CNA 11 Years need your help

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · May 11, 2020

You’ve opened yourself up for all kinds of possible accusations from the patient and/or his/her family in doing so. Professional boundaries are a ‘thing’ and facilities can terminate any employee for violating their policies whether on or off duty.

L.P.CNA, CNA · May 11, 2020

Thank you BSNbeDONE for your response. I would like to ask if you were unaware of this policy because the employer did not train you on such a policy, also there aren't any laws that restrain you from visiting and running errands for a former patient. The patient was no longer a resident at the facility for months. Do you think it was right to just fire me without warning me or writing me up first?

Sour Lemon · May 11, 2020

4 hours ago, L.P.CNA said:
Hello all of you courageous frontliners, I need to ask you guys a question. I was recently fired for violating company policy. My question is does anyone know if it's against any policy that you know of that you can't follow a patient to another facility, visit and run errands for them. Being that they are no longer in your facility.

Hi L.P.CNA,

Your employer's policy may say something very general about professional behavior, because it would be difficult to list every possible situation that might occur between an employee and a patient (or former patient). I'm not sure I could blame them for not training you, because this is the type of thing that should be covered in any basic CNA course. As for "no laws" existing, that's not really relevant.

If you're a long term employee with no prior issues, it does seem rather harsh that they would fire you with no warning. I do find myself wondering how they became aware of the situation, though.

Sounds like you have a good amount of experience and will hopefully find new work easily.

L.P.CNA, CNA · May 12, 2020

Thank you Sour Lemon for taking the time to reply to my post. It's much appreciated. The answer to your question how did my employer find out. Actually the mother of the patient called the job and told them that she wanted a debit card of his that he had given me to hold for him until the next month, which his funds would be distributed on the card and he would ask me to go shopping for him.

Dln14 · May 12, 2020

26 minutes ago, L.P.CNA said:
Thank you Sour Lemon for taking the time to reply to my post. It's much appreciated. The answer to your question how did my employer find out. Actually the mother of the patient called the job and told them that she wanted a debit card of his that he had given me to hold for him until the next month, which his funds would be distributed on the card and he would ask me to go shopping for him.

yikes, no offense but "holding" a debit card for ANYONE let alone a patient (you are not assigned to) is out of bounds and totally unprofessional.

All you can do is learn and grow from this. Good luck!

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · May 12, 2020

Nowadays, not only pretty much every health care facility, agency or organization has a policy prohibiting every and any contract, real or virtual, between clients and employees outside of workplace, but it became a baseline standard of professional behavior for health care workers of every level quite some time ago. "Training" in this behavior is not considered necessary because it is thought to be a thing as basic as saying "hi, good morning" with a smile. Doing anything for or with a client outside of work - however innocent it might sound - can place employer into legal trouble, and no one will stand even for a shadow of it. What you did was, frankly, way more than a shadow.

I am sorry that you've learned it as a harsh lesson but for now it is what it is. From now on, you just never, ever, do anything like that again. If another patient asks you to do anything with his money, tell that you can't do that and address his needs through your chain of commands.

Honestly, you were incredibly lucky. The mother of the patient could interpret the story in a very different way and it would be up to you to prove that you were not stealing the money and for your facility that they did not made it possible.

L.P.CNA, CNA · May 12, 2020

Thanks to everyone who replied, like I said it's much appreciated. I understand what you guys are saying, but I honestly didn't know that I couldn't do it being that they were a former patient. From now on I need to keep my heart to myself and use this as a learning experience.

DesiDani · May 12, 2020

2 hours ago, L.P.CNA said:
Thank you Sour Lemon for taking the time to reply to my post. It's much appreciated. The answer to your question how did my employer find out. Actually the mother of the patient called the job and told them that she wanted a debit card of his that he had given me to hold for him until the next month, which his funds would be distributed on the card and he would ask me to go shopping for him.

YIKES?!!

That could easily be interpreted as financial abuse of a senior. It doesn't matter if he or his mother asked you to hold on to the card. Why didn't she hold on to the card? Also even if he did ask you to, that could still be viewed as abuse.

For example: he allows it and tells you "go buy something for yourself" . You do and been doing so for a while. Well his guardian/POA looks at his account (they have the legal right) sees the extra transactions and thinks WOW!!?!?! They go after you for taking advantage of him.

Another thing is that as a CNA you are working under the license of someone else. Say you visit, not as a "family/friend" but as a CNA that works under the license of your employer. If he falls or gets hurt while you are helping him, whose is responsible? The place that he is at or the place you are working at?

____

I sat with a 1:1 nice old lady at a hospital. While there her PCA came in to get her credit card. She tells me "Oh yes, Mrs. SOandSo let's me use her card to pay some of my bills."

Mrs. SOandSo oh yes I've know her for years.

I wasn't buying it. The patient had some confusion and a little dementia. I reported it to the RN. Not sure if anything happened, but it seemed fishy to me.

SaltineQueen · May 12, 2020

You’ll be lucky if getting fired is all that you have to deal with. They could have accused you of stealing that bank card!

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 12, 2020

Uff da... this could have gone much worse for you, eg accusations of stealing, exploitation of a vulnerable adult etc. I’m suspecting that this boundary violation was so egregious and opened the facility up to such liability that they didn’t see room for re-education or whatever. They couldn’t risk it.

I’d highly recommend doing some nursing CEUs or even just some reading on “professional boundaries.” Not only to help you avoid similar situations in the future, but to show potential employers your willingness to learn/grow from your mistakes.

All the best! ?

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 12, 2020

Also... and you may see this in your boundaries learning. But having boundaries is good for you. That’s great that you have such a big heart... and as one who’s frequently told I have a big heart I get it. BUT. The flip side is a big heart can be vulnerable to hurt. This work can emotionally wreck you if it permeates your entire life. For your own mental/emotional well being you need to learn to leave your work AT work.