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 Peds.

My FIL was in a rehab ctr for a week or so and when me & my hubby were visiting him we were sitting there in the room.....the CNA came in the room, grabbed his urinal (it was on his over the bed table...yuck!) next to his food......... she took it to empty it and never washed her hands before or after...and never even had gloves on......I still to this day cannot get over that one......imagine if she was going room to room and doing this????:eek::mad: talk about disgusting

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Telemetry, Ortho.
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.

That is theft. Most hospitals have a toll free, anonymous number to report these type of violations to if you cannot bring yourself to tell your manager.

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I agree that CNAs (Nursing Home CNAs) are underpaid and overworked but that is not an excuse to not treat human beings with dignity and respect.

I get mad when abnormal vital signs are not reported to me (I have learnt to ask for the VS list immediately vitals are done and not wait for the aide to bring it to me just so I don't get a heart attack later when I find out a temp was 102).

One of the CNAs I worked with once took vital signs for all patients but one and when I asked her about it she was like the patient was discharged...I was like who told you that? With an attitude she says the patient told her:eek:...my demented patient told you he was discharged and you believed it and never cared to ask the primary nurse? I was mad as hell:mad:...I told her to forget it I would do it.

A CNA once told me that we nurse have it easy because we only have 6-7 patients while she has 15...she was using this as an excuse as to why her vital signs were done late. What?:uhoh3:I dislike it when CNAs/PCAs assume that because I have 6 patients and she has 15 that my life is easy? ummh have you care to ask what I have to do for each of these 6 patients?

I dislike it when CNAs assume that because am an RN then I don't know how to do CNA work. I am not going to hunt you down trying to get you to change patient XYZ, I will go ahead and change her or CNAs that won't change that 90lb pt, who is able to roll on her back and sides as needed, because she's waiting for the RN to help...forget it I will do it myself;)!

I love most of our CNAs, they are very supportive and team players. I am not lazy so I can't stand lazy people who have to be reminded to do their job.

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Specializes in Float.
That is theft. Most hospitals have a toll free, anonymous number to report these type of violations to if you cannot bring yourself to tell your manager.

You know, even though it would seem obvious, I never even thought to tell the manager about it. Considering all the other things I've got to do on the floor, it wasn't a priority. However, you are certainly correct and the next time I'm privy to such an event, I will definately report it.

Thanks Moneypitt :idea:

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Specializes in Float.

NurseAida

When I first started as a Tech, I honestly didn't know to report the vital signs as soon as I had an abnormal reading. I would just put a star next to it and point it out at the end of vitals. My manager pulled me to the side one day and corrected me and now I report an abnormal right away. It actually takes longer because I have to hunt down the RN and if she hasn't received report yet, then I have to find the overnight RN, however, now that I know the importance of it I don't mind in the least.

IMHO, you're being graciously diplomatic. Report their ****! Believe it or not they make it harder on us good ones because it promotes disunity when we view them continuously getting away with their slack behavior. :twocents:

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At my job, employees are not allowed to accept any gifts or payments from residents. I think a CNA taking money for sex with a resident would qualify.

I think it goes beyond "a gift". Having sex for money with anyone constitutes prostitution in the law's eyes

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Ugh I feel like there is way too many. When I was at a nursing home for a clinical.. I was instructed to feed the patient.. So I was making sure whatever she ate she swallowed first (the patient couldn't feed herself at all) and soon enough the CNA came in and took the spoon from me and literally shoved the food in the pt's mouth.. the pt was spitting it everywhere and screaming. To me that is very inhumane.

That and when they went to give a pt a bed bath they used the same washcloth for the perinium and face.. and when i asked if they should change it they threw the washcloth on the floor. And she said, "I don't care we get written up for everything."

Also one pt had a brain tumor and would be nice one second mean the next she told the cna "go to hell" and the cna replied "YOU'RE in hell get used to it."

Ugh i think there is too many.. but this was a government owned nursing home and it was absolutely terrible.

