it seems to me that CNA's, esp. in long term care, get treated as if they don't know how to do anything, are overworked, unappreciated, and underpaid. This one nurse about drives me up the wall. You come to her with a patient related concern and she'll look at me like I'm busy you take care of it. No I cannot hang another feeding, do a dressing change, or insert a catheter though I've been taught how. ( previous nurses training). She walks like a waddling duck. A lady accidently slipped and I was taking her to the toilet. It was an accident and I wish I fell, I felt that bad. My partner was busy at the moment and this nurse was RIGHT there! I asked her if she would mind helping me stand this lady up, she goes oh I thought so, so was going to help you!!! This is the type of nurse that would actually make a mess in the process of giving a pt their meds and say gosh that's the aides job to clean it up. I never ever expect the nurse to do my job for me but if they are in the same room and can't even help their own patients, there is something wrong with that. She doesn't like lifting either, I wonder how she passed her physical for nursing school. No other aide in sight, asked her one day to help transfer someone( would have either injured myself badly or dropped him) nurse sitting on her butt and " oh I guess so" with a sigh! The nurses are suppose to help!!! maybe as a cna I am biased and only see one side of it. Other nurses assist at times but she thinks she is too good to do anything else, but now I'm in nursing school and once I get out I hope I don't ever treat my help this way. Maybe I'm expecting to be treated with respect because I work very hard to care for my patients in skilled care, but we are always short staffed, and the fact that I have a college degree in nursing/ general studies, while I'm not a nurse in the eyes of the law I am a caregiver that continually nurtures each and every one of my patients, in a way when a patient hollers for the nurse they don't decipher between me and the LPN or RN. we are all nurses to them providing patient care.
A nursing home i worked at had regular ratios of 1 CNA for every 18 pts. Housekeepers got paid 25 cents less than CNAs. I took a housekeeping job there. A quater more on the hour just wasn't worth it.
that's my largest problem with being a CNA ..not the pay but the ratio of residents to CNA's. I have an average of 12-16 residents most total care. You can not give good care at that ratio when the majority of residents in your care are total care. The other two CNA's that work on my wing do not really care what type of care they give and I have heard them say things that I consider abusive to residents. One even told me "dont worry so much about answering the light, if you have been in there once a shift then your done". She said that because I do not stop for breaks or even lunch. If I stop there is no one to take my place and that means residents left wet or needing help and I cant leave someone like that.
I started as a nurse aide just whent the nurse aides were required to be certified, in 1990. In our facility it really did seem like there was a very bold, big, bright line drawn between the Nurses and the "aides" (that is what they were called then) IN OUR FACILITY there were things a nurse would not do it was below her to do any thing other than med pass, assesments, tx, and paperwork (even back then there was not as much paperwork as today). She literally sat behind the desk and ate or smoked (yes the smoking out doors thing hadn't implemented yet) The nurses at our facility would have pot lucks with out inviting, even refusing the aides and they would have their pot luck out at the desk and not do anything. I have seen nurses crawl my tail for not having the 68 residents finished with breakfast at 10:00 am (three aides on the floor) she was screaming at me before she got her feet off the desk and turned the radio off. NOW I KNOW that today the nurses are extremely busy. I know they work their tails off. I know that catch HE** from all ends. I get upset with the truely lazy nurses. But What I am madder about than that is that our administration treats CNA's like crap. They tell us they can't pay us any more because there is no money (NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION) Yet they can pay the CEO equivelant to $93 an hour and then when he is fired for sexual harassment (of another employee) he gets 103,000 compensation pay!!!!!!!
I agree with the poster that things have to be done at a different level at a higher level go to the board of your facility eduacate the public. Do some of the work to get things started. My friend tried to do things like that when she worked there. She went to the Head of HR and she demanded they do something. She called state she reported everything she saw. And now she doesn't work at all and will not walk back into that building. The done her wrong wrote her up for everything they could think up or make up. They broke her. I heard a nurse one time (about her) I wont have a trouble maker f**k up my position. What ever that meant (it was a nurse that had one of those go between jobs so's that no one is mis understood in the event of a misunderstanding -- basically her job was to smoke.) ANY sorry guys my point is to make up a group of people talk to the towns folks go to a lawyer talk to family members about your concern but band as a group and don't take no for an answer go to the top arm yourselves and get something done about it. WE AS CNA'S LPN'S and RN'S deserve more of everything, respect, money and a better nurse /cna: patient ratio.
