I work LTC and I love what I do. I hate being short staffed. It happens a lot with CNA's calling in sick, not showing up or whatever the case may be. I used to be a CNA at the same facility and I know how hard it is to work even one person short.
I came in to work today and I had one CNA. Another was supposed to come in two hours late (you never know) and that was it. The office was trying to find people to fill in but weren't having any luck. I'm so tired of being stressed when I don't have enough CNA's that I wouldn't take the keys until a solution was made. The DON found out that I wouldn't take the keys and sent me home. I offered to take the floor as a CNA and she wasn't having it. It was obvious how mad at me she was but I couldn't take the floor with one CNA and 50 residents.
So, how much trouble am I in exactly? I was supposed to have the next two days off and I have a strange feeling that she's going to put me "on-call" when normally I'm full-time. Find another job? Wait it out?
I offered to work as a CNA and she just told me "No, just go home." As I was walking out I heard her on the phone with the administrator saying "Call 'Bob' (one of the owners who is also an NP) and tell him we may need help. One of the LVN's is refusing to take the keys." It turned out that the AM nurse did a double, the DON, administrator and assesment RN all stayed until 7PM, got people up and fed during dinner (normally they do home at 5PM). At 7PM a few noc CNA's came in to work a 12 hour shift.
The next morning the DON left a message on my phone saying that when I came back (I had the next two days off) there would be better staffing.
so I still dont understand why they sent you home without pay or to use a PDO presumably???? Did they reconsider later in the day....I dunno, maybe the DON suspected you might be thinking of reporting them and wanted to hold you off?
I would be very wary...also really watch yourself when you do go back to work so they dont write you up for some silly little thing. not wanting to make you paranoid but something about this just doesnt sound right!
Your manager would be foolish to write you up for this. Where was he or she? Its time that management step up to the plate, shake the dust off their scrubs and get to work. I would have done the same thing. I would not work in those conditions.
Preach it.
What they did after she refused to take the keys isn't her responsibility. She offered to work as a CNA.
Maybe this is the first time any nurse has refused to take the keys....sounds like they needed and got a wake-up call.
I would have a meeting with the DON and find out exactly what is up and where I stand, now.
Wow, this sounds like trouble waiting to happen. Congratulations for standing up for both the pts. and yourself. Call and report them and GET THE **** OUTTA THERE! The patients deserve a lot better care than this....:angryfire
I work in ltc but were having the opposite problem we (cna's) are being sent home d/t are census being low. yet they are still hiring new staff makes no since but i must say i applaud you for what you've done i have worked in many different homes short staffed and although we try to get to everyone res are NOT getting the care they need and deserve when we are short staffed. Which is pitiful considering the amount of money they pay to be there ever month. Isn't there a certain ratio they have to maintain per state. Certainely 1:50 is UNACCEPTABLE. I wish they would be more attention to things like this makes me learly of ever putting my loved ones in a home afraid of what care the staff are unable to provide d/t staffing God bless and know that you did the right thing if nothing else i would call state and make them aware but if it's anything like where i've been state comes and all of a sudden you have help go figure god bless tiffany
You did what a reasonable prudent nurse would do. Report the situation to your DON who failed to take appropriate action. It is almost a blessing in disguise that you were sent home because you left with YOUR LICENSE, and your DON, was left there with her license. Although I feel you did the right thing, I think you should find yourself another job because your DON will probably take her submissive anger out on you via the backdoor i.e. schedule, PTO request.... If you decide to leave there, make sure you give at least two weeks notice to be the professional nurse that you are. Your next employer will probably respect you for it. Good luck to you!
These folks are paying good money for this care, or lack of. Once you move on, there will be yet another employee in that very same position sad to say:angryfire
mtnmom
334 Posts
so I still dont understand why they sent you home without pay or to use a PDO presumably???? Did they reconsider later in the day....I dunno, maybe the DON suspected you might be thinking of reporting them and wanted to hold you off?
I would be very wary...also really watch yourself when you do go back to work so they dont write you up for some silly little thing. not wanting to make you paranoid but something about this just doesnt sound right!