my cart and stated "That is why I like my country. You americans are liars what I would do to you If we were not in this building." She then went picked a piece a paper up by the nursing station and walked down the hall. I then went to tell my supervisor that she was threatening me. Then the D.O.N called the D.O.N Evidently told her to tell the cna to clock out and go home. And if she did'nt leave they would have the police escort her off the property. Now This was a sunday keep in mind I only work weekends. When the next saturday came they were all quiet. Sunday came and my supervisor told me the D.O.N had told her they had made allegations against me well only two of the three. I asked her allegations about what? She said they stated I make them do treatments. Give residents medicine and that I told them If someone falls on the floor put them back in the bed. Also That I want them to watch the hall while I take a break and leave in my car for and hour. (Thank god they have cameras in the facility and I never leave the premises got proof for that) So i asked her then what does this mean. I am just supposed to investigate. Now I was told that the majority of my chain of command thinks they are disgruntel(sp) Employees. I am confused all of this because they were in the dining room when they should have been on the hall?

Specializes in long-term care.

run as fast as you can! see being mad is one thing, but to try to take someone lively-hood is another, they wont stop, and it will prob only get worse, you can find another job the same way you found that one, im not saying you should run from all your problems, but in this situation, your safety may also be in question

Specializes in Obs & gynae theatres.

This is bullying and harassment and you should make a formal complaint.

Specializes in Dialysis, Long-term care, Med-Surg.

They are acting this way towards you becasue they want to intimidate you:devil: I have CNA's on my hall from all around the globe (asia, africa, america, mexico, etc....) I tell them all the same thing, I expect one of you to be on the hall at all time, and call lights are to be answered asap; if they are with a patient, then I will answer the light. I had one to cross me, and I wrote his butt up, and told him if he didn't like it quit. I have 2 or 3 that hate me, because I will not tolerate lazy care for my patients, it makes me no difference to me how they feel and I tell them. Let them know who's in charge. We work for our patients! Sometimes being nice doesn't work.....:heartbeat

Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

Maybe you can change shifts so you don't have to come across some or most of these CNAs. Changing facilities may be the best choice. It will not do you any good if your DON brushes this off by calling them JUST "disgruntled employees." Their intentions are to rid you of your job or maybe license. These CNAs act like school children and have a lot of growing up to do. (did I just insult school children?)

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Where is this? What country?

They are obviously retaliating and your supervisor needs to deal with that.

Get out of there! Even though the DON is somewhat supporting you, she is doing too little too late. These people are using a common practice. It worked for them a long time before you ever got there, and it will work for them a long time after you are gone. You can not single handedly deal effectively with this hostile work environment. This is management's doing, and it is for management to correct. Management knows precisely how to fix it, but there is no incentive for them to do so. Get out of there!

Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

yes that place sounds like a cesspool of manure... get out find another job... don't put up with it...

Sounds exactly like life at my old facility.

CNAs who think they run the place and don't have to listen to anyone. The hell of it is - they are right. They do run the place and are accountable to no one. They lie their buns off when caught and for some reason, mgmt refuses to hold them accountable. The ones who work there for years have found tactics that confound HR and management and they keep using them.

I saw one CNA get one inch from a staff nurse's face and light her up like a Christmas tree at the top of her voice right on the floor when the nurse confronted her about patient care. I documented the incident and absolutely nothing happened to this useless CNA.

Another time I walked into a dining room to see 4 CNAs sitting at a table after breakfast had finished. They were all eating resident food. They did this every day - just sat there apparently daring anyone to say anything about it. For a while, it was popular among those idiots to eat right off resident's plates. I told the floor nurse, she shrugged, so I wrote up the incident and gave it to HR. All the "Breakfast Club" CNAs were written up, but none were fired and they tried the old "Freeze Out" tactic on me. Didn't work as I had already developed vulnerability to Lazy CNA Mind Tricks.

You need to develop this also. Do NOT let the b@stards have the satisfaction. No matter what they do, YOU are responsible for your feelings, not them, so act accordingly.

I kept doing my job the best I could until I found another position. (One that accompanied a 43% raise). I learned a heck of a lot at that nursing home, but I am glad those unethical, abusive and sorry people are not my coworkers anymore. I will miss the good ones.

Keep your head up, do your job the best you can, network with some good coworkers or supervisor who can supply shining references, and do everything you can to get out of there.

It can get better!

Good luck.

I also think you need to get out of there. Yes, you could decide to be the one who fights for what is right and cleans up the place. We've all seen that movie. Thing is, it's a movie because it happens so rarely. In reality, you run all sorts of risks.

Right now they are "only" lying about you. If that doesn't work to get you out, they may turn to compromising patient safety or even compromising your safety. Do you want to find your tires slashed? Your family threatened? Don't kid yourself that people like this won't try it. Your bosses no doubt are aware of the situation but aren't powerful enough to get rid of them or can't afford to--else the group of them wouldn't still be there. So take care of yourself before they "take care of" you.

There are some different approaches.

1. quit

2. keep track of everything everyone says and does; not a bad idea but you will soon become worn out. There's 1 of you and how many of them?

3. make a police report because they have defamed you, maybe slandered you, and have at least disturbed the peace by threatening your safety, maybe this is even assault or battery or something worse. Get with a lawyer to figure all of this out.

4. Make friends with them. Here's a thought: next time they say Americans are lazy, reply with something like "Things must have been very difficult for you in _____ to make you leave home and come here where you must work with all lazy people." Or something like that. "You must be very homesick without any family here." Or if you see one of them eating something homemade from their homeland, tell her it looks good, smells delicious, ask for a little taste. Try to get to know about them as individuals. Married? Spouse back home or here? Kids? Their siblings and parents? You'll think of things on your own. Do this 1 on 1. You will maybe be able to begin to be able to chip away at their pain and envy and frustration and be seen as someone who cares about him or her as a person. Invite them to church with you or out for a coke after work.

5. Hold a meeting - either just 1 of them at a time or all of you together. You will have to figure out the best way if you take this approach. Do not expect management to fix your problems, even though that would be ideal. you will have to do it yourself, based on my own experience.

Tell them that you know they know you are only 1 person and that you can't' be everywhere at once. Tell them you need them to function as a team. They are at work to care for the patients, you know, all the stuff you need them to remember and do. Remind them that they are not to leave the floor as a group but must go when assigned, in the number that can safely be covered in their absence. If that's one at a time, then that's 1 at a time. Take on the weakest one first, the one who seems most willing to be a good worker. Or take on the biggest, worst offender first. You will have to judge.

It is really, really hard to be a good charge nurse when you have a good team and next to impossible when you work with angry, bitter, unhappy people who lump you into a pre-judged mold. Honestly, why work with Americans if they hate Americans so much and have such a poor opinion of Americans? Because they have to survive and support their families back home. Were they recruited by a religious group or why are they here in America? Things won't change overnight and you will likely never be best friends, but maybe you can at least get them to work when they are at work and stop threatening you and ignoring residents' needs.

Of course, you could anonymously report all of them to the people in your state who take complaints of neglect and abuse. The c/o can always have come from families and alert residents, not from you. Try the friendly route first.

It's hard, I know. Best wishes.

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