the cnas have taken over!!

Nurses General Nursing

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Help, I'm in a situation that I really don't know what to do. I'm a new lpn, about a year and a half. I consider myself a very good nurse and very professional and very fair. However, the facility I am currently employed has a real problem.You see, the cna's think they run the floor, and no one is doing a thing about it. They have blatantly told me that these were "their residents, and they can take care of them better than I can" I have complained to the don and nothing is done about it. The other two nurses that work the floor with me have been there for years, as have most of the aids, and they have been allowed to behave like this. The other 3-ll nurses have complained also but nothing is every done. The don, I'M told is afraid of getting involved because the aids belong the a union and the nurses don't. The aids are constantly involving themselves in nursing conversations I'm having regarding care. They easedrop on conversations with nurses and doctors and family members. I think they even go through charts when no one is around. I was even told by our infection control nurse to be careful, that the aids will "report" you in a second, just to see a nurse in trouble or get fired. I was even told that the cnas had to sign off on bolus feedings, just to prove that the residents were getting their feedings. I put my foot down with that one and was called to the don's office. I now have a fellow nurse sign for them. I have never been in a facility where the cna's were so empowered. It's really scary. I'm really thinking of going into home care. Have already contacted an agency. Would appreciate some feedback with this one, Thankss.

I work as a PCA.. and where do I get most of my information about my patients.. The chart and the kardex... If I always depended on the nurses to give me some type of report then I wouldn't have a clue as to what is going on. Some of our nurses are great at giving the PCA/CNA report as to what they need to do or what is going on with the patient...

So blowing the HIPAA whistle is stupid... CNAs do more than wipe butts so they need to know about the patient..

1) Leave the organization

2) Demand an exit interview with the Director of HR if there is one

3) Send a letter of concern to the State Board of Nursing

4) If there is a nurses' union, report this to them

And... it does not matter whether or not this is a corporate facility. Money is not a dirty word. It is what pays our salaries and enables us to have a means to deliver patient care. And issues like this can occur in any type of facility.

Good luck!

Originally posted by hogan4736

Stop the caste system that some nurses have created.

And to cite HIPAA (another grammar mistake, you wrote "HIPPA," yet another all too common mistake by nurses) is LAME and WAAAAAAAAAAAY off base.

Oh, and so I can save a little face, recheck your apostrophe placement:

"I can't believe that CNA's are allowed" WRONG. doesn't belong

"to look at pts charts" WRONG. you omitted one.

Please someone back me on any of my many rants.

;)

:(

:cool:

Ya know, this is not helpful dialogue, Hogan, and can be construed as rude and against the strandards of this BB. Just a hint.

HIPAA is quite clear on use of information and the limits. I would think anything pertinent to basic patient care should be on a KARDEX, for the CNA's to see, and with all due respect, you may be a bit naieve about how HIPAA could be used against you in this case.

JMHO. It is your license of course.

I totally respect the CNA's I work with and am happy to share with them the info they NEED to perform their job well. But this RN doesn't take it much farther than that...not with a CNA, not with a respiratory care person, nor a housekeeper, nor a doctor not on the case...just call me cautious and within the law.

:stone

I call you paranoid, and afraid of CNAs usurping your "power"

And telling a CNA that she/he can't look at a chart is far more rude than I could ever be here. As well as downright stupid. Why alienate someone who will inevitably help you do your job.

I suppose an LPN can't give you any advice either. And you are likely NEVER wrong in regards to a patient's assessment, and any info from the CNA ("he's just not himself today") is unwelcome. Though in reality, you haven't seen the patient in 4 hours, and that was just a visual walk by, because you've had 4 admissions since 0600...

I'm calling a spade a spade. There have been several posts against CNA discrimination w/in this thread. We are just trying to say, it takes all of us to care for the patient, and a CNA looking at a chart is not, nor ever will be a HIPAA violation

Back off please. I work LTC,I'm the weekend supervisor, and I see CNA abuse... And not letting a CNA see a chart or enter the nurses' station, because you are afraid of the (nonexistant) HIPAA police, just widens the gap that already exists. And another example of nurses exerting far too much control over every single minutia that transpires on a ward.

