what to do with this one CNA???venting....

LPN1974, LPN · Jan 31, 2005

Yes, hun, I'm afraid it is, ESPECIALLY IN LTC. Nursing homes are frequently short staffed and alot of nursing homes have management that just does not care.

But not ALL places are like this, there are some good nursing homes out there, you just have to find them.

I hope that it won't discourage you, tho, from going on to school to become a nurse.

You seem to care about other folks and the nursing profession needs people who care.

And besides, if you become a nurse your opportunities will be greatly increased at finding a better job, and one where they treat you better.

But remember, also, that sick people in hospitals and nursing homes have to have someone there 24/7, to see that things are done. Even during snow storms, but I still don't think it's right for staff to have to work 24 plus hours, without time off for some kind of rest. If staff can't leave and staff can't get in, then the ones who are there should be given time to lie down and rest somewhere, everyone taking turns to get some kind of rest. People have to cooperate with each other because people can't function like that.

But you being a caring type person should go on to school and maybe you can help in some way, where ever you work to solve problems like that, and make a difference in some people's lives, patients and the staff you supervise.

You can say life sucks, or life is good. It just depends on your point of view.

Blackcat99 · Jan 31, 2005

Yes this is typical of most LTC facilities. I think that CNA will continue to do "as she damn well pleases." When LTC facilities are chronically short of CNA's they usually don't do anything about problem CNA's. However, I have worked in facilities that have plenty of CNA's and since they have a lot of CNA's they tend to fire the problem CNA's. Good luck to you. I hope you will find a better staffed facility but most LTC's are chronically short of CNA's.

akcarmean, LPN · Jan 31, 2005

Good luck to you, hope everything works out.

Canadian_Gal · Feb 12, 2005

At my LTC facility we have a decent staff to work with/under, management, nurses and aides. There are a few bad apples but they do not spoil the bunch, as their substandard work/attitude is not tolerated by others. They are quickly "documented" on their behaviour by their immediate supervisor, or others and gotten rid of. Employees here are held to a high standard, and we hold our employer to one. I think it works both ways, if you have the respect and understanding of your employer for the hard work that you have to do, then they have yours as well. It is really too bad that some facilities will tolerate staff that choose to do as they please because in the end it is the resident/patient that will truely be the one to suffer the consequences. My facility is not perfectly run, but it has come a long way from where it used to be. Times are a changing.... for the better.

Kitkat23 · Feb 12, 2005

That CNA deserves to be fired. Heck, at other jobs that I've worked at, she would kicked out a long time ago. You can't just waltz into a job whenever you feel like it. I would discuss this problem with the administrator or the DON. This CNA doesn't seem mature enough for the job. It's too bad that nursing homes and even hospitals are short of aides and don't do a thing about it. We need some real good aides, but are hard to find. A lot of them do the job for the money. In CT, the aides make about 11-13 dollars an hour and about 14-16 dollars an hour in hospitals. So they get a pretty decent pay. :balloons:

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 12, 2005

People only do as they please because others let them.

This is why i knew i didn't want to do LTC after graduation.

curleysue · Feb 12, 2005

Welcome to the world of Long term care facilities!

After having way too many of your experiences I prefer to work in home as a caregiving and hospice. I love this job! Its so much better working by yourself than having to work with other aides that don't do *$@#!

Kitkat23 · Feb 13, 2005

Welcome to the world of Long term care facilities!
After having way too many of your experiences I prefer to work in home as a caregiving and hospice. I love this job! Its so much better working by yourself than having to work with other aides that don't do *$@#!

I know what you mean. I'm certified as a CNA and I've done private homecare for an elderly lady last spring. I did it for 2 months and I wished I stayed there forever. Unfortunately, my client died in her sleep. I liked it a lot because I could give her 100% of my time and care to her. I didn't have 9 other patients to care for like the nursing homes and I was on my own. I didn't have to put up with nasty CNAs or nurses. It was hard work, but I loved caring for my client. She was like my 3rd grandmother. I was sad when she died. My job was from 8-5pm for 5 days per week.

