Cna incident investigation

[Nnb07]

I need some advice on what will happen to me. I am a cna and recently I was involved with an incident that resulted in the resident falling from the stand up lift and breaking her hip. I was helping an aide transfer a resident from the chair to the bed and when the resident was standing up in the lift, I asked the aide if it was ok for me to go on break and she said yes. I left before the resident was transferred in bed and she was still standing. When I came back from break she told me the resident fell from the lift when I wasn't there.

The facility sent the information to the attorney general and department of health for nys.

I was suspended from work and I understand I am in big trouble but does anyone know the process or what will happen? Will I lose my certification and can I continue nursing school?

I know now I shouldnt have left and I really regret it and I'm so upset that the patient fell I feel so bad. But I don't know what to do and I can't stop thinking about this. Does anyone have any advice or information on what will happen?

[NurseBlaq]

But this is not the case, every lift does not require two people. Actually few mechanical lifts require two staff. First place to reference is the facility policy, if it is facility policy that two people be present for all mechanical lifts then yes, leaving before the lift was completed is against policy and OP can expect being fired at the least. If facility policy does not require two staff be present then the standard is checking each patients/residents care plan to determine the policy for lifting that person. Every facility should have a system in place for staff to reference, usually a Kardex or something similar.

If this patient was not required to have two staff present but was having enough difficulty with the sit-to-stand that the CNA felt the need to ask for help in the first place that lift may not have been appropriate for the patient, but what lift is appropriate isn't the CNA's decision to make. If that lift wasn't safe for that patient the failure was at a level above the CNA using the lift as long as the lift was being used correctly.

Don't know where you work but 2 people have always been required for every patient in private, public, and federal government facilities I've worked/work at. The patient is a safety risk and unstable, hence the need for any lift in the first place. I can't accept there were no 2 staff required. But that's irrelevant, she was asked for help and basically quit before the patient was safe and as a result was hurt, full stop. The OP made it quite clear 2 people needed to be present but you're doing gymnastics on how many were required. OP was asked for help, she started to help, she left for some trivial reason, patient fell and was injured, she was suspended so there must be a policy in place to support the suspension, along with she left mid procedure basically. So your whole thesis on policy is flawed.

Your second paragraph just rewords what I already said so I won't address it.

[JY0125, BSN, RN]

Aiya! In my NS application ... they did ask if any certification revoked due to disclinary action.

Best of luck ...

[CrissyH]

Wow I have never heard of that! That was already an unsafe situation by attempting to change her in the lift. Honestly I'm not surprised the resident fell.

[mhite226]

You may actually have something worse to fear for here. That can be classified as neglect and neglect resulting in an injury for a patient can be classified as a felony.

[jjsiegal]

In my state, I have seen CNAs be disciplined with removal of licensure and criminal charges filed in some cases. You get a ding of great magnitude it impacts your ability to pursue other licensures. That's my state though, not in NY. Good luck.

Hope you don't mind, but what state is that (may i ask)?

[jjsiegal]

You may actually have something worse to fear for here. That can be classified as neglect and neglect resulting in an injury for a patient can be classified as a felony.

Jesus....this is a Hard Job!

(s/he gets charged with a felony)?

Poor Girl/guy (s/he made a mistake, but being charged with a felony (i think that would be more along the lines of 'intentional' neglect). S/he's probably young and was tired and NEEDED a break.

S/he was told 'everything is ok' take a break. *its not like she pushed the patient to the floor.

Tough job being a CNA !

[mhite226]

Pushing the patient to the ground is actually classified as abuse. I'm not trying to scare her but what she did, whether she knew better or not, is neglect. Granted, it probably won't go that far but it's a possibility and it's something that she should be aware of so that she never does something like this again. Unintentional neglect where a patient gets hurt is a felony if its prosecuted. If the family chooses to press charges, or if the hospital does, she would be in some trouble. What's more likely is that she will be fired. I know being a CNA is a tough job, trust me! I just don't want to see her go into this blind is all.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

Most lifts I know take 2 people. In this case with a Sit/Stand Mechanical Lift it still takes 2 people.

I disagree. Every lift requires 2 people. That is evident from the CNA requesting help in the beginning.

Don't know where you work but 2 people have always been required for every patient in private, public, and federal government facilities I've worked/work at. The patient is a safety risk and unstable, hence the need for any lift in the first place. I can't accept there were no 2 staff required.

Wow, I don't know where you guys work, but the whole point of a lift (either a Hoyer type or a Sit-to-Stand type) is that it doesn't require multiple people to move the patient. Lifts are used in home care all the time, including by unlicensed, uncertified family members.

Check out these instructional videos easily available on YouTube -- all demonstrating that the lift is used with just one person assisting:

Every single time, only one person is required to facilitate the transfer.

But this is not the case, every lift does not require two people. Actually few mechanical lifts require two staff.

Thank you, kbrn2002... nice to see that I'm not the only one who knows this!

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

Hope you don't mind, but what state is that (may i ask)?

Minnesota

[NurseBlaq]

Wow, I don't know where you guys work, but the whole point of a lift (either a Hoyer type or a Sit-to-Stand type) is that it doesn't require multiple people to move the patient. Lifts are used in home care all the time, including by unlicensed, uncertified family members.

Check out these instructional videos easily available on YouTube -- all demonstrating that the lift is used with just one person assisting:

Every single time, only one person is required to facilitate the transfer.

Thank you, kbrn2002... nice to see that I'm not the only one who knows this!

Feds, private sector, and public sector require 2 people. I don't need youtube videos, I've been a CNA in the past and have been an RN almost 15 years. I know what I'm talking about.

And why are you writing a dissertation on how many people a lift requires? It doesn't change the point that OP didn't do what was required and a patient was hurt. Y'all killing me with these whataboutisms and irrelevant arguments. You never addressed the bottom line, neglect and an injured patient. Everything else is scapegoating. She was wrong and y'all will deal!

[NurseBlaq]

Wow, I don't know where you guys work, but the whole point of a lift (either a Hoyer type or a Sit-to-Stand type) is that it doesn't require multiple people to move the patient. Lifts are used in home care all the time, including by unlicensed, uncertified family members.

Check out these instructional videos easily available on YouTube -- all demonstrating that the lift is used with just one person assisting:

Every single time, only one person is required to facilitate the transfer.

Thank you, kbrn2002... nice to see that I'm not the only one who knows this!

You know nothing! What I know and have experienced for over 20 years of healthcare is not up for debate. You wrote an entire dissertation on lifts but didn't address the topic: OP failed to satisfy her duties and a patient was hurt. End of story. Everything else you typed is irrelevant.

[NurseCard, ADN]

We have a sit to stand lift in our hospital and, if one is properly trained,

it only requires one staff to use.

The OP asked the other aide if she could go on her break. The other aide

said yes, I'm fine. In my opinion, the OP is probably cleared from any

actual wrongdoing or "neglect".

Whether or not what she did was in the best interest of the patient is

possibly another story. Would have been much more prudent to make

sure the patient was safely in bed before leaving. Furthermore, why

would you go help someone with a transfer, and MID transfer say, "Ooop,

I need to go on my break NOW".