I find myself somewhere in the middle here. As a former CNA, I do my best to not be that nurse that does nothing to help out. But now being on the other side I find myself knowing exactly why nurses seem to only pass meds, chart, etc. I can remember thinking sure their charting, but how hard can that be? At least they get to sit down! I now know it takes a lot to keep all that paperwork straight. For every two great CNA's I work with, I have one that hides, doesn't do a good job, etc. I spend more time then I should making sure the one does what their supposed to which takes more time away from any helping out I can do. While the CNA's usually have 16-20 pts, I always have 40 or more. I used to help a lot more, until I realized that if I put 10 out of the 16 or 20 to bed, then the CNA's got to the point where they expected it from me. I will never let pts needs go, but I think I have finally found a balance. There will always be a lazy nurse where ever you work. I worked with one that would pass meds until time for the food cart, then chart until the cart came, just so she could then finish passing meds when the cart came so she didn't have to pass trays or feed pts! The same goes for nurses to, 2 out of 3 are great. There is always that third one!
The same goes for nurses to, 2 out of 3 are great. There is always that third one!
trouble is ..that third one is not normally on my wing!!!!! I have had the chance to work with a wonderful, caring nurse ..who I want to be just like. While our regular floor nurse was on vacation. Our regular floor nurse is huge!! and she is lazy ..even the residents notice that !! We have a hard time keeping any one else on our wing because they try it and call in saying "it's too hard" I agree ..our wing is too much for one nurse and too much for 2 aids. I keep telling myself I am only doing this till I get in to LVN class in August and once done I will not return to that facility, but I think about the residents who depend on me and I am not quite sure I wont go back there.
I started as a nurse aide just whent the nurse aides were required to be certified, in 1990. In our facility it really did seem like there was a very bold, big, bright line drawn between the Nurses and the "aides" (that is what they were called then) IN OUR FACILITY there were things a nurse would not do it was below her to do any thing other than med pass, assesments, tx, and paperwork (even back then there was not as much paperwork as today). She literally sat behind the desk and ate or smoked (yes the smoking out doors thing hadn't implemented yet) The nurses at our facility would have pot lucks with out inviting, even refusing the aides and they would have their pot luck out at the desk and not do anything. I have seen nurses crawl my tail for not having the 68 residents finished with breakfast at 10:00 am (three aides on the floor) she was screaming at me before she got her feet off the desk and turned the radio off. NOW I KNOW that today the nurses are extremely busy. I know they work their tails off. I know that catch HE** from all ends. I get upset with the truely lazy nurses. But What I am madder about than that is that our administration treats CNA's like crap. They tell us they can't pay us any more because there is no money (NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION) Yet they can pay the CEO equivelant to $93 an hour and then when he is fired for sexual harassment (of another employee) he gets 103,000 compensation pay!!!!!!!
I agree with the poster that things have to be done at a different level at a higher level go to the board of your facility eduacate the public. Do some of the work to get things started. My friend tried to do things like that when she worked there. She went to the Head of HR and she demanded they do something. She called state she reported everything she saw. And now she doesn't work at all and will not walk back into that building. The done her wrong wrote her up for everything they could think up or make up. They broke her. I heard a nurse one time (about her) I wont have a trouble maker f**k up my position. What ever that meant (it was a nurse that had one of those go between jobs so's that no one is mis understood in the event of a misunderstanding -- basically her job was to smoke.) ANY sorry guys my point is to make up a group of people talk to the towns folks go to a lawyer talk to family members about your concern but band as a group and don't take no for an answer go to the top arm yourselves and get something done about it. WE AS CNA'S LPN'S and RN'S deserve more of everything, respect, money and a better nurse /cna: patient ratio.
