I am in a bit of a predicament. I worked as a CNA for 4 years before I fell pregnant and at 8 months my Doctor limited me to 10 pound lifting and my employer wouldn't let me work until after I was released to full lifting. After I had my son I decided to be a stay at home mom and go back to school to become a nurse. I went on and completed my first year of nursing school and decided to stay home with the kids for the time being. Last year I went on to achieve my LPN and took the class and took my NCLEX and passed. I was hired at a long term care facility to work as a LPN last September. About 5 months ago my scheduler asked me if I could help out and work 3 CNA shifts as we were extremely short on aids. I said I would do those 3 shifts. However, over the last 5 months she has taken advantage and on average I work 10 out of 12 shifts a month as a CNA. I had made the decision to do an online LPN to RN bridge program I am starting this month. At this point I need all the nursing experience I can get to help me be successful. Over the last 3 weeks I have asked my scheduler to please not schedule me as a CNA anymore yet it continued. I decided to speak with my DON who stated she was very appreciative of me helping out. I explained to her what I explained to my scheduler and she said she was working on it. The next week, 3 CNA shifts in a row. I have no asked 4 times to please allow me to do the job I was hired for with no luck. There are about 4 of us nurses who are being used as CNA's on a regular basis. There are some nurses who told them if they were scheduled as a CNA they would quit. There are nurses who are newer than I am and were hired after me who don't have to work as a CNA. They are letting PRN nurses work the carts and forcing me to be a CNA. I don't mind helping, don't get me wrong. But 5 months of only getting to do my job 1-2 times a month is getting old. At this point I do not know what to say to my scheduler, DON, or administration about this. I have spoken with the state board and it is legal for me to work do the job but I am not a CNA just a nurse doing the duties (seeing as all CNA duties are nursing duties delegated to them).
Anyway, I was hoping for some feedback in regards to helping me with what I should say. I don't want to quit as I do love the facility. However, It is getting rather frustrating. Seeing as I am a new nurse. In all reality, I became a nurse 11 months ago and out of that time have only been able to work as one for 6 months. Thanks :)
The way I see it, you have a few options. I dont know you, so I cant comment on which is best for you personally.
#1 - Tell them that you will work as a CNA only if they agree to a shift bonus of $xx for every shift that you work as a CNA, or some other incentive. Decide what would make it worth your while and allow you job satisfaction despite being scheduled as a CNA. Don't agree to less than will allow you to feel okay about going to work, or this wont work. If they agree, get it in writing. Hold them to it. If they dont agree, then you are left with options #2 and #3.
#2 - Tell them that you will no longer work as a CNA. If you stand by this and refuse to work CNA shifts, you must be prepared for the possible consequence of losing your job. Or...they may stop scheduling you as anything but an LPN.
#3 - Accept that you are making your LPN salary and working as a CNA, and continue on with your job as it is. This is the one least likely to get you fired, but also possibly the least satisfying option.
In short, change the situation or accept it as it is. I don't mean that bluntly or rudely. I just mean that in very simplified terms, those are the only real options that you have, you know? The nurses that aren't being scheduled as CNAs probably aren't because they didn't agree to it in the first place. They are only taking advantage of the nurses that will allow it. So will you continue to allow it, or tell them that you won't do it anymore, even if it means finding a new job?
People treat you in the way that you allow them too. If you continue to work at this place, expect more of the same. If you want to be treated differently, go work somewhere else. I cannot image WHY you have allowed this to happen. Vote with your feet!
FORCED is a pretty strong word. I wouldn't go so far as to call it an ultimatum, but I would have a strongly worded conversation with your DON, your FINAL conversation on the topic. Explain again that you didn't mind helping out in a pinch, but to keep scheduling you for a position you weren't HIRED to do is not something you're willing to tolerate. If you're truly fed up, be ready to walk if they won't honor your request.
I hope you're being paid LPN wages while assuming the role of CNA. If not, I'd fight for back pay AND leave.
I am curious to know, are there any other LPNs or RNs out there that were hired as a nurse but are being forced to work as a CNA?
Brief insight on the question:
I am a new nurse who passed my NCLEX Sept of 2014 and started working promptly after. Roughly 5 months ago my employer/scheduler asked me to do a couple CNA shifts since they were very short on them. I told her I could help with 2 or 3 the next week. However, since that time they have taken advantage and on a monthly basis I am working as a nurse/LPN 1 -2 shifts and as a CNA for 10-11. It is getting frustrating and I have brought it to their attention numerous times that I would like to do the job I was hired for and work as a nurse. I have been told just hold off 2 more weeks when our new hires are on the floor, I am working on it, Shouldn't be long now, Please we need all the help we can get, I will bonus you and so on. I have explained that I start a LPN to RN bridge program the end of this month and need the nursing experience to succeed. I have been a nurse for 1 year and over that year only worked as a nurse for 6 months.
