Just got fired -

blondebabe0625 · Jun 11, 2013

Originally Posted by blondebabe0625 At my long-term care facility we have a resident who I put on the toilet and gloved up and then she goes "I'm going to be a whole so go do something else and ill call you." I took my gloves off and said "okay. Ill be back here when you call." And helped escorting residents back from the dining room. She called. I was in her bathroom answering her call within a minute. As soon as I walked in, she shouts, "Where were you? I have been calling you for the past thirty minutes!" I said "I was in the hallway." She goes " NO YOU WEREN'T. I HAVE BEEN CALLING YOU FOR THIRTY MINUTES" I said "it wasn't even two minutes" she goes "you're a liar. I'm going to report you." I said "okay." She goes, "you're nothing but a damn spook!" I said, "What did you call me?" She went silent. I asked again, " what did you just say?" Still silent then she says "let's go" ugh. How is this abuse okay? I told the med aid she goes " I wouldn't worry about it. She's 'reported' me like 12 times "

HippyDippyLPN · Jun 11, 2013

Did anyone witness you promptly responding to her call light? Are there times on them that get recorded on a computer for how long a call light goes unanswered? Does your facility allow you to leave residents on the toilet while you tend to another patient?

Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM · Jun 11, 2013

Does your facility allow you to leave residents on the toilet while you tend to another patient?

Was this the reason they gave you?

If it was...then it would just depend on what the facility policy is. I would agree that this isn't necessarily a danger, because some residents have trouble getting on and off, but they should be able to do their business in private.

If they fired you because of what she said, I would go a step higher because someone that cannot even remember what day of the week it was cannot be trusted to know the difference between 2 and 30 minutes.

blondebabe0625 · Jun 12, 2013

They fired me because her call light wet off AGAIN afterwards and I was in the hallway about to answer it when my coworker popped up and I said can you get it? She said sure.

She told my boss that I said "can you get it? This resident is being mean to me and I can't handle her" uh ***

blondebabe0625 · Jun 12, 2013

This is really embarrassing. I just told my bf I lost my job after I just applied as a CNA to another place and landed an interview at bed bath and beyond for tomorrow...

mvm2 · Jun 12, 2013

So it sounds like you were fired more from what your co worker said then what the resident said. I am sorry this happened, but it sounds like you have another interview lined up for another CNA position, and for the store. Hopefully things turn out and you get the CNA job, or and the bed bath and you can forget about what happened.

blondebabe0625 · Jun 12, 2013

Thank you... When this happened I left and I cried. I'm moving to North Carolina from Washington state in two months anyways, I'm hoping I get the non CNA position so I won't have to renew my license here but it's not that much anyways.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 12, 2013

I looked back at your previous post. Here are my thoughts/questions/comments:

1. She called you a racial slur...did you report this the first time it happened?

2. Was there a history between you and this resident where there was a acrimonious relationship?

Since you are actively looking for other jobs and gave secured interviews, take this experience and build upon it. Make sure you report racial slurs, verbal abuse ASAP. Protect yourself, find out if you can switch patients, etc. Find out the policy in dealing with patients that are verbally abusive, etc. at your next position.

I've had a few patients slur me and make accusations, which I prompted to my supervisor ASAP so that the incident would be reported. As a nurse, I even would make a note in the chart about behavior; it signals changes, or a significance in another intervention, or a incident report, if it warrants behavior that I feel is unsafe-this was allowed at one facility I worked at, even if it was a nurse assistant I was working with, I would document, etc...dealing with patients that may threaten nurses they will see very regularly as a patient who was staying 3 plus months was a violation of the contract they signed when they were admitted...and they had no qualms about discharging them.

It gets better as the years go by to communicate clearly, set boundaries, or communicate with patients who are acutely ill and have a history, such as dementia, etc. And it will happen. If anything, it was a great thing to be removed from this situation.

blondebabe0625 · Jun 12, 2013

It was on Sunday day shift, I reported it to my then supervisor who was the med aid who brushed it off and said to not worry about it!

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 12, 2013

It was on Sunday day shift I reported it to my then supervisor who was the med aid who brushed it off and said to not worry about it![/quote']
Not to rehash, of course, but is the supervisor in charge of staffing? Etc? In the future, know who and what to report to, especially when this occurs...you can't "not worry" about what a patient will do, hence the situation that occurred.
Making sure you have some sort of a paper trail and advocating that there is a conflict, and you want to make sure that a patient that has a conflict with you that obviously does not want you taking care of them is addressed, especially in a LTC setting. Sometimes the flexibility is more prevalent in a acute care and home care, not always in LTC...so if you are entering in another facility, know who handles staffing, ask for assistance in communicating effectively in challenging patients, etc...I knew a CNA who would actively note take incidents...kept her employed...just saying. But back to moving forward and my original post-this is probably the best thing for you, the situation could've gotten worse. I hope you land another position soon! ((HUGS))

blondebabe0625 · Jun 12, 2013

Thank you for the advice and tips to become a better healthcare provider :-) I'm sweet, all of the residents always love me and are so sweet. I'm also great with managing my time and keep mental task lists and never leave things for the next shift. Ill update my job status soon :-)!