Older PCA/CNA

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I usually agree with the idea that with age comes wisdom, more experience, and improved quality because of these factors, but when hiring assistant staff, STOP hiring old people!!!!!!! Lmao, my floor was in need of an aide during the night shift and my hospital hired a lady old of enough to be my grandmother. God bless her soul but she works at snails speed, limps while walking, and can't lift for sh!t. What's the point? When we send her to draw labs she comes back and says "I cant see the vein" or when she supposed to be emptying coleus she complains of a bad back. I like the lady and I respect my elders, so I'm the dumb @as nurse who does it for her because I feel for her. I'm sure she's getting over on me, but what should we do?

Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

I think this post can really go both ways. Right now I would say I'd rather work with older CNA's. I'm so tired of young people with a mentality of them doing you a favor just by being there. I grow tired of seeing cell phones, staff disappearing forever, telling me they toileted a pt when I know they haven't. Ohhhh and the attitude. I mean no disrespect to the many CNA's that work their butts off and do more than their fair share.

I can also feel for the older CNA who has no choice but to work. Many have their grandchildren living with them because the parents can't or won't step up. As frustrating as it is, I just want team work and I never bother with the roles. I'm a RN who toilets, changes briefs, makes beds, helps my LPN, and is always the last one to punch out. It's my ship and that's my :twocents:

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Specializes in ICU.
I think this post can really go both ways. Right now I would say I'd rather work with older CNA's. I'm so tired of young people with a mentality of them doing you a favor just by being there. I grow tired of seeing cell phones, staff disappearing forever, telling me they toileted a pt when I know they haven't. Ohhhh and the attitude. I mean no disrespect to the many CNA's that work their butts off and do more than their fair share.

I can also feel for the older CNA who has no choice but to work. Many have their grandchildren living with them because the parents can't or won't step up. As frustrating as it is, I just want team work and I never bother with the roles. I'm a RN who toilets, changes briefs, makes beds, helps my LPN, and is always the last one to punch out. It's my ship and that's my :twocents:

That is what I am talking about!! The OP suggested that they got angry because they had to clean or help clean a patient, or put a patient in trend so that they could assist a staff member lift up a patient in bed. I don't know about the rest of you but at my facility we have one CNA for 19 people. I do primary nursing care: meds, vitals, toileting, i/o's, adl's, feedings, etc., plus put in iv's, foleys, ng tubes, dressing changes, wound vacs, etc., you name it I do it. It would be nice to have more patient care techs, or cna's... but you know what? At the end of the day I, ME, I..am responsible for the care my patient gets or doesn't get. If I have a staff member that is helping me to lift, toilet, do vitals, etc., I am thankful, and if they need help to accomplish that(even for someone that isn't my patient) I am right there to help, because nursing care is team work, and we are a team. Yes some team members do more, but as I said, as an RN, at the end of the day it is ALL my responsibility. I am proud to be the nurse that I am. I am proud to have CNA's call me for help when they need it because they know I will help them, even if it is to run and get them an extra gown. I am proud when I get on shift and a family only wants me to be their family members nurse, or for a patient to tell me I am not allowed to take days off because I advocated for them, and took care of them, or got them their snack when others were too busy. I looked out for them. I am proud to do MY job. If you think that these things are beneath you as an RN, or you think that you are never in your entire career going to need assistance, you are wrong, and maybe it is time for a different job. JMHO

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Am I ever glad I don't work with people like you. I have had to have major accommodations made for me to work. I don't know how long this will go on, but my employer and my co-workers have been supportive of whatever I am able to do, for as many hours as I can do it.

I dont think she means people that have had an injury and are healing...at least thats not what I mean....

If someone gets injured and can't do heavy lifting for some time thats understandable and can be worked with...

My problem personally is with CNA/PCTs that flat out refuse to do the hard work constantly because they aren't physically able to do so....

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Can't she be placed at the desk as a secretary? I remember one floor I did clinicals at had an older CNA who was primarily the unit secretary. When I say older, I mean the Depends age.

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Can't she be placed at the desk as a secretary? I remember one floor I did clinicals at had an older CNA who was primarily the unit secretary. When I say older[b'] I mean the Depends age[/b].

Which could be 24 if she had a rough vag. delivery and tore half way to her pancreas.

