Highly disturbed today at Clinical...

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi everyone,

This is my second week of an accelerated BSN program. Things are crazy and we are already doing clinical at a LTC facility. Today driving home I almost broke down in tears because of the way some of the STNA's and LPN's were treating the patients. Now I am obviously no expert, and I am fully aware of how short staffed these facilities are, but it seemed like they were doing everything I have been told not to do. For instance, I was bathing a woman and was going to cover her with a towl so she wasn't cold and exposed and the woman working said not to waste an extra towel on that and the woman would be fine. Another patient I helped was put naked in a Hoyer Lift and was almost in tears because she kept asking to be covered and how indecent this was. I asked if I should go get a sheet to cover her and was told no. I had to wipe the woman afer we go her into bed and I again asked to get a sheet and was told it was unecessary. When the LPN left the room, I went and got the woman a sheet and you should have seen the relief in her eyes- I have never seen someone look so thankful. I know nakedness cannot be avoided and nurses and aids are always extremely busy, but I couldn't help but think what my own reaction would be in that situation. I am incredibly modest and would want to be covered up if it was possible. Am I totally naive in thinking this way?

Hi everyone,

I asked if I should go get a sheet to cover her and was told no. I had to wipe the woman afer we go her into bed and I again asked to get a sheet and was told it was unecessary.

When you know what is right: DO NOT ASK.... DO IT!

These behaviors, on the part of the staff, are the very things that make many patients snap and end up at my job: Gero-Psych.

Someday that these jackasses, themselves, will be carelessly run through a cold shower like a car through a carwash by a stupid nurse or aide.

Then they'll get it.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS advocate... which you did eventually do but, again, don't ask... just do it!

Holy cow, that frosts my buns!

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Specializes in ICU/ER/L&D.

Just try to treat people how you would want to be treated. I wouldn't want to be suspended on a Hoyer naked in front of strangers, and it is reasonable to assume that most others would not like it either. When you are an RN, in most places you are to monitor the care of the nursing assistants/aides. Now is a great time to get started practicing assertiveness. Next time, just say "I'm going to get a sheet to protect Mr/Mrs X's privacy." If they argue, just reassert yourself. If they continue to argue, report them. Organizing care so that all likely needed supplies are ready would lead this aide to be able to provide acceptable care without taking extra time running back and forth for a sheet. It's good to see that you have compassion for the patients.

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I am a current nursing student, and I do not feel for the CNA that could not take care of the patients most basic needs. No person should be laying in soiled linens, or have unclean sheets. If they need that much assistance with ambulation, and is "too time consuming" , then maybe that CNA should learn to prioritize. I would never let a patient be in that state. I firmly believe in thinking of the patient as your own family member or loved one. You provide them with the best quality of care possible! I feel so sorry for those patients that had to lay their and depend on that person! When I am a nurse, there is no way my patients will ever be treated that way. That's a shame :mad:.

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I am a nursing student who recently finished CNA. During our clinicals, we met a lady who hadn't been at the facility long, had had a stroke, and was having a very hard time making herself understood. A couple of times she was at the point of tears because she was unable to get her message across. It was very sad. Then, we (the CNA students) were asked to help get her on the stretcher thing they put the residents on for baths. The first thing the CNA's did was strip her completely naked. That was bad enough. This woman is a pretty large woman and the CNA from the bath team started poking the woman's fat with her finger, all over her body, and squealing "She is just SO fluffy!" Over and over. I was horrified at the inappropriateness of it and really felt terrible for the poor lady.

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My goodness CrazierThanYou, that is a horrifying story. I have my STNA clinicals this summer and hope I do NOT come across things like that.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

The CNAs at the LTC facility and hospital floord I've had two clinical rotations on are completely overworked with a HUGE patient load. It is faster for them to completely strip down a patient during a bath, sacrificing patient dignity and making the patients quite cold during it. It is a difficult balance for the CNAs to maintain. They have to get their work done, and the patients are sacrificed...not out of any coldheartedness or meanness or lack of empathy.

