Fantastic CNA. but...

[nursetiffany.]

we have a great cna where i work. she works hard, always does a good job, and i can rely on her when she's there. that being said a couple times now, her alarm didn't go off and she's been 2+ hours late for work which in turn throws more on my other aides and makes for a hectic morning. i know she's a young girl (early twenties) but what can we do? she's been suspended for 3 days once and obviously that didn't work. other then firing her, what other options are there? any good "consequence" for her behavior without losing her?! she really is a great aide/hard worker and we know they are hard to find.

[AgentBeast, MSN, RN]

I do most sincerely apologize. Let me rephrase- she is in possession of professional credentialling which may be revoked by the credentialling agency- the BON. While licensure does carry greater professional responsibility, contextually, either credential is the means of livlihood.

Depending on state law, "neglect" is most likely what will apply (though another term/phrase may be used), as the employee is assigned care-duties with the expectation that they will be assuming those duties within a schedule. Theoretically, one could be charged with "abandonment" w/o assuming direct responsibility for patients, if one was assigned, did not call in, and (for whatever reason) other staff were not able to fully meet the needs of patients-resulting in harm.

No, the Free World is not coming to an end, but as in so many arenas- stupidity will increase to fill the void it is allowed. It is inherently progressive, infectious and expansive.

The BON couldn't give two ***** about CNAs as in most states they are NOT the agency that maintains the registry. It's the Department of Health and they don't give a crap about CNAs showing up late, leaving in the middle of a shift, ect. The ONLY time they'll take someone off the registry would be if a CNA were beating patients or being otherwise abusive towards them or the person failed to renew their registration.

[Bruce_Wayne, ASN, RN]

I used to have a problem with sleeping in late. Moving my alarm clock to a place where I have to physically get out of bed really helped.

I don't know how feasible this is, but I had a nurse supervisor once that'd call me and make sure I was awake and getting ready for work. But we were close friends and she passed away.

I haven't had a problem with getting up for a few years now, but there are tons of tricks I tried. Here's what worked for me:

Making a mental note of what time I had to get up in the morning and why. Keep thinking that time to myself as I fall asleep.

Lay out my clothes for the next day so I don't spend time digging through my closet in the morning if I am running a little late.

I also keep some basic toiletries at work just in case I do over sleep and have to run out of the house without shaving, brushing my teeth, or combing my hair. I'll look like a slob at first but I'll clean myself up sometime in the early morning.