Sean

Oh, and we don't have a Kardex at our LTC. We let our CNAs sit in on report and read the charts...

Somebody call HIPAA...

Our LTC address is 4704 west Diana, Glendale, AZ, 85302

I work every weekend.

I'll be waiting for the undercover HIPAA disguised as a bilateral amputee in a wheelchair

:roll

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

A CNA looking at the chart of a pt. that is not assigned to them, just for the heck of curiousity, IS a HIPAA violation.

I've only done that in the case of finding out if someone new is NPO or not after asking for a cup of soda.

(BTW that link in my sig. line, that was a pretty good post someone made, and a good thing to keep in mind ;) )

Hey, I was beginning to think you were working where I was. This same thing happened to me , I finally put my foot down and let me tell you ,there were only a few survivors. They are just mad because they want to be a nurse and don't have the brains to do it. I say tell them to take there Union and shove it. YOU!!!!!!! are their supervisor,they can be wrote up and fired for insubornation. YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!

LPNtobe, you raise an interesting point...

but,

I as the RN supervisor get no actual assignment, how does that fall (under your HIPAA reference)?

CNAs cover for each other for lunch (as well as the med nurses - they cover for each other), does just giving a verbal report now magically allow them access to a chart of a patient, not assigned to him/her?

Just a curious thought...

And even if there were HIPAA police, how should I stop a CNA who is reading a chart? Is not the facility then liable (as the CNA signed a confidentiality agreement, as well as took a HIPAA class). The RN certainly can't be held responsible.

Yes HIPAA was a likely necessity, but if I send a patient to the ER, and call for a status, now, thanks to HIPAA, I get told NOTHING on the phone for status. All I get is attitude from the RN on the other end (What, a nurse w/ an attitude? Have you ever heard of such a thing?)

Yet I can stop by any hospital to visit a sick friend (one where I've never worked), and have scrubs on, and be allowed access to ANYWHERE in the place...

You do the math...

Originally posted by sleep deprived

They are just mad because they want to be a nurse and don't have the brains to do it. I say tell them to take there Union and shove it. YOU!!!!!!! are their supervisor,they can be wrote up and fired for insubornation. YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very nice sleep...Very constructive...oh and it's "their union", not "there union"

(your misspell is kind of ironic, don't you think? You know, accusing a profession (CNA) of stupitidy, while misspelling your post)

:roll

LOL

You epitomize why nursing will never unionize and is so catty. And to imply that "they want to be a nurse, but don't have the brains" absolutely explains why there is such high CNA turnover.

I wouldn't be productive under you either.

Oh, and 3 of my 5 weekend double CNAs are in nursing school...

And I get s%#t for being rude

Hypocrisy kills us all...

sean

Specializes in Anesthesia.
Originally posted by hogan4736

Very nice sleep...Very constructive...oh and it's "their union", not "there union"

(your misspell is kind of ironic, don't you think? You know, accusing a profession (CNA) of stupitidy, while misspelling your post)

Since you are on the misspelling rampage, I just thought I'd let you know that you spelled stupidity wrong...."kind of ironic, don't you think?"

Originally posted by hogan4736

Very nice sleep...Very constructive...oh and it's "their union", not "there union"

(your misspell is kind of ironic, don't you think? You know, accusing a profession (CNA) of stupitidy, while misspelling your post)

:roll

LOL

You epitomize why nursing will never unionize and is so catty. And to imply that "they wan't to be a nurse, but don't have the brains" absolutely explains why there is such high CNA turnover.

I wouldn't be productive under you either.

Oh, and 3 of my 5 weekend double CNAs are in nursing school...

And I get s%#t for being rude

Hypocrisy kills us all...

sean

ummmm...... That's spelled "stupidity".

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Speaking of 'stupidity', i'm outta here, last time i'd seen spelling lessons, i was 13 years old. Starting to feel that way now. lol

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