Hello everyone! I have started working as charge nurse LTC (skilled unit) every other weekend and a day or two during the week. I was a CNA while going through nursing school, so I am well aware of the amount of work they have to do. I value my aides very much, and their observations. My problem is: the whining and complaining. Constant. About each other, the workload (it's not fair that I have to...) and so on. Wanting to trade wings with other aides, he said, she said, it's neverending. I had a talk with them all- and told them to consider that their verbal warning. They have complained in front of residents, loudly, and not been so nice to residents.
What is the answer to this? Does HR need to be more selective, or is that possibe? It's obvious sometimes in orientation some of these people aren't cut out for the job. There are frequent call-ins, no shows, and that impacts the whole building. What's the answer to this? My facility doesn't have CNA training. Could that be the answer? I
Hello everyone! I have started working as charge nurse LTC (skilled unit) every other weekend and a day or two during the week. I was a CNA while going through nursing school, so I am well aware of the amount of work they have to do. I value my aides very much, and their observations. My problem is: the whining and complaining. Constant. About each other, the workload (it's not fair that I have to...) and so on. Wanting to trade wings with other aides, he said, she said, it's neverending. I had a talk with them all- and told them to consider that their verbal warning. They have complained in front of residents, loudly, and not been so nice to residents.
What is the answer to this? Does HR need to be more selective, or is that possibe? It's obvious sometimes in orientation some of these people aren't cut out for the job. There are frequent call-ins, no shows, and that impacts the whole building. What's the answer to this? My facility doesn't have CNA training. Could that be the answer? I
Its b/c of complaints as such, is why I have no use working in an LTC. They expect you to put a 16 hr. shift into 6 hours and so on with any other shift.
I am a CNA and I have been for 30 years. People ask me why havent you advanced your education and become a nurse? What I'm not a nurse?! I do CNA work because I like to work directly with the patients. In the years I have worked in this field every place I have worked has had this problem. The reason that this goes on in my opinion is there is no consistency with management. The DON and supervisors need to enforce policies concerning this behavior and stick to it. All it takes is for a few of these aids to get the boot out the door and the rest will see that its either "shape up or ship out" Its not the licensed staff who are at fault here because hey folks cna, licensed or doctors for that matter we dont go to these facilities to socialize and make friends we are there because we all have bills to pay. Where I currently work its do your job or clock out and your last check is in the mail and our DON doesnt play games with lazy aides,nurses or whoever. The facility I work at is very attentive to the residents needs and they are very easy to get along with as long as your job is done. "Chain of command" CNA's out there you know who you are I mean the ones who think that the uniform gives them the authority to tell the nurse what to do. If you dont want to do your assignment or whine because you have to do that busy hallway 2 days in a row,get out! and work in some other field because nursing requires that you work hard. The residents are there because they can not live at home. When they are admitted they are feeling bad enough about the fact that they have to ask for help. These were once independent adults like we are now. Making comments and complaints that are overheard by these residents only makes them feel more depressed. So have a little compassion here.They need to be cared for first and foremost. Keep your comments to yourself and respect, respect each other. Each person on the healthcare team has an important task to perform to provide overall care to each resident. I wonder how some of you CNA's who slack off would feel if it were you in that wheelchair wanting help? and the aides were argueing up at the station about who had to have you today? Wouldn't you just want to crawl in a hole and die? Think about that before you complain, whine, and gripe about your workload. And that old silly excuse about the nurses never help on the floor is out to lunch because you are not passing those meds, nor are you doing all the charting that is required. I have yet to find a facility where the nurses didnt help if they were asked. So put that excuse out the door.
Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.
Don't know if this will help, but I recently took a job in a great facility that had a lazy nurse before me...didn't care if there was adequate staff, didn't care if the residents got care...etc. That was the mentality. Was a mess at the start...but things are looking up. I started by telling them I had been a CNA and knew how hard it was. Also told them to get me when they needed help. And they sure did and I did. I always tried to make sure we had enough help. I answered call lights, fed people, changed briefs. And thanked them for their hard work at the end of the shift. Now, after 6 months, the call lights don't ring for 20 minutes and the residents look good and rarely complain. Sure it was tough but it sure paid off for me. And they take pride in their work. Of course if I had had some CNAs like Pumpkin it would have been much easier...
Specializes in LTC, FP office, Med/Surg, ICU, Dialysis.
It all boils down to CNs, managers, and DONs on how they discipline the staff. They know they can get away with because their fellow CNAs have been doing and getting away with it. Those hardworking CNAs don't want to deal with the bad apples because some of them have violent tendencies and don't care if they lose their jobs.
I think instructors in CNA courses should pound in to their students' head that this type of behavior doesn't belong in the helping profession.
