Depending on CNA's in LTC setting

[caring worker]

I have been a nurse for 9 years. I have been away from direct patient care for the last 5 years. For the last 4 months I have been in the LTC setting - 12 hour shifts on weekends. I beleive that it is imperative that I manitain an open line of communicaiton with the CNA's about the patient's; b/c with my charge nurse responsibilities of 45 residents as well as night shift supervisor responsibilities, the CNA's are my eyes and ears.

About half of the CNA's are eager to complain about the nurses versus taking care of the patient's. Another 33 % of the CNA's will follow each other's lead in the staff -splitting process. Of course, that leaves only about 17% of the CNA staff that are participating in patient care in a manner that is healthy for the patient's and the team.

I am very frustrated by this reality.

Any thoughts on working as charge nurse and night nurse supervisor while overseeing CNA's that are more invested in complaining about the nurse (me); and quickly finishing their rounds so that they can sit at the desk- than meeting the resident's needs?

Thanks!!

[Chad_KY_SRNA]

CNA's take a lot of crap from everyone. As they say $hit rolls down hill and it piles all over the CNA's. Some of us are doing the very best that we can and the few "bad" CNAs make us all look horrible. A part of the problem is the incredibly dangerous CNA-resident ratios in most facilities. In my facility, we are assigned bathing, feeding, incontinent care, perineal care, washing out BM from linen, nail care, bed checks every two hours that can run back to back. Not to mention that the housekeepers are not allowed to clean up bodily fluids and they wont let us use their mop to clean that up. Not to mention some of our nurses. We have one who is a jewel. You can be in the middle of bedcheck and she decides that you need to go around the unit then and make sure everyone has their bed alarms, lap buddy's, heel protectors, whatever she can think of and she will ask you every five minutes if you have checked yet. Plus her sister who is a CNA but believes she is the DON. Very angry with her.:angryfire Treat your CNA's good. For the love of God don't make their lives any harder. I almost had a breakdown in front of the actual DON last week because the Nurses and CMAs were making me crazy:crying2: . Please by all means check your residents that you think are not getting proper care and see if they are being changed and repositioned during bedchecks. Make sure that showers are being done make sure that the residents are being shaved but don't make it seem like everyone is not taking care of them. There are some of us who like I said are working very hard for our residents despite the horrible working environment, pathetic pay, miserable benefits and horrible retirement plan. Work with them to ensure proper care is being done because after all it is all about the residents.

[Blackcat99]

:) I was a CNA before I became an LPN. If a person cares about their patients they will take good care of them no matter who the supervisor is.

I have worked with some great CNA's. Unfortunately, I have also worked with some CNA's who just don't care period. It makes me angry when I have to work so hard in a LTC and then I have to spend extra time I don't have "babysitting" some CNA's who just don't care about their patients. :angryfire Thank Goodness most of my CNA's are wonderful,caring and hardworking people. :balloons:

[abbytx3]

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHY CNAs ARE ALLOWED TO PASS MEDS IN NURSING HOMES, ASSITED LIVING FACILITY? SOME OF THE STAFF AREN'T EVEN CERTIFIED AND PASSING MEDS.

[abbytx3]

can somebody please tell me why cnas are passing meds

[kathy_79]

first of all, to pass meds you need to have knowledge what to give, to whom, why, how much, contradictions, indications, so it is not and should never be cna duty. think why all nurses, pharmacists, mds, need to have taken 2 semesters (at least) of pharmacology? it is lots of responsibility to pass meds and i would never want to get my meds from someone who is not certify to do that and if only i find out that it was cna probably i would sue facility or wherever it could happen for that. it is not disrespect for cnas and their job but really given meds you need to know what, why, you do it and lots of more what cnas do not realize about.

[Blackcat99]

can somebody please tell me why cnas are passing meds

it's called saving money. nobody cares if it is safe or not.

[Amylcd]

I work as a cna right now doing home care. We are told to open the patients medicine, get out their pills and tell them to take it, but we can not put it in their hand. I hate doing this! I'm terrified that the nurse will write down the wrong med for the wrong day/time or something and then I'll give it to them and get the blame/punishment. It's required at our agency so if I don't do this I lose my job. I will be so happy when I get my bsn and can quit this job!