My DON makes me feel like I am worthless

[Chad_KY_SRNA]

One of the skilled residents fell and when examined in the ER was found to have a crushed foot. The 7-3 nurse told the family that the CNA's had probably injured her when getting her out of the floor. I had been on another unit but ended up witnessing the CNA's get the resident out of the floor and the nurses assesment. A few days later one of my coworkers "Sarah" who happens to be engaged to the residents grandson cornered me and began asking me about the fall. She was the nurse in charge of that residents care that night so I assumed that it wouldn't be innappropriate to tell her what I had seen in the room. She went and told her fiance what we had discussed. Last night I get pulled into the Directors Office by her and the DON. I get lectured and suspended for three days for breaking confidentiality. They told me that I will be fired if anything else like this happens again. Did I break confidentiality? They just kept telling me that the customer is always right. While I was in the office they also decided to address a letter that I had written after the DON and I had spoken about the disaster plan and that the womens deoderant caused pain to a few residents that had skin breakdown in the axillary areas. They reminded me that I was still just a CNA at the facility. Believe it or not, these are the same people who sit in our inservices and tell us that if we have any concerns to leave a note under their door. I am so frustrated, I am a CNA and don't pretend to be a nurse. We do however have some CNAs who have been doing treatments on residents open areas, passing pills for the CMAs, doing Accuchecks, basically everything that the nurse does at our LTC facility. I am only working in my scope of practice, I am distraught, I haven't cried in over a year but last night I balled. I am ready to quit, I was pulling my hair out.

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

That is insane...

[thenursepoet]

Wow you can pass pills and do treatments in KY that's not allowed in NYS

One of the skilled residents fell and when examined in the ER was found to have a crushed foot. The 7-3 nurse told the family that the CNA's had probably injured her when getting her out of the floor. I had been on another unit but ended up witnessing the CNA's get the resident out of the floor and the nurses assesment. A few days later one of my coworkers "Sarah" who happens to be engaged to the residents grandson cornered me and began asking me about the fall. She was the nurse in charge of that residents care that night so I assumed that it wouldn't be innappropriate to tell her what I had seen in the room. She went and told her fiance what we had discussed. Last night I get pulled into the Directors Office by her and the DON. I get lectured and suspended for three days for breaking confidentiality. They told me that I will be fired if anything else like this happens again. Did I break confidentiality? They just kept telling me that the customer is always right. While I was in the office they also decided to address a letter that I had written after the DON and I had spoken about the disaster plan and that the womens deoderant caused pain to a few residents that had skin breakdown in the axillary areas. They reminded me that I was still just a CNA at the facility. Believe it or not, these are the same people who sit in our inservices and tell us that if we have any concerns to leave a note under their door. I am so frustrated, I am a CNA and don't pretend to be a nurse. We do however have some CNAs who have been doing treatments on residents open areas, passing pills for the CMAs, doing Accuchecks, basically everything that the nurse does at our LTC facility. I am only working in my scope of practice, I am distraught, I haven't cried in over a year but last night I balled. I am ready to quit, I was pulling my hair out.

[Shell5]

Sorry that happened to you. Sometimes people don't alway pick the best ways to deal with situations. She probably didn't know she was going to hurt you the way she did. Chalk that one up to experience. Maybe she had a bad day and something happened we don't know about. Now........if it happens again....just kiddin..

[Chad_KY_SRNA]

thenursepoet, we can't legally pass meds or do treatments, we just have some CNAs who think that they are nurses and do this for the unit CMAs and nurses.

For the life of me I can't figure out who to call to report my facility. There have been some other things that upset me like one inservice held for nurses and CMAs where they were told to find creative ways of showing increased intake like 3cc of medpass supplement given three times a day will equal 90cc of intake by the end of ten days. It was crazy stuff like that to make the MDS's look better. They are scheduling the units short and forcing nursing staff to work unscheduled doubles with little or no advanced warning. Last month 2nd shift had 15 doubles, is this legal? We are part of a big company and believe it or not they are being sued for wrongful death, abuse of employees benefits, they are being charged with abuse, neglect, and etc.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Enjoy your time off and use it to look for another job. Doesn't sound like a place a hardworking, conscientious and moral person like you needs to be.

[thenursepoet]

Oh, anyway I'm learning that Nurses are Crazy :rotfl: They are self absorbed, so the only thing I can suggest to you is to always always cover your gluteaus maximus.....They are caniving and manipulitive....However you will meet some nurses that are genuine and caring.......

thenursepoet, we can't legally pass meds or do treatments, we just have some CNAs who think that they are nurses and do this for the unit CMAs and nurses.

For the life of me I can't figure out who to call to report my facility. There have been some other things that upset me like one inservice held for nurses and CMAs where they were told to find creative ways of showing increased intake like 3cc of medpass supplement given three times a day will equal 90cc of intake by the end of ten days. It was crazy stuff like that to make the MDS's look better. They are scheduling the units short and forcing nursing staff to work unscheduled doubles with little or no advanced warning. Last month 2nd shift had 15 doubles, is this legal? We are part of a big company and believe it or not they are being sued for wrongful death, abuse of employees benefits, they are being charged with abuse, neglect, and etc.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Chad, I've reread your post, and I sincerely hope I got the facts right in my response.

First, I'm very sorry that this happened to you. You seem like a caring and competent CNA and will make a wonderful nurse. It takes a special kind of person to work LTC.

Second, I know that you think you were working within your scope of practice as a CNA, but--and I hope you'll understand that I'm not accusing you--you really should not have discussed anything about the fall to anyone.

Sarah obviously fished for information from you so that she could arm her boyfriend's family with it and possibly sue the facility. This is the kind of information that usually only is discussed in an incident report with the Risk Manager.

Your meeting in the DON's office was purposefully done to "put you in your place" and scapegoat you for the leaked information instead of Sarah, who really leaked the information to the grandson, her boyfriend.

I'd find another job and chalk that up to experience. What goes around, comes around, as they say, and when you're the DON someday, you'll handle that kind of situation a lot better than she did.

[bargainhound, RN]

Call state ombudsman and state dept health. They will follow up with your concerns and cite the facility for deficiencies.

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

Chad,

I understand why you thought it was ok to discuss the fall with the nurse in charge of the patients care, but in the future, do not discuss anything with anyone unless directly under the DON's supervision.

I agree that you should start looking for another job asap. I think you are going to have your life made miserable by this nurse and the DON. They want to point the finger at you if this fall turns into a lawsuit.

I would document everything I saw connected with this fall, date it, and have it handy for future use. I would also write up the meeting with the DON and the nurse, date it, and keep it for future use. Be concise, clear and to the point, do not write personal opinions, do not write what you do not know for sure. Only what you saw and heard.

Good luck on the job hunt.

[Shell5]

Not sure what state you're in, but in Texas, a CNA is not legally allowed to do treatments, pass meds or do accuchecks. If this is going on you may refuse to do it. You can turn the nursing home into the state anonymously. Your DON knows that these are illegal practices and should be stopped immediately. Good luck

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

If my DON found out that a nurse allowed a CNA to pass meds, that nurse would be F-I-R-E-D! And reported. I sometimes wonder if some nurses ENJOY having a license. You wouldn't know it by the stupid stunts they pull.