CNA Supervisor or all under DON/ADON

[downsouthlaff]

Hello everyone, as some of you know I am an EMT. As most of you know EMTs do NOT get paid well at all. Don't get me wrong i do alright, but I'm finding myself having to work mor and more shifts in Long Term Care Nursing Home facilities as a CNA with gas prices continuing to rise and all the other economic falls, And cuts from the Ambulance service, anyhow I work 48 hours on 120 hours off so I still have plenty time to take extra shifts and have time off. Anyway I've worked at a few LTC facilities and all of them had a CNA Supervisor, who basicallyMade the Schedules, Hired CNAs, took disciplinary action against the CNAs, helped out on the floor as needed, and assisted the DON with clerical functions when necessary. However, at one facility I worked at the DON was the dictator of the entire nursing department, did all hiring and disciplinary actions, but there were Crew Chief CNAs and Crew Chief LPNs at this facility. Just wondering how this was managed at different parts of the country, CNAs do you have a CNA Supervisor (M-F 9-5) or is the DON the head honcho of everyone?

[sophiesmom01]

I worked LTC for 3 yrs as an RN. The Administrator did most of the hiring/firing in conjugation with the DON. As far as CNA supervisors that was the nurses running the division/shift! I had a couple CNA's that didn't like me for whatever reason and went to the DON/ADON and complained, they always took my side and had my back as the charge nurse... (I always got along awesome with my staff CNA's & Med techs, so they knew they were bad apples)

[sophiesmom01]

Conjunction... SP check......

[downsouthlaff, LPN]

Thank you all for the reply, and did i mention that these facilities also had a seperate salaried Ward Clerk Superviso, who did everything the same except it was ward clerks instead of CNAs, wich in my area most WCs or CNAs and ive filled the void many times when WCs called in. Ive also worked at a facility where where there were no WCs, and us CNAs had to make rounds, do vitals, hydration and nutrition pass, get the lab specimens, and Then go to the nurses station and do everything ward clerk (call lights, page, medical supplie companies calling, all kind of stuff) but they did this every day without WCs (smaller 70 bed facility though).

[downsouthlaff, LPN]

Sophiesmom,yes of course the Nurses are still the Aides supervisors by law, and by the facility, but these facilities with a shift charge CNA, worked the floor and did the sane things a nornal staff CNA would do, but they would supervise other CNAs administratively like making sure nonody was taking 3 hour breaks, that vitals were not being made up, that they were making there rounds every 2 hours, they would answer to the families of course (only about CNA stuff not stuff about Medication or anything like that) it was usually a CNA whos been working at the facility 2- 3 plus years, has few call ins, no write ups, and is in good standing with the floot nurses and co workers. They also serve as an advecote for CNAs when disciplinary action is taken unfairly. Its usually a mature CNA who does his/her work and takes the job seriously. Usually the DON is gonna belive this CNA over a New Nurse when it comes to writeups and incidents. For example, when you get that backstabbing bipolar nurse, who wants everything done perfectly, and who will write someone up for a wrinkle in a draw sheet, the Charge CNA of that shift would see this unfair treatment and would advocate for the other aide, and he or she would probly win. However the Charge CNA wouod be maturw enough to write up a co worker who takes a 3 hour smoke break and doesnt make rounds. It kinda of Keeps a power tripping bipolar nurse (we all met those) from being to powerful administratively on an overnight shift when theres no one around. However the Salaried CNA supervisor is different. These have there

[downsouthlaff, LPN]

Med Aides and Med Techs our state doesnt have those in LTC. Not yet anyway.