Foster CNAs

[passive sambo]

Are you a foster CNA of an orphaned resident?Do you enjoy caring for your residents more than you do avoiding them? It seems like far too many facilities have it's least favorite resident. They often have extra needs and require effort and maybe you get a few less breaks in the chart room. Often put off til very last the call for help from their rooms. It should have been answered in 3, we all do, but after 20 their caregiver has gone to extremes to avoid. As you go down the hall you she their caregiver toileting a patient that is not even theirs rather than help their own. You find a very stressed and shaky patient that wants to go to the bathroom. After you tell the CNA Mrs Taylor she had been calling for twenty five minutes, which is true and denied. Why did the nurses not say anything. It keeps happening and next the patient starts staring with desperate eyes at the station. Toileting has increased to twice and you are laying them down in the after noon. So talking with the patient begins and the irritation of being stuck doing starts to fade. Sometimes her cna thanks you, don't mention it, but always tell a you how hard the patient is and how many times they have put them on the toilet, right in front of the patient. Then you notice the calls are ignored in the morning after breakfast or if she is begging for help they blow right past her. I have never been able to just walk past and ignore some one begging for help. So I help.Talking turns into an everyday thing and now I am doing every thing but dressing her I'm the morning in addition to my own group. I did not understand why she got ignored or put off there was not a lack of time. And why such a hard patient? I suppose I could have reported to the nurse, but there would be no point, they know already. I adopted her about eight months ago and love taking care of her and she loves me to take care of her. I will never abandon my orphaned resident and she now has a sense of security because she knows I be there when she needs me. To this day her CNA s try to look busy when she needs help. Over time they have given me an attitude. Now taking her to the toilet when others back down is considered spoiling her. would love to hear stories about compassionate foster CNAs and how they came about a resident no one else would claim.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Sounds like you are a very caring CNA who is very frustrated with her co-workers. All I can say is that what you do for these vulnerable patients that others may ignore out of laziness is INCREDIBLY important.

[hookyarnandblanket]

It seems like there may be more to this situation than we are seeing. I cared for residents like this and often it was more anxiety and boredom than actually really needing someone there all the time. Sometimes it was a resident with dementia who merely repeated the same phrase all day long. It's hard to know what's going on here without the viewpoint of all involved and an objective look at the situation.

[Missingyou, CNA]

Could part of the issue be that the other CNA who is assigned to this resident but keeps ignoring her knows that YOU will help her with her needs?

I think it's great that you step up and care for this resident when the others will not. You are taking on extra work that technically you don't have to, and shouldn't have to. It's great that you care but why do someone else's work. Have you tried approaching this other CNA about switching residents? Agree to take this resident in exchange for one of your regulars. This way the added work won't take it's toll on you and the other resident's you care for.