Jeopardize nursing school, as a CNA

Sour Lemon · Nov 25, 2018

Needing a little advice on where I stand in my current predicament. Here is the background, I am currently in the nursing program and work PRN as CNA and I normally work every weekend on day shift. My job has been going through a lot of changes and very short staffed with nurses and aides. We have 3 different floors with a full staff CNA can have 4 aides to each floor. I arrive for my shift and go to my assigned floor for the day. We are scheduled with 3 with one aide being agency. At 7:15 the second floor is staff with 2 due to a call out and the 3rd floor no aides have arrived. The nurses call one aide who is known for being late ( 8:30 or later at times) or not coming at all when asked would he be coming in states " I don't know I will think about it. At 7:30 we have one floor with 3, one with 2 and the last with one aide. Being that I am the PRN staff it is normally me who has to change floors due to call outs or no-shows. This is an occurrence that happens every weekend, and normally because of the same person. I moved floors to make 2 aides on each floor and the previous stated CNA walks in 30 minutes later and I'm supposed to go back to my original floor. I am very frustrated and angry at this point of the constant flip-flop and the allowance that allow this one particular CNA who is PRN as well but only works one assignment. By this point I am so upset and angry that I am shaking, I continue to deliver breakfast trays. I attempt to calm myself by taking a smoking break to calm my nerves but I felt that I could snap and blow up. Unfortunately, I couldn't shake the feeling. I talk with my nurses and let them know how I was feeling and that I might not be staying. The current assignment log does not have my name on it being that I was supposed to be moving to a different floor. I continue to help with breakfast and feed while trying to get ahold of my emotions. I told my nurse that I couldn't and I felt like I could snap and possibly end up saying the wrong thing to any patients and didn't want to be charged with abuse. I felt that in my current emotional state that it would be best that I leave and the assignment stays the same from when I was moved. I informed my charges nurses and talk to the Supervisor about my feelings. I clocked out at 10.
Question is so is this consider patient abandonment and how could this possibly affect me while trying to obtain my nursing license.
I'm sorry this is so long I wanted to get you guys as much detail to provide a full picture.

If that's all it takes for you to get so upset that you walk off the job, you're going to have a VERY difficult time working as a nurse. I can only imagine what it was like for the nurses working short staffed while trying to deal with your smoke breaks and dramatic moods.

Trauma Columnist · Nov 25, 2018

Moved to CNA forum

Luckyyou, BSN, RN · Nov 25, 2018

You're going to work short staffed a lot as a nurse. You're going to have to float, and change assignments, and do plenty of irritating or inconvenient things. If it affects you so much that you fear you may not be able to treat patients or residents with respect, this might not be the right path for you. Maybe anger management or similar classes could be a help?

MyDream 2bRN · Nov 25, 2018

In the past, I wouldn't have tried to calm down and continue to work I would have just left. I didn't take a very long smoke break, and I return to help pass out trays and made sure all residents were feed before I left. Unforuntanley, my coworkers who works fulltime have had to work a 2 man assingment frequently in the past few weeks. The patient population that we have are very rude and demanding and talk to the CNAs like they are dogs. In a normal day you have to show very good self control when providing care. I felt and express this concern with my supervisors of why I was leaving.

MyDream 2bRN · Nov 25, 2018

Working as a nurse who is short staffed and a CNA is very different from what I can normally observe. I understand my reality of being PRN and why I would be the one to change assingments and normally do it with minimal problem, today was particular irrating because its because of the same CNA who pretty much does what he wants.... show up at any time, come in or don't come in. This happens every weekend and being that he only works the same assingment , whenever he comes in , I am the one who normally has to be moved again. Anger management would be a good idea, to learn better coping skills.

