From bad to worse in my facility

[Krissy NY]

I have posted a few times on situations in the LTC facility I work. I am a CNA to attend LPN school in the fall. I chose this facility becauase they will reimburse me for my schooling.

To briefly summarize the situation, as a CNA there my fellow CNA's are high school dropouts with several children each, heavy smokers, low income, uneducated, foul mouthed, unclean, deceitful, dishonest and more. I have had money stolen, a jacket, and food from the breakroom. I have watched in dismay as they haphazzardly rush through their work, scold residents, humiliate them, make fists behind their heads, all to go out for a smoke break.

Some of them have been in jail, the ones who weren't have children with fathers who are. I would not want these people caring for a loved one.

I went to management (the head nurse) with this and she took down everything I said on paper. SHe then told me to "grow up and get back to work" I had tears in my eyes as I told her this stuff and she said "how old are you! 5 years old????get back to work!!!!" The next day she met with the CNA's I "told on" and told them everything I said. Now I am REALLY working in a hostile environment. Not one person will talk to me, I can't find help...I received a phone call at home from one of them who said she was going to lose her job because of me. Because of me or the way she conducts herself as a CNA?????

THe nursing supervisor told me..watch yourself, get the security guard to walk you out and hide your car. God knows what these "things" are capable of. Yet I feel she threw me to the wolves!

Is this what most facilities would do? I have been calling in sick and can't stop with the diariah and vomiting due to the stress. when I call in they are very nasty. Maybe it is the area I am in...but this CNA experience is very discouraging. I don't want to lose site of my career goals.

[obeyacts2]

I have seen the things you talk about. Go somewhere else. You will probably discover that other facilities know about your facilities problems by reputation. I maintain that the biggest problems faced in places like this is that with the work to welfare programs, the bad places get constant fresh labor, and bodies to say they are fully staffed : , plus around here, they get PAID to "train" these crummy unemployable people :angryfire . Becuase they have a constant stream of new people they don't have to compete with nicer places for the well trained and competent CNAs. The tax payers and residents lose.

[cantoo]

I am the DNS of a 120 bed LTC facility. I can tell you that not all facilities are like this. I can also tell you that good, moral character has nothing to do with education levels or socio-economic levels. One of my very best CNA's spent several years in prison for writing bad checks. She never graduated from high school and can barely read and write. She smokes like a chimney, is covered in jail-house tats and is missing a couple teeth. She is one of the most loving, caring people I know. She takes excellent care of her residents and anticipates their every need. She works like a horse and her residents love her. She is very grateful for her job and has made ammends for her past. She's currently enrolled in a reading program at the local library so she can read to her grandchildren. I don't think the bad CNA's you are describing are that way because they are poor or uneducated. Please re-think that stance. They are that way because of bad moral character and their poor care and abusive behavior should not be tolerated. Period. And the behavior you have described is indeed abusive. It should be reported to the abuse hot-line immediately. Shame on your DNS for not doing so!

Nitengale326 advises you to seek employment elsewhere. With this I would agree. But when you interview, do NOT mention the problems you have had at this particular facility. I feel like that would be a mistake on your part. You may certainly exspound on your good CNA qualities and reasons as to why you think you would make a good employee, but to go into any detail as to why you left your previous employer will only send up red flags for your interviewer. I am only speaking from my experience....and I interview potential employees on a daily basis. I'm not saying that your complaints are not valid. But I am telling you that as a DNS, I would not want to hear during the interviewing process about any problems you have had with a past employer. If at a later time you feel comfortable discussing this, then that's fine. Just don't do it during an interview. I would guess that this facility has a bad reputation and others already know about it. To simply say that you are seeking a better work environment will suffice and leave it at that. Just my opinion.

You sound like a very caring and consciensious person. I have no doubt that you will be able to get another job without delay. There are numerous facilities that offer tuition reembersment. If all else fails, can you apply for a grant or a student loan? It's not worth your sanity, let alone your safety, to stay where you are. GET OUT NOW!!!! Good luck to you....but I doubt you are going to need it. You are a good person and a good CNA and that will carry you through to a better place.