CNA's always on their cell phones

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How are things at your LTC/Assisted living facilities. Are your residents being ignored because the CNA's are always playing on their cell phones? If you were ever successful in getting the CNA's off of their cell phones how did you do it? Sadly, where I work there are some CNA's that seem to have no interest at all in their residents. It seems that the only thing they are really interested in is their cell phones.

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This is wrong, but really hard to fix.

Are there some CNA's or other staff that witness this? If so you could approach whomever is your supervisor as a group.

Simply state the facts of what you observe. Ask your supervisor for suggestions about how to solve the issue.

If somehow you could get a video of what they're doing. It would provide proof of how much time or how often this was happening. But I realize that would be very hard to do!

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Specializes in Long term care.

At the LTC I work at, you will NEVER see a cna on their cell phone.....EVER. That's because if we are caught with a cell phone or any other electronic device while on the schedule we will be fired on the spot. No warning. We don't even have to be using the device. If it's spotted on us, or even heard ringing while in our locker, we are done.

We can leave our phones in our cars & check them while on our lunch breaks only. If someone needs to contact me, they have to call the facility, just like they did in the olden days.

Works like a charm...and we are one of the top facilities in the entire state.

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Wow!!! That sounds like a great idea!!! I will ask the management if we could do that too. Fired on the spot!!! Yes. I think that will be the only thing that would work at my facility. Thanks!!!

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Missingyou has the answer; I worked in a similar facility, way back in the Dark Ages (before cells' omnipresence), when personal calls would just come thru the front office then routed to the units/floors.

For cell phone use, a down side will be that the rule needs to be applied across all depts., incl housekeeping, dietary, Activities, NURSES, Social Workers, Therapy, etc all need to be compliant. And THAT will take a lot of work to equally enforce across the board.

It will require significant effort by all facility staff. If not, there will be MEGA complaints, esp if there is a UNION. And it really means that ALL depts, incl the top staff, refrain from using their cells while on the units or any pt-care areas.

Any outright banning of cell phones will likely trigger an outcry of employees' need to be avail for 'emergencies' and/or special calls. Phone calls directed to our facility's front office glutted our front?‍⚕️ office staff for a while as all calls began to be 'an emergency'.

But it worked.

The biggest obstacle I see will be that of the top staff. They need to present a concerted, inclusive front. Or else there will be a cry of 'do as I say, not as I do'. And 'it's not fair'!

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On 1/25/2020 at 7:41 PM, amoLucia said:

Missingyou has the answer; I worked in a similar facility, way back in the Dark Ages (before cells' omnipresence), when personal calls would just come thru the front office then routed to the units/floors.

For cell phone use, a down side will be that the rule needs to be applied across all depts., incl housekeeping, dietary, Activities, NURSES, Social Workers, Therapy, etc all need to be compliant. And THAT will take a lot of work to equally enforce across the board.

It will require significant effort by all facility staff. If not, there will be MEGA complaints, esp if there is a UNION. And it really means that ALL depts, incl the top staff, refrain from using their cells while on the units or any pt-care areas.

Any outright banning of cell phones will likely trigger an outcry of employees' need to be avail for 'emergencies' and/or special calls. Phone calls directed to our facility's front office glutted our front?‍⚕️ office staff for a while as all calls began to be 'an emergency'.

But it worked.

The biggest obstacle I see will be that of the top staff. They need to present a concerted, inclusive front. Or else there will be a cry of 'do as I say, not as I do'. And 'it's not fair'!

Yes, and some are gona come out and say, "well, I have special permission. I have such and such emergency going on at home, somebody is dying, in surgery, child in trouble", etc, etc, etc, and they need to get ahold of me quickly. If management doesn't enforce it across the board it's useless. The LTC I worked in , for awhile, I caught an CNA sleeping in a room she was laying on the bed sound asleep. Another I,caught in a room with the curtain pulled for her to hide behind. I reported to admin, and they were terminated and rehired a few weeks later. I was expected to do 2 heavy med passes, and also be in the rooms when the CNAS were doing their rounds to supervise them and make sure they were doing what they were supposed to . it was an impossible job to do everything I was told to do . I quit . I would never go back over there. LPNs get dumped on in LTCs.

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You need to look at the company policy in regard to cell phone use then put in a complaint in writing in regard to the violation. It's up to their supervisor to enforce it. If this interferes with resident care then state that in your complaint. It is against the law to be going on face time or speaking to someone who can over hear confidential information that is being discussed in the back ground while you are at work.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

WORD OF CAUTION. Do not attempt to take any photo/snapshots of employees using their phones!

I would bet that there are facility rules & regs in place that forbid camera use much the same as phone use.

Don't break a rule while trying to fix a broken rule!

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Most facilities have cameras. Just get the date and time so they can review the film.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Good thought I hadn't even considered. I was thinking PERSONAL phones.

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Specializes in Long term care.
On 1/25/2020 at 8:41 PM, amoLucia said:

And it really means that ALL depts, incl the top staff, refrain from using their cells while on the units or any pt-care areas.

It does include ALL staff in all departments. 100%. In my 9 years at the facility, no one to my knowledge has been fired for having a cell phone (no one tested the policy) one person was fired for wearing earbuds.

It works. There will be plenty of whining & complaining & you will loose staff but, the end result over time will be excellent patient care.

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Specializes in corrections and LTC.

OMG I hate cell phones and am glad they weren't around when I was young or I may be one of the people being complained about. Where I live all facilities are so short that they would not terminate anyone over anything but abuse/neglect, and that is iffy if they can get away with keeping them. I would love to work at a facility where cell phones were not allowed!

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