A few people posted that the nursing homes are hiring unsuitable people to be trained for this valuable position. It seems as if the hiring/firing process and screening of these CNAs is not adequate.I have seen some CNAs get fired for patient abuse in one facility, then hear from someone who works in a different facility that that this same abusive CNA is now working there! WHAT HAPPENED? Isnt the DON supposed to report this CNA to the state so he/she is put on the CNA registry? Obviously this is not happening. How are the DONs getting away with this? I have seen this time and time again in the almost 30 years I was in LTC. My theory is that they are not reporting the abuse/neglectfull CNA to the state because this would open them up for an investigation by the state. And by doing this the nursing homes are keeping bad apples in the LTC workforce. Just one more way in which LTCs are circumventing state regs, OK , DONs out there now bring on the flames, I can take it.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
A few people posted that the nursing homes are hiring unsuitable people to be trained for this valuable position.
In addition, many of the CNAs in my city are part of a "forced workforce." Some of these ladies would much rather sit at home all day and watch their children, but they are being forced into accepting certain jobs in order to keep their public assistance benefits such as food stamps, section 8 housing, and welfare payments. The welfare-to-work programs tend to track these women into jobs that involve very quick training and little formal education, such as CNAs, cashiers, cooks, telemarketers, etc.
When you've got a forced workforce in America's nursing homes, problems will soon follow because many of these women simply do not want to do backbreaking CNA work.
Yep, a lot of welfare to workfare CNAs and HHAs in my neck of the woods.
The job is hard enough without hating it.
In addition, many of the CNAs in my city are part of a "forced workforce." Some of these ladies would much rather sit at home all day and watch their children, but they are being forced into accepting certain jobs in order to keep their public assistance benefits such as food stamps, section 8 housing, and welfare payments. The welfare-to-work programs tend to track these women into jobs that involve very quick training and little formal education, such as CNAs, cashiers, cooks, telemarketers, etc.
When you've got a forced workforce in America's nursing homes, problems will soon follow because many of these women simply do not want to do backbreaking CNA work.
In addition, many of the CNAs in my city are part of a "forced workforce." Some of these ladies would much rather sit at home all day and watch their children, but they are being forced into accepting certain jobs in order to keep their public assistance benefits such as food stamps, section 8 housing, and welfare payments. The welfare-to-work programs tend to track these women into jobs that involve very quick training and little formal education, such as CNAs, cashiers, cooks, telemarketers, etc.
When you've got a forced workforce in America's nursing homes, problems will soon follow because many of these women simply do not want to do backbreaking CNA work.
Some of these women do a wonderful job and are truly a God send, BUT there are so many coming from this sector and some not from this sector into healthcare jobs , in which they have no business being in. Not all types of people are suited for this job. It is a very hard physical and emotionally stressful job that is hard to take for a motivated worker, much less so for one that REALLY does not want to be there.LTC corporations just seem to want a warm body to keep replacing the ones they lost.
Isnt the DON supposed to report this CNA to the state so he/she is put on the CNA registry? Obviously this is not happening. How are the DONs getting away with this? Just one more way in which LTCs are circumventing state regs, OK , DONs out there now bring on the flames, I can take it.
Ingelin, I can not speak for all DON's but, I for one have no problem reporting an employee to the state registry of licensing boards. It is not the BQA who comes out to investigate in these instances but, whole number department. For example, I reported a CNA that was accused by multiple residents of abuse, it was well documented by social services and the nursing dept. We received a state and federal cite since she was allowed into the building to work for one hour before myself or the NHA was notified and we escorted her out. The Registry sent their guru out and she interviewed almost every resident capable of talking, all staff in the building and also called other staff. Final result? She did not lose her registration, the state let her keep it.
Another case? An agency RN came to work and found out that she would be passing meds and working the floor while an LPN who was an employee of the facility was handling the desk and doctors calls for the day. The RN said it was beneath her. I told her that the LPN knew ALL the residents and the way things were run and was the best person for that job that particular day and that she as an agency nurse had been contracted to work on the floor that day. The RN walked out. I called her agency and reported her. Then I filled out the forms and reported her to the BON. What happened? Absolutely nothing! The BON said as long as there had been anyone at all to pass the meds an do treatmentsthat day, then it was not considered abandonment.
I could go on and tell of many other times that this is the result when reporting. This also happens in MN. The state does not want to take away licenses or registrations. Just because your situation made you so bitter does not mean all management out there is still out to get you even though you are no longer in the long term care workforce.
One of the ways I find out about potential employees is by maintaining relationships with the other DONs in the community. We require a local criminal background check that they get at the courthouse before they are even hired. This has also kept potential "criminals" out. Another thing I do is take them on a tour of our facility and introduce them to as many staff as possible and then get the staff's input. A few times I've had our employees tell me "don't hire him/her" if they know something about them. The last group of survey people really focused on our abuse policies and quizzed staff members to find out what they knew about our policies. I used to work at a facility whose management staff did not want to hear anything negative and would put up with less than good care of the residents. The reputation of those types of facilities is well known in this area and they seem to be able to continue to operate. I don't know what the answer is, but I do know many DONs that do an excellent job and become frustrated when profit is more important than care.
10ACGIRL
315 Posts