Not a Nursing Question, but Has to Do with Work, So...

Nurses General Nursing

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I work with two CNAs that don't drive. One (Amy) simply doesn't have a license due to a mental/physical disability since birth. The other (Kim) has a license and a car, but the car is broken down and she can't afford the repairs. Both expect a ride home from coworkers every day.

Amy often goes to a friend's house instead of to her home. Her friend's house is literally two blocks from the facility where we work. She has never even asked me for a ride, she simply waits by my car and gets in when I unlock the doors. Kim lives about three miles away and used to ask for a ride, but now she simply tells me she will be waiting for me. They do the same thing to other coworkers who drive.

It isn't a big deal because it only takes about ten or fifteen minutes to get them both home. I don't think that any of us spend much extra money on gas. I think there is just some frustration with being expected to deliver them to wherever they need to go. Neither has ever offered to pitch in for gas.

Kim is a single mom who leaves her children with her mother while she works. A few days ago, Kim's mother called her while we were on our way to her house. She was concerned because Kim wasn't home yet. I only heard one side of the conversation, but Kim made the comment to her mother, "The nurse who is taking me home didn't manage to get out on time. She really needs to be more considerate of the fact that I have obligations at home." It was a long and lousy night. I was tempted to pull over and tell her to get out (not that I ever would, but it certainly annoyed me).

All of us who take them home have similar issues. We are just seeking some advice on how we can reduce our frustration about this. One of the CNAs that gives them rides has said she is going to start charging them fifty cents every time she gives them a ride.

Also one day when someone was dropping Amy off, her car died in the parking lot of Amy's apartment complex. She ended up having to call her husband to get it moved and eventually restarted. Amy told her that her car is a piece of junk and that she got in trouble with her landlord for having a friend's car in the lot overnight. She said that from now on Amy and Kim can just walk.

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

I think it would be interesting to go to the gas station first and say "if you all want to continue to ride to work with me you are going to have to split the costs. I need ten dollars a week from each of you starting now." The OP might finally see that her efforts to help out a less fortunate person were in fact, greatly unappreciated and that her passengers are just working her to get something for nothing.

The less dramatic way is a simple no as others have suggested.

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I want to know what happened. Is the OP still giving rides?

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