MyDream 2bRN · Nov 26, 2018

I realize that at times I do struggle wit my emotions and ways to handle it .. looking for advice or ideas to help me manage the extra stress I will be taking on while in nursing school . I am a single mom with two kids with autism who at times can be very hard to manage .. I have been doing this for years but with adding nursing school I find myself at a lost .. I have always dreamed of being a nurse and I don't want to continue to mess up my opportunities to be a great nurse.

angel0309, ADN, RN · Nov 26, 2018

I totally understand how frustrating it can be to have to constantly cover and make adjustments for coworkers, who in your own words, "do whatever they want." However, unfortunately, it seems as if this is just becoming a fact of life. I've been working since I was 14 years old and no matter where I've worked, this has ALWAYS been a problem. Just remember: you can't control other's actions, only your reactions.

With that being said, I don't see why this situation would affect your ability to become an RN in the future. However, I'm not a lawyer and I don't know the ins and outs of licensing procedures and laws. This situation will, however, affect your ability to be employed by this facility and possibly any affiliates that it has. Depending on your area, this could make it extremely difficult to get another job.

I wish you the best of luck! I also second the idea that you may possibly benefit from anger management or some other form of therapy. Honestly, just about anyone could benefit from therapy.

AbbyLane · Nov 27, 2018

If that's all it takes for you to get so upset that you walk off the job, you're going to have a VERY difficult time working as a nurse. I can only imagine what it was like for the nurses working short staffed while trying to deal with your smoke breaks and dramatic moods.

For goodness sakes you need to cut her a break. We get it, its tough being a nurse and she has a long road ahead of her, but you can give her advice without the snarkiness. I bet if this was happening to you you would be furious as well.

As for you MyDream RN, you really cannot let your emotions get the best of you. Its very frustrating when you your have a stressful job, are in school, and people like your co worker breeze by without any punishment. Life isn't fair and it sucks when you are doing the right thing and other people are skipping work and coming in "when they want to" I do home health and I cannot tell you how many times I've had to stay late with my patient (shes fully paralyzed) because the night aid decided she doesn't want to come in or has a flat tire or has a family emergency...you get the picture. But somehow she still has a job. Stuff like this has made my blood boil because I have a life and responsibilities too and the fact that some people feel so ENTITLED that they don't care how this could effect others is astonishing. When you feel anger coming on, leave the room. Go on a walk down the hall, go to the bathroom and take deep breaths, pray, do whatever you need to do to chill out and jump back into it. Don't allow other people to have that much control over your emotions.

chocoholic999 · Nov 28, 2018

For goodness sakes you need to cut her a break. We get it, its tough being a nurse and she has a long road ahead of her, but you can give her advice without the snarkiness. I bet if this was happening to you you would be furious as well.
Yep. This.
I feel like I would leave, too.
Here are my thoughts, in no particular order:
CNAs do not hold a professional license. They don't have to live up to the same "patient abandonment" rule as do nurses. If you do something illegal or harmful to vulnerable adults and are charged, it will follow and haunt you. But I assume your employer is not filing criminal charges, so the board of nursing will likely never hear of the event. It would seem logical that it would be hard to find a job as a CNA following the event, but my experience with CNAs (having never been one) is that likely a new job is right around the corner in another facility. Possibly in the same facility. CNAs come and go with no regard to past history, which explains the continued employment in your facility of CNAs who routinely come to work late/not at all/when and or if they feel like it.
Second, you mentioned a cigarette as your go-to stress manager. I would strongly advise quitting and finding a substitute for stress management as more hospitals are going nicotine-free, and taking smoke breaks for any reason will not make you a valued co-worker. I am truly trying not to sound mean or judgmental, I hope it doesn't come across that way. "Breaks" for nurses are non-existent. This means no lunch, no rest, no coffee or bathroom breaks, regardless of what the union or employer tells you is your "right" to breaks,. So hoping for a smoke break is not realistic, unless you want to abandon your patients as a nurse, which suddenly then becomes a real thing.
Plus, I'm concerned about your health. :0

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Nov 28, 2018

Per TOS you cannot use RN in your username as you are not licensed

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Nov 28, 2018

The patient population that we have are very rude and demanding and talk to the CNAs like they are dogs. In a normal day you have to show very good self control when providing care. I felt and express this concern with my supervisors of why I was leaving.

Nurses get it the same, and many times cannot walk off.