At this point I am not sure what to tell them or say in regards to not being able to work as a nurse. I am thankful to at least have a job and i know I shouldn't complain. However, I believe that I should be allowed to work as a nurse since I have went to school for it and was hired for that position.
I'm sorry but there is a difference in a few shifts and now going on months of them using you. I would not work as a cna. I haven't utmost respect for every cna that does their job, they work very hard but I went to nursing school for a reason. You only have to put up with what you allow yourself to put up with. I would put in my two weeks and find somewhere that let me works as an lpn.
In all honesty I would not want to be scheduled as a CNA because we went to school to be nurses. I know that CNA duties are nursing duties, just delegated but if you wanted to only be doing that work you would have just stayed a CNA. I think it would be best for you to look around for different jobs where you will gain experience as a nurse, that is vital for your career. I am not trying to make it sound like a CNA's duties are awful (I was a CNA for a while in nursing school) but you need experience. You're being taken advantage of big time, in my opinion. At my job they never schedule nurses as CNA's.
They are paying LPN salary for CNA's on a permanent basis. One of the following, therefore, should be true. 1.They are inept at their job and it will show up in the baseline when the hospital is over its budget, 2. The hospital is not hiring people for the time being. It could be that they are going through a rough patch and considering change, or don't have money.
If 1 is correct, you could actually anonymously report the managers to their bosses and point out how they are causing loss of money to the hospital.
If 2 is correct, the hospital is in trouble or change is coming. Find a part-time job working prn somewhere. In this way you will get the experience you want and will have something to fall back on if things go bad here.
I actually disagree with many of the posters here so far. I don't see anything illegal or unethical with the OP's employer assigning an LPN to do basic patient care. All "CNA duties" are within the job description of an LPN. The fact that an LPN can function in a greater role does not mean that an employer is obligated to assign the full range of duties to that nurse. I agree that the OP's managers are being unfair by consistently giving preferred assignments to other nurses. However, being a bad manager isn't illegal. I suggest that the OP simply start looking for a new job if she is unhappy with her currently situation.
On a side note, I actually wouldn't mind "working as a CNA" or having another LPN helping out on the floor. We would be able to get so many skin checks, assessments and treatments done!
I was once in the situation you are currently end and I ended up leaving that job because they continued to take advantage. I was thankful for the job and opportunity but I wasn't utilizing my skills and I desperately wanted to work the floor as a nurse and gain more knowledge. Since then I was offered a job at another long term care facility and have been there over a year and only worked as an LPN and love it. I am sorry to hear of your struggles and I do hope you get your situation sorted out.
I'd probably be looking for another job - and once I had the offer in hand, submit my concerns to the DON - politely - in writing, along with my two week notice.
maybe im thinking in a different way but i love the whole patient care experience... the whole reason why im becoming a nurse is because i want more money for all the hard work i do. if i was getting paid a nurse's salary to do CNA work and not have to do everything else, i would be super happy. i love me some showers!
but as others said before, you gotta teach them how to teach you
Julius Seizure
1 Article; 2,282 Posts
The way I see it, you have a few options. I dont know you, so I cant comment on which is best for you personally.
#1 - Tell them that you will work as a CNA only if they agree to a shift bonus of $xx for every shift that you work as a CNA, or some other incentive. Decide what would make it worth your while and allow you job satisfaction despite being scheduled as a CNA. Don't agree to less than will allow you to feel okay about going to work, or this wont work. If they agree, get it in writing. Hold them to it. If they dont agree, then you are left with options #2 and #3.
#2 - Tell them that you will no longer work as a CNA. If you stand by this and refuse to work CNA shifts, you must be prepared for the possible consequence of losing your job. Or...they may stop scheduling you as anything but an LPN.
#3 - Accept that you are making your LPN salary and working as a CNA, and continue on with your job as it is. This is the one least likely to get you fired, but also possibly the least satisfying option.
In short, change the situation or accept it as it is. I don't mean that bluntly or rudely. I just mean that in very simplified terms, those are the only real options that you have, you know? The nurses that aren't being scheduled as CNAs probably aren't because they didn't agree to it in the first place. They are only taking advantage of the nurses that will allow it. So will you continue to allow it, or tell them that you won't do it anymore, even if it means finding a new job?
I wish you luck. Its a crummy spot to be in.