SUE
Can you say U N I O N . Numbers really do matter and any nurse with an iota of common sense knows that an aide can get her/his (the nurse's) license ripped out from under her/him; so another words, treat your techs/aides with kindness and respect.
Can you say U N I O N . Numbers really do matter and any nurse with an iota of common sense knows that an aide can get her/his (the nurse's) license ripped out from under her/him; so another words, treat your techs/aides with kindness and respect.
I would like information on that. Pros and cons I would like to see into a union but I do believe that Our facility had us sign something about not joining or even talking to a union rep. I KNOW THAT WALMART HAS YOU SIGN A FORM SAYING YOU WOULD DO THAT.
any way if any one has input on the union i would like to know as much as I can. Thank you
I would like information on that. Pros and cons I would like to see into a union but I do believe that Our facility had us sign something about not joining or even talking to a union rep. I KNOW THAT WALMART HAS YOU SIGN A FORM SAYING YOU WOULD DO THAT.
any way if any one has input on the union i would like to know as much as I can. Thank you
Sue
I know that you would have to contact the Union and then you would have to have a meeting with your coworkers; they would need to vote on it. A lot of organizations say you cannot distribute literature of any kind on their property . . . this especially applies to union info. Look up the local union in your area and talk to a rep. A lot of people complain about their jobs but none have the guts to go forward with union. Of course Wally world would make you sign a form stating no for the union. Prices are great for consumers but people get paid a little more than minimum wage.
I know that you would have to contact the Union and then you would have to have a meeting with your coworkers; they would need to vote on it. A lot of organizations say you cannot distribute literature of any kind on their property . . . this especially applies to union info. Look up the local union in your area and talk to a rep. A lot of people complain about their jobs but none have the guts to go forward with union. Of course Wally world would make you sign a form stating no for the union. Prices are great for consumers but people get paid a little more than minimum wage.
Ok how would I go about contacting a UNION rep in my area. As far as I know I have never heard of any even close to here. I live between Nashville TN and Paducah Ky.
As many have said there are good and bad no matter what initials follow their names. The first thing my charge nurse told me when I started many years ago, listen to your cna's, they can teach you more than you can imagine and she was right. They are you extra eyes and ears. That was 19 years ago and I couldn't agree more. I find myself telling our new grads when we are training the same thing. I love our Cna's and they know it. They know they are appreciated and put an extra foot forward when they work those of us who don't treat them like pack mules. They do get their breaks and lunch, but I don't fault them, understand much of their duties aren't as time-sensitive as meds, treatments, doc orders etc., however if they notice that I have been swamped, they try to do what they can to get me a break. Have even got me a snack or juice because they know I'm diabetic and worry. Right now we have about 5 nurses who feel they are above what they feel is "cna work". They are working them to death. I fear we may start losing them and have voiced concerns. With staffing being what it is today I shudder to think what it would be like without them.
From my personal experience, I am soon to be an RN (one semester left), I work in LTC, the LPNs that I work with have a complex in general against RN students (we even have a med student who will be MD in about 4 more years working there and they have the same complex against her). From what is being taught to me in school in regards to LPN and CNA 1. LPN is just a step above CNA 2. Make the LPN and especially the CNA your best working buddy . . . they can make you or break you 3. definitely in the LTC setting, listen to the CNA, they deal with the patient more than you do and see more than you see. It is a shame that there is the "inferiority/superiority complexes". We all need each other to do our job effectively. And for the nurses who don't like to help and are too good for it; they better watch out because a former CNA will be their supervisor one day :rotfl:
:yeahthat:
A nurse, LPN/RN is only as good as the CNA that cares for the resident. CNAs have the hardest and the lowest paying position. I don't know anyone that works in LTC for the money. CNAs are awsome. I would choose many a CNA to care for me over several LPN/RNs I know.
Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN
12,126 Posts
When i first started as an aide a decade ago, it was $5.75 an hour.