Concerned about work environment

[aed2712]

Hi! After years of looking for a CNA job that wasn't home health, I have finally started a job in a nursing/rehab home. During the interview, the head nursing guy stated that organization and cleanliness were extremely important to them. He also said the CNA to patient ratio was no more than 12-1. I recently had orientation for 4 days straight.

I am very sad to say that this place is WAY below what I thought it would be. For starters, the place is absolutely filthy! The kitchen is disgusting, the break room is disgusting, and the patient rooms are cluttered and smell terrible! The shower rooms are absolutely horrendous! Nothing looks sanitary or clean! They are constantly running out of important items (sheets, clean water cups, kleenex and much more).

On my last day of orientation, they had one CNA (who was training me) for 25 patients. Techincally, I wasn't the second CNA because I was still in training. They had a guy die that day from choking (not on my shift) because there was not enough nurses and CNA's to watch them eat and do everything else. The girl who was training me told me that she was scared to work there and is afraid she'll lose her license because this place is so bad... I am thinking about calling whoever regulates this place to tell them about the conditions. I finally get a job (that pays pretty good) but it's a dangerous crap hole! :'( I'm already looking for a new job...

[caliotter3]

Welcome to the world of long term care. These conditions are not uncommon. Good luck in finding a better place to work.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Get gone.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

If you choose to report the facility to the state, remember that whistle blowers always lose. I'm not saying it's the wrong thing to do, just saying facilities ALWAYS know who the whistle blower is. You will most definitely lose your job, and I seriously doubt any long term changes will occur at that awful place.

I'm sorry you've found yourself in this position. It's a tough spot to be.

"Get gone" is the best option.

[aed2712]

I'm looking for a new place to work. I'll keep this nasty place until I can find somewhere else. I probably won't report anything to whoever because #1 I don't know who to tell and #2 I don't want to be fired. Lol. Oh, and not all LTC places are as bad as this one. I've seen many, just haven't worked in them. This one is BAD. Obviously, you don't know until you see it!

[LynnLRN]

This may be very naive of me. But how come nobody ever sticks around to try and fix these places. Is it not possible to have committees in LTC and try to fix the work conditions? Is it not possibly to get better house keeping? or enforce that they are cleaning the kitchen and shower rooms or that the staff are cleaning up after themselves? If it is common to only have 1 NA can't they maybe change meal times so that half of the patients eat at lets say noon and the other half get lunch at 1230 that way an NA doesn't have to be trying to assist feeding all patients at once? Can't you guys make it a priority to tidy up and clean the pt rooms, make sure the trash isn't full, etc.

I work in the hospital so I know it is way different than in LTC. I know you will say we don't have time to tidy up our pt rooms with our lack of staff blah blah blah. However, we had trouble on my unit in the past with people not removing linen bags and overflowing trash and we all teamed up and held each other accountable and made sure we were doing it every shift. It really doesn't take that much extra time.

I can't tell by your post what the actual specifics are of the problems at your facility but is it not possible for you all to get together and problem solve ways to create a better environment.

I understand leaving the facility because it is a scary/hard place to work. However, there are pt's there that will still be there after you leave and they are going to continue to be subjected to the substandard care, its sad. We don't want to work in these places because they are so "crappy" but others actually have to live there.

[One Flew Over]

Leave ASAP! And then after you've left and have a new job, blow the whistle on that other facility- it sounds like they need to be shut down.

[aed2712]

LynnLRN- I completely understand where you are coming from. I wish everyone could work together to make it a better place. But, there are only 2 or 3 people working on each unit. I've only seen one housekeeping person for the whole building. In order to get all patients physically taken care of (barely) the rest of it goes to crap. I amost want to (but not really, lol) want to become the housekeeper! There is no way in hell I would stand around while the showers look like poop holes and the rooms smell like crap. The trashes are never full, though....suprisingly! I feel terrible for the people staying there because everyone is too rushed to take good care of them. I would NEVER send my parents there. I'd quit my job to take care of them beore they had to go there. Poor little old people. As the new person....I don't really want to cause issues by "tattling" on housekeeping or whatever. But, I will be making a call about them once I don't work there anymore.