Difficult Residents

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

We have a new admit that just came in... I am so glad i was off the day she came in because I was forwarned about her :).... anyway when she came in she gave the staff problems about smoking(our facility is a smoke free facility... the residents who do smoke have to be their own person sign out of the facility leave facility property to smoke(doesn't happen very often). Yesterday me and another CENA transfered her so she could use the restroom before we transfered her the other CENA called her by the name that was written on the door and the resident told us if you call me that one more time I am not going to move at all... My first thought was it is you that needs to use the bathroom not me I can care less I will just leave and take care of another resident that would like to go to the bathroom. We finally got her transfered and she took like a couple seconds to go we took her back to her room and she proceeded to tell a family member that "it would not have taken so long if these girls knew what they were doing I don't think anyone in the building is very competent". Later she told the nurse that she asked her four times to tighten the bandage on her leg as it was loose but she never asked the nurse. She claims the reason she is in this predicament in the first place is because a CENA(at another facility) was taking off her ted hose and scratched her leg.... AHHHHH....

Luckily the nurse that has been on for the last two days is a very thourough nurse and has documented every last detail... I told the nurse that I refuse to go in there even to deliver water by myself because I do not want to get accused of something I didn't do.

Any other suggestions.... Just kinda needing to vent a little but could use other suggestions to deal with her.

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you are right to not go in there alone. I actually just got a tough resident as well. He didn't want me to leave him alone, gets mad easily, and wanted the opposite of anything we got him. If you think about it these have lost everything. Yes some do take it out on the staff. Since this seems behavioral, i would try to get to the bottom of it. Tell her in a nice way that you and everyone else is tired of being disrespected and ask her what is wrong. I find a lot of behavior comes from pain or discomfort in any way. Physical, emotional, etc. If all else fails, try to avoid her, and talk to the social worker.

hope this helps!

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Specializes in LTC, Medical Day Care.

I learned this waaay when back when and it holds true in many situations..even within our own families...it all comes down to CONTROL and the loss of it..

Im sure that she does not want to be in LTC facility for rehabilitation or anything else. What happens to a person who is aging/dying/or is sick is the loss of control of self. Our purpose is to encourage behaviors that encourage wellness...and to lessen/not encourage behavior that promotes combativeness or attention getting issues. The key is to learn to change the subject..get her focused on something else..to talk about something else...persons..place or thing..hobbies, foods, likes or whatever you can...and understand its hard to teach old dogs new tricks..so you have to keep at it!!

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Specializes in ALF, Medical, ER.
We have a new admit that just came in... I am so glad i was off the day she came in because I was forwarned about her :).... anyway when she came in she gave the staff problems about smoking(our facility is a smoke free facility... the residents who do smoke have to be their own person sign out of the facility leave facility property to smoke(doesn't happen very often). Yesterday me and another CENA transfered her so she could use the restroom before we transfered her the other CENA called her by the name that was written on the door and the resident told us if you call me that one more time I am not going to move at all... My first thought was it is you that needs to use the bathroom not me I can care less I will just leave and take care of another resident that would like to go to the bathroom. We finally got her transfered and she took like a couple seconds to go we took her back to her room and she proceeded to tell a family member that "it would not have taken so long if these girls knew what they were doing I don't think anyone in the building is very competent". Later she told the nurse that she asked her four times to tighten the bandage on her leg as it was loose but she never asked the nurse. She claims the reason she is in this predicament in the first place is because a CENA(at another facility) was taking off her ted hose and scratched her leg.... AHHHHH....

Luckily the nurse that has been on for the last two days is a very thourough nurse and has documented every last detail... I told the nurse that I refuse to go in there even to deliver water by myself because I do not want to get accused of something I didn't do.

Any other suggestions.... Just kinda needing to vent a little but could use other suggestions to deal with her.

Yea difficult residents are loads of fun. We just recently admitted a resident who at first seemed ok, then as the days wore on she got increasingly agitated and upset. She claimed that two girls on the 11-7 shift were in her room trying to pull her bra down around her stomach to suffocate her, then the next night she called the cops and claimed that she was being neglected. All I can say is be as nice as humanely possible, she may back down a little if you kinda let the stuff she says to you slide off your back and be nice back to her. It may throw her off. And yes if you feel uncomfortable going in there alone, by all means bring someone with you. If she does do/say something incredibly nasty or out of line, you have a witness and can have that incident charted word for word. Thats what we do at my facility, chart EVERYTHING no matter how insignificant. It all adds up when the PCD has to tell the family what "mother" has been up to. You need the documentation to back you up. HTH. You'll get thru it I promise!!

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Specializes in ER, CCU.

Completely Agree, She's Not Happy And Doesn't Want Anybody Else To Be, Plus She Has Nothing To Do But Complain All Day. Just Be Sweet As Honey To Her, Document Everything And Do Not Play Into Her Games, Change The Subject, Never Badmouth Another Employee Or Agree With Her, She Will Only Get Worse. And By All Means Cya (cover Your A**)

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Specializes in Psychiatric nursing.

about the smoking: my facility has a no smoking at all policy as well. Anyone who used to smoke has to pick either a nicatine patch or nicorette gum or go cold turkey. Even so, I confiscated two lighters last week.

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