I work as a nurse delegated CNA in a very small adult family home that is state certified and actually takes place in a big house, not a facility. It's actually a pretty neat set up as it truly feels like you're in a comfortable home and not in an institution. That said, because we are super small and independently operated, there are only two CNA's on staff and that's it. No RN's, no doctors, no anything. However, we do not administer anything beyond oral medications and insulin injections. We don't take anyone in need of acute care, so it's not a place designed where nurses must be present at all times anyway.
So, my schedule recently changed since I'm in school and I now work with someone who has a lot of experience in LTC (20+ years) and has been working for this company from its beginnings (which is still fairly new, less than 5 years in operation). He is a nurse delegated CNA like me. I am a new CNA, but personally? I don't like to work with him. He does things "his" way rather than what is normally expected and it drives me nuts as I am the type of person that likes to follow rules and regulations to the letter, especially when it comes to other people's health. He does a lot of little things that bother me, such as having the diabetic patients already eating before he takes a supposed fasting glucose test, is very vague in chart notes (says someone ate and drank "adequately" instead of giving measurements/ratios), things like that.
To make a long story short, he made a major med error by giving a resident someone elses meds. My heart dropped. I understand people make med errors, but that to me is a HUGE error. I always follow the 5 rights because I am paranoid of this exact scenario potentially happening, so I do everything in my power to not let it happen when I am the one administering. But more disturbing than this is that he didn't make a big deal about it at all. In fact, it was as if nothing happened. I said that I was calling the manager to tell them right away of the incident. He says, "Oh, don't worry about calling her. It's not a big deal. I'll just chart about it later. And anyway, it's not like the medications that this person is taking will effect the other person adversely anyway."
I felt my heart pulsating violently in my chest in anger. Does RN, MD, or PhD follow your name in any way, shape, or form? Are you a pharmacist or pharmacy tech? If the answer is no, you don't know JACK about how that medication well effect that resident! This is the kind of error that could potentially kill someone! And to have no sense of urgency is just...I couldn't believe it. Oh, and he didn't even chart it. This whole thing was just so, so wrong. He should have known better. It shouldn't have even been a hesitation. The fact that he didn't even want me to call and to just keep it quiet...OMG. No. I advocate for my patients, thank you very much, and to hell if I was going to just sit back while a resident has someone elses meds pumping through their system with no one speaking up for them!
I only had a few minutes left on my shift when this all went down, and decided that I was going to call the manager immediately after getting off to tell them what happened and I did. They were shocked and appalled and both the manager and the owner drove to the home that night to address him. They called me while I was home, put me on speaker phone so he could hear me, and I explained the entire thing from beginning to end. The owner asked him if my account was accurate, and to my surprise the CNA said yes, everything I said was true and accurate.
I am not sure what disciplinary action happened, but it's going to be extremely awkward when I have to work with him next shift. Ugh.
I have never once said this, in my life. Run, run away-- quit that job before getting another one. Make sure the state knows EXACTLY what is happening here, and how far your scope is being pushed.
I have chills... this place sounds horrific... i am shocked....
I could care less about calling the manager. Why wasn't the PHYSICIAN notified? The MD should have been called immediately! A cupful of meds intended for another resident could have caused all sorts of bad. The doc may have wanted special monitoring done, a reversal agent given, or meds held.
Bully for reporting it, but while reporting the offender, the victim, was kinda overlooked.
I could care less about calling the manager. Why wasn't the PHYSICIAN notified? The MD should have been called immediately! A cupful of meds intended for another resident could have caused all sorts of bad. The doc may have wanted special monitoring done, a reversal agent given, or meds held.
Bully for reporting it, but while reporting the offender, the victim, was kinda overlooked.
As a CNA I have to work up my chain of command. The manager is always notified first of anything (as is the rules), then they are responsible for calling the nurse or MD. CNAs in my work environment do not contact MDs, only the manager.
I am in tears now. It just hit me in the shower getting ready for work how betrayed I feel.
