Is this a good place to work??

[Q631]

I am a new CNA 7 months into my first job at a rehab/nursing home on Long Island. I cannot tell if this facility is a good place to work or if it is terrible since I have nothing to compare it to. I love the actual work of being a CNA and I love my patients. I have never had a job that I cared so much about, but my anxiety has definitely been worse since I've been working here (I have anxiety anyway, and I handle it, but it has been worse: sometimes if I have nothing to do before work I'll lay in bed all day beforehand and can't get up until I absolutely have to get ready).

The constant horrible staffing, the horribly LAZY and sometimes plainly RUDE coworkers (CNAs, LPNs, RNs), the lack of supplies, the miscommunications, the potential for my license to be put on the line because of things that take place at the facility and things that are asked of me by my superiors. Basically, in a nutshell, what I hate about this place is how DIFFICULT they make it to really take care of my patients.

I work 3:00-11:00 shift. Staffing is usually supposed to be 11:1 for CNAs for the evening shift on my unit. Other units average 14:1 but my unit has the most demanding patients, usually with the most pressing health issues (it is also the rehab so it makes the most money). However, we are constantly understaffed (4 times out of 5). When that happens we'll have 13-15 patients on the rehab unit, on the other units they could have up to 20. It is physically impossible to provide proper care for that many patients in one shift, especially since care does not start until after dinner around 6pm. That leave 5 hours to get 15-20 patients cleaned and washed up, tucked in and snoozing by the time night shift shows up at 11.

For the LPNS, patient load is a little over 28:1 on all units (there will be 2 LPNs for a 57-bed unit). During the evening there are no RNs in the building except for the "supervisor" who is basically in charge of the whole building and is responsible for every single thing you could possibly imagine (admissions, falls and hospitalizations, codes, and basically any task that only an RN can do: IVs, straight caths, etc. etc. etc....). Most of the time there has been only 1 RN scheduled as the supervisor in the evenings, but lately I have been seeing them staff 2 and 3 supervisors (yay!?). However staffing of LPNs and CNAs has been shorter.

What makes everything worse is when I work as the only regular CNA on my unit with 3 other LAZY PEOPLE who hide in patients rooms or take hour long breaks etc. and don't answer call bells. Nurses do not answer call bells, only aids, even when the whole unit is lit up like christmas eve. And I constantly find that I am the only one answering those bells because there won't be another aid in sight and the nurses are too busy. And then sometimes we'll have only 3 female aids and one male aid, but only 10 or so male patients on the unit (male aids can only take care of male patients at my facility), so the girls will all have like 16 patients and he'll only have 10.

IS THIS NORMAL OR SHOULD I GET A NEW JOB?? I'm starting nursing school at Stony Brook University in the fall. It's a challenging program, but a part-time job can be accommodated. It's a union job with good benefits. The job pays well, and they'll pay for basically my whole BSN. Can I survive two years of nursing school at this place, and ride it out until I graduate? Do I just need to get used to it because I'm still new?? Help

[ZoeFrecn]

Unfortunately this is the norm, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should stay. I was in your exact same position a year ago. I really liked working at my facility (LTC) but the combination of being short staffed and working with lazy coworkers meant my work load was really heavy. Both physically and emotionally. I felt like I was constantly risking my license working there due to this, and I worried that management would hang me out to dry if something went wrong. I also worried about my residents because I knew they weren't getting the care they deserved or were paying for. This caused me a lot of anxiety, similar to what you experience. I left because my load was so heavy and I had so many dependent patients that my back would be really sore at the end of each shift. I didn't want to slip a disk and cut my career short so I left.

I now work at a hospital where staffing and patient ratio is a lot better. I'm much more happy and I don't suffer that anxiety that I did before. I think you should look for a new job elsewhere. I know you don't want to leave your residents but you need to look after yourself. In regards to tuition, many places including hospitals have tuition programs that will help pay for your degree.

Have you discussed your concerns with your Union?

[Magsulfate, BSN, RN]

Isn't it the ultimate responsibility of the nurses to make sure the residents are being taken care of? Do the best you can and the rest should fall on the nurses. Either they can straighten out the lazy coworkers or be held responsible for their non action. Am I right?

[Nursing24/7, LVN]

This is the norm at many rehab facilities & nursing homes unfortunately. Look for something else. Finding a facility that you like takes time. I went through a few places before I found a place where I was happy. There are good places out there, it just takes a lil trial & error to find them.

Hospitals offer tuition assistance but it's usually not a lot like $2500-3000 a year depends on the hospital. And you have to be working there a year before you can apply for tuition assistance.

[Missingyou, CNA]

While what you described is GENERALLY the norm, it isn't like that in EVERY facility. There are some really good places out there.

Nonetheless, if I were in your shoes, I'd find another place to work. The fact that you struggle with anxiety and this place makes it worse for you should be reason enough. Nursing school is a challenge and adding the stress and anxiety of working in such a place is not going to make it any easier for you!

There is the option of home care which is more relaxed. You may even be able to find time to study. You can work as many or as little as you want and pretty much choose your hours. Maybe home care combined with working casual/per diem at this nursing home would work for you??