CNA "not a good fit"

[Healing Soul]

Hello,

I was wondering how you handle a CNA that is to slow and overwhelmed by the work? Are there situations when a cna is just not a good fit and how is it handled. I am talking about the aide who really tries but just can't cut it in their position. How do you view the aide? How are they treated by their coworkers? I am a former CNA and a career advisor.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

Ok, for all of you that think it is to harsh to eventually cut her loose after additional retraining...lets pretend that you are on her list that day, as a patient. She is slow and there are 2-3 people yet to do before she gets to you. You are ready to be out of your wet bed and need help to change position. It will be a loooooong time before she gets to you and she has been your aide for 5 of the last 7 days.

Are you certain you're still satisfied with her care? What should the management do when your daughter goes screaming down to the office about the repeated poor care that you are receiving?

Let me assure you, I am not a hard orifice manager but I can also assure you there does come a point...

And also to you that have never had the budget hounds down your throat (corporate) - I don't have the luxury of adding additional staff to accommodate additional hands to take up the slack and I also don't have the luxury of just adding a new position for her. Anyone not familiar with all the newest medicare cuts?

[student forever]

What about the kitchen? housekeeping? laundry? there's got to be a fit for her within the organization if she is quality in other areas besides speed.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

What about the kitchen? housekeeping? laundry? there's got to be a fit for her within the organization if she is quality in other areas besides speed.

Well many of these areas also require a certain amount of speed but more often then not the employee is not interested in these other areas.

I love to direct some that show a real heart about them but lacks in organizational and multi tasking skills towards home health. I have had to fire some nurses and aides in my career that I would have personally loved to have caring for my own family member on a 1:1 basis.

[nebrgirl]

Someone mention something about "in today's economy"....Gee what about creating a good pool of workers for when you have trouble finding someone young enough to do the job? Others have said but I concur, sometimes job skills like loyal, prompt, and caring, overcome, speed, speed, speed,

[RNmanou]

Just make sure that the load of work is reasonable, that every RN does not just dump their dirty work on the CNA. It is supposed to be a team. Remember that.

[CompleteUnknown]

Modern management theory says that every team has a "worst performer", you know what I mean?

I believe that allowing a team to stagnate is not a good thing...

This isn't sales or real estate. Yes, there's always going to be a 'worst performer' but if the worst performer is doing the job satisfactorily why would you want to fire them?

I can't help but imagine a revolving door of staff with each employee constantly watching their back (and throwing knives in all the other backs) and trying to outshine everyone else in case they make the bottom of the list and get shown the door. That's not a team, that's a pack of wolves.

Yes, there are some people who should be fired, I just don't think there's as many of them as you want to believe.

[Butterfliesnroses]

I think it depends on how long she's been working there. I worked as a CNA for 6 yrs. I was told that for a while there I was super slow at my job, but when I became a nurse I was known as one of the best, most efficient CNAs there. I would probably 1st try additional training.

I was a lead aide for many of my 6 years and one thing I would do with sloooow new CNAs would be put them next to my section and team up with them. They would see what their "expected" speed was, plus learn some tricks of the trade.

Another option would be, if your facility has it, see if a therapy aide or shower aide would be a better fit. They'd have an expectation but in a way could work at their own pace.

If all else fails, as others have mentioned, see if another job is available. We have a lady that works in the kitchen, who was a CNA on the floor. When she was in her CNA role she was very emotional. In the kitchen she is VERY productive, a huge help, and smiling.