They just tacked on another person for me to shower (who is very difficult to shower) to my schedule. I already have a person assigned to me to shower on Wednesdays, so I will be showering two people today. My coworker probably will not be allowed to administer meds for awhile (I'm only assuming), so I will be doing all the meds, FBS, insulin, etc the whole shift. Wednesday is the day to do once a week full set vital signs on everyone, so I'll be doing that while he gets started on dinner. I will be doing the transferring and toileting and the getting ready for bed clothes changes since my coworker has a bad back. Last time I worked, I was taking someone to the bathroom and saw him sitting on the couch watching TV with the other residents. I told him I needed him to take someone else to the bathroom. He says no, I'll have the night person do it. I say no - she hasn't been taken in a few hours and needs to go now. He then takes her.
I am doing ten times the work in a 6 hour shift while he plays Susie Homemaker and he gets paid more than I do because of seniority (and he lives just below the main part of the house).
I feel heartbroken to be so used and no one thinks anything of it.
You're allowing yourself to be used. Either speak up and possibly get results or be quiet and get no change. If you speak up and they don't change or treat you badly write a courteous resignation letter stating why you are quitting ....don't be emotional, just factual.
"I don't believe I can continue in this position due to x, y, z. As much as I appreciate having been hired, x, y, Z. I believe this is in my best interest and wish to quit effective 10-**-13
Spoke to the coworker today already about my issues with him and did get results without having to go through management. Today is going much better than I thought it would.
No use talking to management about anything else - pay, delegation, etc. That is just how they run and it won't change. I decided either way to resign. Waiting to hear back from other places I've applied to first - as soon as I find something else (hopefully soon) the letter will be given to them the same day.
The great State of WA has been the recipient of funding to increase/expand nursing schools all over the state. The amount of nurse mills churning out new grads is staggering. All these new grads...kind of silly when a CNA can do their job with a nine-hour online course (insert roll-eyes emoticon).
I recently started a thread in General about the expanded MA scope of practice as well.
This stuff sends chills down my spine, and also for the reasons that others have already mentioned in this thread. Holy smokes. What.the.hell.
Disturbing is an understatement. As an addendum to the "Nursing Glut" thread, I'm going to go ahead and cross post this here. Mods feel free to move this, but I think the topic warrants as much exposure as possible.
Absolutely frightening on so many levels...patient safety, and the rapidly changing definitions of the nursing profession itself.
What insanity are we experiencing when nurses in one State are handed a mop and a bucket, and in another state the CNA's are handed an insulin syringe?
I am a NA. There is no way in hell I would ever inject a patient with insulin or give any kind of medication to a patient. That is crazy and very unsafe. I would be surprised if it was legal. I would withdraw my family members from that home.
Specializes in Hospice, Case Mgt., RN Consultant, ICU.
Guttercat,
In assisted living facilities the medications are given by med techs which have less training than CNAs. Assisted living facilities can be small home like facilities or much larger. In the larger facilities the manager may be an LPN. There was recently a TV special about assisted living facilities not being regulated. The special stated they are growing and admitting very sick patients who are not appropriate for these type of facilities.
Specializes in Hospice, Case Mgt., RN Consultant, ICU.
This whole situation is just so wrong on so many levels! This obviously conscientious employee is doing her best and being paid nearly nothing for her efforts while the other sits on his butt. The patients are not getting proper care and yet their families and long term care insurance are paying big bucks for their care. Nursing schools continue to crank out nurse graduates who spend thousands for their education and then are unable to find employement. The owners of these assisted living facilities are making all sorts of money by hiring people for $10.00 an hour, not paying for benefits, and charging huge fees for poor care. How long will we allow these abuses to continue?
cjdmomma
105 Posts
I have never once said this, in my life. Run, run away-- quit that job before getting another one. Make sure the state knows EXACTLY what is happening here, and how far your scope is being pushed.
I have chills... this place sounds horrific... i am shocked....