Morning Shift

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

I used to work morning shifts as a CNA for about a year and half and it was awesome. Everything was done in a timely manner and patients were always helped and the team work was great.

About 6 months ago I had to go to evenings because of nursing school and I have noticed a rapid deteroration of the morning shift nursing assistants.

I'll come in and get a half hazard report with them telling me the patient has a foley and they do not, or telling me the patient had a full linen change but the spot from last night is still in the exact same spot.

Well today I come on shift and find that all my patients are soaked and the patients who had a 2 p.m. Blood Sugar were not done. The RN comes up to me and says thank God you are here... thats when i knew it was hell.

I spent the first 4 hours of the shift cleaning up after the mess morning shift left which included 4 soiled linen carts full of dirty linen that was never emptied.

I get so frustarted because as a CNA in the morning I did and still do my very best to make sure my patients are clean and safe and I always clean up after myself. Argh!!! I cant deal with them anymore.

I told the Clinical Coordinator that she needed to speak to the moring shift about actually doing their job....

BTW on my clean sweep today i found an empty room with the TV turned on and a chair oddly positioned to get a good view of the screen with a blanket and pillow on it... odd to see such a combo in an empty room, no?

[jnrsmommy]

It's a shame, it's always a battle btwn the shifts, not saying that there aren't peple who are lazy and leave a bunch for the next shift to clean up after (meaning anyone who works in healthcare).

We were recently having that problem in our facility, so my co-worker and I started making the CNA's do walking rounds w/ the next shift (nurses have to, why not them too). A few of the morning aides were trying to refuse to do rounds "I don't have time to do that", yeah, but you have time to hang out at the station for 20 min gossiping and complaining about your assignment. It took me only one time of having to tell the morning aides that I didn't want to hear them complain about anything that they felt wasn't done by night shift if they were not going to do a round w/ them and get it fixed before they left.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

Happyloser,

We have three pairs of eyes, one for each shift, when you change shifts they are all wide open. It's amazing what you will see from a different shifts perspective, each shift complains about the other, when you work all 3, you see everything .

You may think there has been a rapid decline in pt care, but whose to say it has not always been this way?. Maybe this is how eves always finds their pts. Maybe not everyone you worked with on days is as conscientious as you thought?

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

GrumpyRN63 I have worked all 3 shifts and I undersand the stresses of each shift but I find it increasingly annoying that when I come in after morning shift many things are left undone, things that should not have been forgotten such as a blood sugar or cleaning out your linen carts.

I worked mornings for a year and a half and understand how fast-paced it is and if you arent organized your going to be lost.

I worked evenings for a year and understand that you have to stock and answer bells and deal with family members.

And I worked nights for 6 months and I know that I have to do rounds every hour and stock EVERYTHING as well as file the new patient records into the charts, as well as do the morning labs.

I understand the stresses of the shifts but I find that the other shifts carry their weight just fine except the morning shift.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

wow, I was going to ask if we work at the same place.....

Seriously, I always approached work like this "A) I know I do a good job when I'm on the clock. B)I'll clean up what I can from the morning shift, but not at the expense of doing what I HAVE to on mine. C)Walking rounds, trying to find things, etc, did nothing about the problem. But, after being there 6 months, I had nothing to fear about actually saying things to other CNAs about "Hey, you really left me in a hole yesterday, could you please check mr so and so before you leave for me tonight?"

You do what you can while you're on the clock. and, Yes I care about the job when I'm off the clock, but I know I can't do anything about it....so why bother?