HELP !! Can anyone else handle LTC ??

[stressed5242]

Hi, I am a new grad LPN. I recently got hired in a long term care facility ! I work the 3-11pm shift 5 nights monday thru friday...I am so busy with 25 patient, between meds, treatments, new admits, family members, answering constant ringing phones, chasing fall risk patients, mounds of paperwork & skin issues, never ending call lights, passing meal trays, constant kitchen mistakes ( forgetting trays, wrong diet, patient doesn't like, want's alternative etc) I can go on & on & on !!! it's heartbreaking to come in on a shift and a pt needs to be changed, and they tell you it's been hours. Dressings that you know havent' been changed !! I am not getting out untill 1-2am every night. I am COMPLETELY BURNT OUT !! I haven't even been there that long !! I have worked 2 jobs for the past 16yrs, i am not afraid of working long hours & working hard, but I just can't keep up with this job. I am up all night & sleeping ALL day. I am exhausted !! I am starting to feel maybe nursing isn't for me, this is not what i expected. I am currently enrolled in the excelsior for my RN. Does it get easier ??? The place i work at is also discouraging because some of the nurses give 150%, only to go in the following day & get written up for something soooo completely ridiculous. I want to quit, but I dont' know if everywhere is like this, I would appreciate some input PLEASE !!!!

[SunRose7]

Thats a huge bummer! I know that CNAs can get super duper busybusybusy, but I also know that no matter how tired you are the work just has to get done! Maybe it's just me, but I always did more than what was asked of me from my nurse regarding passing trays/kitchen stuff, bathing, tried to do the best I could before asking for help from her regarding patient questions, like to redirect them (because most of the time they want you to go get the nurse and she comes in and they ask her for something you couldve done anyway like turning them or getting more water). Then again I made friends with most all of my nurses,and even the ones I didnt like so much just because I respect them at least and I need them as much as they need me! If those sneeky little CNAs of yours start withholding information about skincare/ breakdown I would consider that neglectful and abusive and they need to get their little butts handed to them with a nice write up. How dare they take a out a write up from you on the residents?! :angryfire:down:

[NursingStudent5548]

As once again a fellow CNA, I have a few points....

1. Where do you work it sounds to me like they glorify CNA's sounds like a easy job for them!!!

2. If they don't report skincare it is neglect and the CNA responsible for that resident is not providing adequate care.

They need wrote up and if need be congratulations they need canned.

I wouldn't be suprised if some of the other CNA's were being upset by these other lazy CNA's...

If need be have a "heart to heart" with numerous CNA's they will feel like you care for them.

[stressed5242]

a cna does not have an easy job at all. skin issues are ultimatley on the nurse, the nurse is responsible for everything. In my place, the nurse gets written up if the cna doesn't get the residents weights. The cna's i work with are great, the workload for cna's & nurses in LTC is horrendous !!! I agree with trailer, wish we could unionize. No one is there for us & our license is jeopordized EVERYDAY !!