Inappripriate things you've seen a CNA do?

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I was told by the forum I shouldn't lie in bed next to the patient because of infection risks. I doubt I would have anyway, but can I still hug the residents?

What are some inappropriate things you've seen CNA's do that I shouldn't pick up?

Specializes in LTC.

The OP wasn't asking for horror stories. I'm sure he knows not to restrain people or tell them they can't go to the bathroom!

It's inappropriate to call the residents "honey" or other names like that, and that's something I see all the time. I worked with a girl who is younger than me (we're both in our 20s though) who kept calling ME honey and I wanted to smack her by the end of the day. However when residents call me that I don't mind. I use variations of people's real names when I want to be familiar, but "honey" and "dear" and anything else your grandma calls you can be demoralizing even if you don't mean it that way. Unless you live in the south, maybe?

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Specializes in Mostly geri :).
The OP wasn't asking for horror stories. I'm sure he knows not to restrain people or tell them they can't go to the bathroom!

It's inappropriate to call the residents "honey" or other names like that, and that's something I see all the time. I worked with a girl who is younger than me (we're both in our 20s though) who kept calling ME honey and I wanted to smack her by the end of the day. However when residents call me that I don't mind. I use variations of people's real names when I want to be familiar, but "honey" and "dear" and anything else your grandma calls you can be demoralizing even if you don't mean it that way. Unless you live in the south, maybe?

Thank you! I get "honeyd" by everyone and it makes me want to show them just how unhoneylike I can get!

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.

Don't eat food off the patient's tray. :rolleyes: you'd think you wouldn't have to tell people that but I have heard CNAs rationalize that the patient didn't actually eat their cake/salad/beef stew. :confused: Yeah, but you you know if they TOUCHED anything? I wouldn't want eat any food I found in a hospital room.

Oh, yeah. And don't find an empty room and crawl under the bed with a pillow and blanket for a nap. I don't want to have to explain to the patient I admitted to your "nap house." If you just HAVE to do it could you please have the decency to remain under the bed until the patient is asleep or sedated heavily?:clown:

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

Changing adult diapers without wearing gloves.

Changing the settings on a resident's oxygen concentrator, without telling me.

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Specializes in Float.

I've seen a Tech doing 1:1 observation who ordered TV service in the patients room so she could watch it, knowing that they cut off service at the end of her shift if the pt doesn't pay. The pt still gets charged for it. This same Tech also throws a hissy fit if a pt is a little active. I've seen this Tech watching a pt whose arms were restrained and was trying to reach his feet over the bed. Of course the pt was never gonna be able to get out of the bed cause the pt was also heavily medicated. The Tech comes running out of the room to the RN and demands that the RN give the pt something to calm down cause she's not gonna be able to handle him if she doesn't. :eek: If she had her way when she does 1:1's, the patients would be comatose and all she had to do was sit and watch TV.

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anyone that has worked as a cna or in ltc could make a very long list. the bottom line is, cna's are under paid and over worked. on the other hand, i've seen nurses, docs, therapists, etc do very inapporopriate things also, but they aren't near as under paid or over worked as cna's.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
anyone that has worked as a cna or in ltc could make a very long list. the bottom line is, cna's are under paid and over worked. on the other hand, i've seen nurses, docs, therapists, etc do very inapporopriate things also, but they aren't near as under paid or over worked as cna's.

After doing clinials in a LTC facility I have to agree that CNA's are overworked and underpaid.

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I always tried to communicate what I was doing for the resident before I did it. I think that it really helped the resident know what was going on so that they were not as scared (mainly for dementia patients). Plus when you tell them this the patient will most likely try to help you in some way which is always nice. I have heard some pp say this but always try to treat these residents like they are adults.

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Specializes in Mostly geri :).
I always tried to communicate what I was doing for the resident before I did it. I think that it really helped the resident know what was going on so that they were not as scared (mainly for dementia patients). Plus when you tell them this the patient will most likely try to help you in some way which is always nice. I have heard some pp say this but always try to treat these residents like they are adults.

It amazes me how many people will just start doing stuff to a patient without explaining it, what a shame. If I was a pt. and someone tried that, I'd show them the 102 pound terror that I can be lol.

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Specializes in NICU.

Please don't tell a patient to poop in their brief and you'll clean them up later....

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Specializes in Med/surg/tele/OR.
Please don't tell a patient to poop in their brief and you'll clean them up later....

i HATE that one, If a patient is asking for a bedpan give them the bedpan for GOD sakes. If u are too lazy to do it then ask me the RN and I will gladly give the patient a bedpan. Most of our 'incontinent" patients are not really incontinent 24 hours a day all the time

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One of the CNA'a on my job is sleeping with one of the quadriplegic residents.:eek: His member still works and I guess she gets on top and he gives her money. Oh well, he's very happy about it though.

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