I feel for both the CNA and the patient because some of the CNAs said that when they first started, they had an extremely hard time dealing with what they had to do. The CNAs didn't like it, but how else could they provide necessary basic care to all those patients in a timely manner?

This is where we as students can make a difference, if even for just a few weeks in clinical. The CNA who is with you is showing you what she does with her heavy patient load. You don't have such a large load, so do it in the way that we are supposed to. Don't ask; just do.

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You did the right thing. The CNAs are totally over-burdened with patients, but that's not an excuse to not try to do something as simple as covering up a modest patient.

Wow. It's so sad that facilities feel that the almighty dollar is more important than the people they care for. The nursing home in my town is a nightmare....but they've won awards for their 'excellent' care.....I am drawn to working with the elderly at LTC facilities, but I have yet to know of one in my area that is decent to the residents.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
QUOTE=CrazierThanYou;4315220]. . . . .This woman is a pretty large woman and the CNA from the bath team started poking the woman's fat with her finger, all over her body, and squealing "She is just SO fluffy!" Over and over. I was horrified at the inappropriateness of it and really felt terrible for the poor lady.

I think humiliating a patient like that would fall into the category of abuse. Even as a student, I think I might at least given her a look like WTH? I wonder how it happens that someone feels comfortable saying something like that in front of a student she doesn't know.---shudder---

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I am a CNA in a LTC facility and care for anywhere from 15-25 residents by myself and there is just NO EXCUSE for not covering up a resident.

This is Nursing 101 -- PROVIDE PRIVACY

Definitely bring this issue up with your instructor -- it NEEDS to be addressed.

You are totally spot on!

There is NO excuse to leave a patient that way.

It takes mere seconds to cover a patient.

Seconds.

The patient load has nothing to do with good basic care.

Run faster between rooms. Organize yourself... and organize quickly. What can be done quickly, between pt care to free up time to sloooow done when you get to the patient?

But cover your patients... keep them warm in the shower... make sure they are clean and comfortable.

Cripes! Do these patients ever get so much as a pat on the arm or a "goodnight, honey" from the staff? The staff can't even cover these folks up! Showing support and care must not rank at all.

I think that's so sad!

We may be the only people to interact with these patients and to do so in such a careless cold way is disgusting.

Sob stories of "I've got too many patients" doesn't fly with me.

Why should the patients suffer because of lack of staffing?

Whoever takes the job should be prepared to do the job and hopefully find pride in their work.

Maybe the staff needs to learn to work together better... but that's a whole other can of worms.

These nurses and aides need to get a grip!

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Specializes in IMCU.
You are totally spot on!

There is NO excuse to leave a patient that way.

It takes mere seconds to cover a patient.

Seconds.

The patient load has nothing to do with good basic care.

Run faster between rooms. Organize yourself... and organize quickly. What can be done quickly, between pt care to free up time to sloooow done when you get to the patient?

But cover your patients... keep them warm in the shower... make sure they are clean and comfortable.

Cripes! Do these patients ever get so much as a pat on the arm or a "goodnight, honey" from the staff? The staff can't even cover these folks up! Showing support and care must not rank at all.

I think that's so sad!

We may be the only people to interact with these patients and to do so in such a careless cold way is disgusting.

Sob stories of "I've got too many patients" doesn't fly with me.

Why should the patients suffer because of lack of staffing?

Whoever takes the job should be prepared to do the job and hopefully find pride in their work.

Maybe the staff needs to learn to work together better... but that's a whole other can of worms.

These nurses and aides need to get a grip!

Yep...what she said.

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Specializes in Mostly geri :).

Ummmmm I know they're short, but how does short=naked? Most decent places I've worked would write people up for treating a patient like that.

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Specializes in IMCU.
Ummmmm I know they're short, but how does short=naked? Most decent places I've worked would write people up for treating a patient like that.

I would have thought the instructor has an obligation to do something with this info.

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