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Specializes in critical care, home health.

I have the utmost appreciation for CNAs. Most of the ones I've worked with are unsung heroes.

That being said, I once knew a CNA from Hell. This was in a very busy ICU. I had an end-stage COPD patient who was gray and hypoxic, but who didn't want to be intubated so I was doing my best to just keep him alive. The poor patient was out of his mind at that point due to the hypoxia and kept trying to get out of bed, which of course was the worst thing he could have done.

I needed to take an emergency potty break, so I endorsed the patient to my neighbor RN and since the patient couldn't be left alone, I asked the CNA to sit with the patient. I said, "All you have to do is make sure he does not get out of bed! I'll be back in 3 minutes."

I came back in 3 minutes to find the CNA walking the patient to the bathroom. The patient was naked, O2 was off, sat was 65%, all his leads were off, and the IV was out (he was getting a unit of PRBCs) so there was blood everywhere. I said, "What is going on?" The CNA glared at me and said, "He wanted to get out of bed, and I was tired of arguing with him."

On another occasion, this CNA demanded (yes, demanded) that I either give him Tylenol that belonged to one of my patients, or call a doctor to get an order for Tylenol for him. I thought he was going to knock my head off when I refused.

Lastly, I once heard my vent alarm beep, then stop. I went into the room to check on it, and that CNA was standing on the other side of the bed, next to the vent. He told me, "It beeped, so I pushed the silence button". Meanwhile, I heard a whoosh!whoosh! sound, located the place where the vent tubing had come disconnected, and reattached my patient to the vent.

I told that CNA, basically, that he was never, ever to set foot in my patients' rooms again, for any reason. I filed a complaint with my manager (several other nurses did, too) and I never saw the guy again.

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Specializes in LTC.

Doesn' tmatter if you're a temp CNA..you need to report it...doesn't matter if no one is harmed, it's not ethical or legal

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I never thought about reporting it. To be honest, what can I really do? I am just a temporary CNA there and she has been there for over 10 years. I will be leaving there soon and it will probably continue even after I'm gone. I have no direct concrete evidence of it other than what he told me and that I have seen the signs that it's happening. She has good rapport with the DON so, I probably wouldn't even be believed.

I know I am an advocate for the resident, but what am I really advocating by telling? This man is 50 years old and she's about the same age. She's not harming him in any way, she's actually bringing pleasure to his life. Who am I to take that away, something that's been going on before I was even there for lord knows how long. It's a difficult scenario, but who's right am I fighting for, when I am taking away his right's by telling. What would you do?:confused:

What I would do is report it. You may be able to rationalize it away by saying "it's a victimless crime" but someone who would do something so unethical and illegal and dishonest as having sex with a patient for money, would probably not hesitate to do other unethical, illegal or dishonest things, and one of those things could harm or kill someone. I think this behavior speaks to the kind of person she is, and that's not a nice one.

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This thread has really gone a little far out of place. I was asking for less obvious things I shouldn't do. Pulling out IVs and having sex with the elderly for money is just a little obvious.

Aside from that, my question remains unanswered. May I hug the residents under my care?

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When I was a nursing student on my geriatric rotation I saw something I will never forget. I reported it to my instructor. A resident was taking about 80% of her regular diet. They were serving her a can of ensure with every meal. She was pretty with it mentally. She kept questioning why they were giving her Ensure if she was eating most of her food. Nobody would give her an answer. I was assigned to her for 8 weeks. After the third week, she knew I was going to be with her and she must have figured if she asked me, maybe I could get her an answer. She asked me to find out for her. I asked the CNA if she knew. She got in my reisdents face, IN HER FACE...2 inches away from her face and said, (a direct quote)"It's because you're crazy Susie, you're ccccrrraaazzzyyy" this was said to my resident while the CNA did the index finger in a circular motion around the temple crazy sign. I am sure I turned about 5 shades of red to purple, it took everything I had to not grab the CNA's wrist and stop her.

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