Have you ever worked with other CNA's that shouldn't be CNA's?

[y&rfan84]

Sometimes, some of the workers I worked with can be quite mean to the patients/residents! There was this one incident where I was helping a co-worker put someone into bed. Well, he didnt stand up fast enough and she started yelling at him. And then when we layed him down she roughly moved his head over to the pillow and yelled at him again. This same CNA also slammed someone in the chair by using the hoyer lift and actually laughed when the lady screamed out because it hurt. Another time was when I was going to put the pillow under this lady's legs and I didnt mind doing it for her. Well, the night aide steps in and grabs the pillow from me and yells at the lady to lift her feet! Then I go and put the covers over her and she snatches the covers out of my hand and roughly puts them over the lady! Throwing the covers in her face and all. Then she turns to me and mentions that I shouldnt kill myself for these people. To me that sounded like she is there just for the paycheck. I just think this is the wrong job for some. I worked with other CNA's who are nice to their patients and give great care others seem to not give a d*mn.

[yousoldtheworld]

Ohhh yeah. I think they're everywhere. We had an aide recently get fired after TWO YEARS of complaints made to our old DON. Our old DON would not do a dang thing about it. Less than a week after our new DON started, she was gone.

In the past, she'd been reported for saying hateful things to residents including cussing (and keep in mind that this is a facility for developmentally disabled children), eating their food, being rough in general, not washing them, not wiping them after they pee, etc.

The thing that finally got her fired? She was down at the end of one hall, screaming at a self-injurious autistic 5 year old for beating himself. She was screaming at him so loud, using profanities, that you could hear her all the way down at the other end of the OTHER hall.

Ugh. Now, this kid's tantrums and self-beating can get really aggravating, because there isn't much you can do to soothe him and most attempts make it worse. All you can really do is put his helmet and arm braces on and leave him alone. And there have been times that he has really weighed on my nerves and tested my patience...but that's when you have to have the common sense to walk away for a while. This girl was actually SURPRISED when she got walked out and fired.

I don't understand why anyone would do such a low paying and underappreciated job if they hate it/the residents enough to be abusive.

[caliotter3]

Yes, they are everywhere, just as there are nurses who shouldn't be working as nurses.

[MurrR]

Well, it's true, don't kill yourself for anybody. BUT! There's a lot of quality care to be provided between not killing yourself and doing your job! Besides, you don't do anybody much good if you're dead, know what I mean?

If the resident can lift her legs, asking her to do so nicely is a helpful way to keep her functioning at her highest level. If you do it for her all the time, eventually she won't be able to lift them at all because she hasn't had to. Encouraging our residents to do what they can is part of providing good care.

HOWEVER! Yelling, cussing, screaming, laughing inappropriately...these are not okay. Roughness is not okay. I'd write a letter to my supervisor/whoever's in charge of this aide on a managerial level detailing what you've seen and heard. Keep a copy for yourself, make sure they're both dated.