I really hate to come here and vent about a CNA because I know in most cases on the floor I work on, they work very hard. Also I was a CNA for 4 years before getting my nursing license so I know what it's like.
We have a fairly new (to our facility) CNA. She has been a CNA for a long time. She was great the first few weeks, and then we noticed none of the patients getting bathed. She has lied to my face several times about bathing patients. I have had days where I have changed all my beds and done my baths myself. With 5 patients. I have felt like I have not had a CNA at all when she works. I am literally doing everything, bathroom trips, bed baths, feeds, bed pans, changing diapers...but only when she works. I have come into rooms on sever different occasions, different days, to find her sitting in the chair in the patients room, watching football and rooting on the patients team, chatting, whatever.
Yesterday was the deal breaker for me. I entered a patients room and something smelled bad. At first I thought the patient had vomited, but could find no evidence. Her bed was cleaned and her hair had been combed, so I figured she had her bath. When I went to give her lovenox injection and pulled back the covers to expose her tummy, a HORRIBLE smell came out. It was not a BM, it was her lady partsl area! I KNEW she had not been washed. I gave the injection, called the CNA and asked her to please bathe mrs so and so next as the Dr was coming to cast her arm. At this time she said "When is he coming" I just said Soon. I finished hanging blood on another patient, getting the cast cart from ER and then went back to do some chart checks. She went into the room, so after a few minutes I followed. She was SITTING on the chair in the patient room, talking to her. She said "Oh I am just getting vitals and then I am going to bathe her. (She was getting vitals SITTING with the machine across the room) Ok, whatever. I go back to do my chart checks and she came out 5 mins later, looked at me and said "She smells just like baby powder now, I washed her all up" Ok fine. The daughter of this patient entered the room, so I followed to tell her the Dr was coming soon to do the cast. Then I smelled that same smell. The daughter mentioned it to me too. I lifted back the covers, to find NO baby powder present and the same foul odor. I specifically told the CNA to do peri care! So I decided to do the job myself. I could NOT even find the bath basin! She had definitely NOT washed her.
What I cleaned out of this poor patients peri area was disgusting. The daughter watched me the whole time, she saw what I did and what I cleaned out. She also had a foley so I did foley care. I was SO MAD I couldn't even confront the CNA. I told Charge and she told me to tell the manager. I feel bad, but at the same time, she is there to do a job too and not that I am beyond washing a peri area, but I knew I had a Dr coming to put a cast on at the end of the shift and I was trying to get chart checks done!
Would you say something to the manager or just go on doing what you are doing and bathing patients and let her get away with this lazy behavior? Ugh!!