I changed her bed, helped her to the bathroom, helped her to the tub, I cleaned her dentures and helped her get dressed and groomed. I cooked breakfast and lunch for her. (she could feed herself.) and cleaned up. I spent a lot of time with her by watching tv, reading, and she told me stories and showed me pictures and other treasures. I also reminded her to take her meds. Her daughter said I could give it to her, but I didn't want to take any chances. Aides, even in homecare, could never give out meds. I loved homecare a lot and I was paid 600 a week in cash. The worst part was that I didn't get insurance. But i agree that homecare is better than working in LTC facilities. The clients in homecare mostly get the care and attention they deserve.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Feb 14, 2005

Yep...a warm body is needed more than ethics, good work practices or anything else. Out of my day staff..I have over 9 that should have been fired long ago for this stuff, and would have in ANY OTHER job!!!!!!!!

I have learned to live with it, and try to encourage them to come to work on time, not call in..etc..yeah right, waste of my time if someone doesn't have good work ethics (and that goes for not just CNA's!!!!! Some of my nurses are just as bad! And the non medical managment staff...oh goodness they are the worse but have the better excuses and power!!!!!).

My managment (not nursing department mind you) feels that the money they put into training is worth more than them not showing up...that is SO WRONG! But with a lack of people knocking on the door to get into LTC..what can you do. Again..a warm body is better then no one..and that is a catch 22 where they may be right (unless it endangers patient safety..but we have proven we don't let things happen to my patients by all staff banning together to help..which cycles...).

One thing that really helped was making sure that there is NO schedules posted that included others work times! When certain people knew we had floats or knew a certain person was in a service area nearby that can handle their load..they called in! SO now we don't allow anyone to have the print out of others schedules...only their own. That has helped TONS! I didn't think it would..I was wrong! (sadly they banned us nurses too...but I had a cow because us nurses have to replace call ins and how can I do that if I don't know who is comming in already, who isn't, who is on vacation and stuff...they said "oh yeah!"..now us RN's can see it....but if we allow them to see it, even by accident, we are written up and face "disiplanary action"...NICE GRRR!

jyoung1950 · Mar 14, 2005

so you all know i'm a cna and very quickly learning the trenches of the nursing arena. I've been a patient, student nurse, home health, and now cna in long term care. Now I'm not a saint and I missed a couple days since I started this current job in October. But it seems like were frequently short staffed, alot of call offs, people quitting, and then we have this one aide:rolleyes: that I don't understand why she has not been fired yet. Ok heres the scoop she comes in at varying times so it depends on the day. But she never calls if she's late, just comes in whenever, gripes cause first check isn't done yet, frequently misses, and last time she was suppose to come in at 6 no show until 6:30 leaves at 7:15 comes back in at 9:35, I'm not kidding, big long sob story, sick and wants to go home, gets 3 day suspension, comes in today leaves again and comes back only to be sent home. My partner and I were on D and this aide was suppose to be on c with the other girl but as a result she was left alone! the charge nurse helped some and we helped once we were done with d hall. Management really sucks at this place. I got a written warning in my file for getting hurt and she gets away with this sh&t! If they don't offer me daylight as promised upon acceptance of this job in order to attend school in March I'm packing my bags boy! I'm finding another perch to sit on!!! Alot of people are fed up. always short staffed, over worked, not appreciated, barked at all the time, and expected to work 16-20 hour shifts. Yeah during that snow storm we had some of the aides were forced to work 24+ hours almost back to back!!! Is this how nurses are treated too? it's like we spend hours upon hours caring for people, worrying about them, alot of stress, body aching and many germs but the moment we get sick all he$$ freezes over!

She's still there because the place needs warm bodies.

She won't get fired unless she is witnessed abusing a resident and there are lawsuits galore and state inspections because of the incident.