hha or lpn job duries

Nurses General Nursing

Published

hello everybody i am a new LPN. I work for nursing agencies, and i have a patient with insuline am this patient has a new foley and he needs cleaning the foley(just like a general or routine bath, just cleaning the pennis and the foley entrance with soap and water), the problem is the HHA doesnt want to do it because she says it is not her job, the family,s patient is getting a complaint and he says" if the HHA doesnt do it you have to do it'.

Please tell me , HHA or LPN duries?

Thank you.

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.

If the HHA works for the same agency as you do, speak with her and the managers and see how they take her "insubordination", before that check what her job duities truly are. Otherwise, care for the patient as you would any other patient and that includes perineal care.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I would ask for the job descriptions for LPN and HHA and also review their policy and procedures in order to better answer that question. Maybe the HHA is not familiar with the foley and is afraid to clean around it? In my area, the HHA has not received training as deep as CNAs...they usually complete two week training and it is extremely basic. How often do you have to go there, and how long are you there for? Just to administer the insulin? Each agency does have their own criteria, however, so, you have to find the rules for yours before you say that the aide is insubordinate. If the aide is, in fact, being neglectful of her job requirements, I would speak to her first, showing the job description, demonstrate how is should be done. If she still doesn't, then, I'd have to report her.

Personally, my conscience would not be clear if I did not take care of that issue myself, as a nurse, while I am there, because I was also trained in ADL care, with more reasoning of why this is important. This way, I would be able to observe myself what is happening, if there is any odor, skin integrity, etc...

If the HHA does not do her job then who will? You should look into this matter and take steps to correct it before the issue blossoms into something worse. Bathing and ADL care is the reason the HHA is going to the home, the reason you go to the home is the insulin, to put it in short terms. You need to speak to the case manager at the agency to get some supervision for the HHA. If you are told that you are to supervise her, then take charge. At no time allow her to be insubordinate to you. After directing her to do something and teaching her how to do it if necessary, if she continues to refuse, then write her up and bring this up to the case manager.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
If the HHA does not do her job then who will? You should look into this matter and take steps to correct it before the issue blossoms into something worse. Bathing and ADL care is the reason the HHA is going to the home, the reason you go to the home is the insulin, to put it in short terms. You need to speak to the case manager at the agency to get some supervision for the HHA. If you are told that you are to supervise her, then take charge. At no time allow her to be insubordinate to you. After directing her to do something and teaching her how to do it if necessary, if she continues to refuse, then write her up and bring this up to the case manager.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I just wonder if the aide is familiar with foleys. I used to be a home health aide and we did not receive training on how to clean around foleys or colostomy bags, in fact, they told us that we were not allowed to do anything further than empty the colostomy bag (they never even mentioned foley care). It was not until I went for CNA training when I was taught more about foley and colostomy care. The issue I had with the colostomy case, believe it or not, was that the nurse was supposed to come three days a week, but she only came for one. Meanwhile, the family used to make me feel uncomfortable because they felt that I should do it. I would have been more than happy to, but never saw one in my life before that. Once the LPN knows the job descriptions and training of the HHA, she can better judge whether or not this person was avoiding doing her job or really doesn't know how to.

+ Add a Comment