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That is what I am talking about!! The OP suggested that they got angry because they had to clean or help clean a patient, or put a patient in trend so that they could assist a staff member lift up a patient in bed. I don't know about the rest of you but at my facility we have one CNA for 19 people. I do primary nursing care: meds, vitals, toileting, i/o's, adl's, feedings, etc., plus put in iv's, foleys, ng tubes, dressing changes, wound vacs, etc., you name it I do it. It would be nice to have more patient care techs, or cna's... but you know what? At the end of the day I, ME, I..am responsible for the care my patient gets or doesn't get. If I have a staff member that is helping me to lift, toilet, do vitals, etc., I am thankful, and if they need help to accomplish that(even for someone that isn't my patient) I am right there to help, because nursing care is team work, and we are a team. Yes some team members do more, but as I said, as an RN, at the end of the day it is ALL my responsibility. I am proud to be the nurse that I am. I am proud to have CNA's call me for help when they need it because they know I will help them, even if it is to run and get them an extra gown. I am proud when I get on shift and a family only wants me to be their family members nurse, or for a patient to tell me I am not allowed to take days off because I advocated for them, and took care of them, or got them their snack when others were too busy. I looked out for them. I am proud to do MY job. If you think that these things are beneath you as an RN, or you think that you are never in your entire career going to need assistance, you are wrong, and maybe it is time for a different job. JMHO

Whooooooaaa, the lies spread. Please everyone read my original post and see if what she accused me of saying is true. To all the nurses out there who know what nursing is about I am an ICU nurse so you know I do everything for my patients because that's what my job description calls for

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I think this post can really go both ways. Right now I would say I'd rather work with older CNA's. I'm so tired of young people with a mentality of them doing you a favor just by being there. I grow tired of seeing cell phones, staff disappearing forever, telling me they toileted a pt when I know they haven't. Ohhhh and the attitude. I mean no disrespect to the many CNA's that work their butts off and do more than their fair share.

I can also feel for the older CNA who has no choice but to work. Many have their grandchildren living with them because the parents can't or won't step up. As frustrating as it is, I just want team work and I never bother with the roles. I'm a RN who toilets, changes briefs, makes beds, helps my LPN, and is always the last one to punch out. It's my ship and that's my :twocents:

You argued one point, what is the other?

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Likewise. :uhoh3:

I understand youre ofended however that does not make my post less valid. As another poster said, what happens when every worker needs accomodations, or theres just 2 workers that have to do it all b/c no one else can? Where is the line drawn? Do we allow substandard care, pts in wet beds, no turns b/c the staff is unable? Im glad you have an accomodating workplace, but some places all it takes is one person to make or break your day.

I'm glad you're bullet-proof.

You never know what life is going to hand you and when you may need to depend upon the kindness of your co-workers to see you through a difficult time. There are reasons we have FMLA and ADA; to help people out who can still contribute to the workplace, but need reasonable accommodations. You may understand it better in another 20y.

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Specializes in ICU.
You know what, before anyone blasts me with insults, I just need to explain that I have been forced to clean and place the bed in the trendelenburg position to lift patients up in bed because the PCA's back hurts and can only be on light duty. Like mama Maria eluded to earlier these PCA's haven't been here twenty years, the one lady is a new hire

Really, the lies spread? What did you write? READ YOUR WORDS

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Yeah, about that not having the time to use the equipment...how long does it take to recover from a back injury? What if you have a patient grab you around the neck and pop a disc? (and I know how it's supposed to be done, but patients do reach out and do what they aren't supposed to :)) What will it be like when you or your co-worker can't work, and nobody is around to fill in?

No... there isn't time sometimes.... But I would personally love to use the lifts...

Last night I actually tried to get the nurses to use them, we gave it a try ...set it up, but it came to point the nurses didn't wanna bother with it anymore and just pull them up ourselves.....

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That is what I am talking about!! The OP suggested that they got angry because they had to clean or help clean a patient, or put a patient in trend so that they could assist a staff member lift up a patient in bed. I don't know about the rest of you but at my facility we have one CNA for 19 people. I do primary nursing care: meds, vitals, toileting, i/o's, adl's, feedings, etc., plus put in iv's, foleys, ng tubes, dressing changes, wound vacs, etc., you name it I do it. It would be nice to have more patient care techs, or cna's... but you know what? At the end of the day I, ME, I..am responsible for the care my patient gets or doesn't get. If I have a staff member that is helping me to lift, toilet, do vitals, etc., I am thankful, and if they need help to accomplish that(even for someone that isn't my patient) I am right there to help, because nursing care is team work, and we are a team. Yes some team members do more, but as I said, as an RN, at the end of the day it is ALL my responsibility. I am proud to be the nurse that I am. I am proud to have CNA's call me for help when they need it because they know I will help them, even if it is to run and get them an extra gown. I am proud when I get on shift and a family only wants me to be their family members nurse, or for a patient to tell me I am not allowed to take days off because I advocated for them, and took care of them, or got them their snack when others were too busy. I looked out for them. I am proud to do MY job. If you think that these things are beneath you as an RN, or you think that you are never in your entire career going to need assistance, you are wrong, and maybe it is time for a different job. JMHO

I don't think she meant it the way you are implying she meant it....

It seems your implying that she is a nurse with a superiority complex that is too good to so the basic nursing tasks that PCT;s/CNA's like myself are hired to do....

The way I read it.... They are overwhelmed on their unit and need assistance... so they hired someone to do the basic nursing tasks... but the woman they hired is up in years and refuses to the job required because of physical limitations....sooo how much help is she really if she was hired to help the nurses but can't do much of anything anyway????

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I'm glad you're bullet-proof.

You never know what life is going to hand you and when you may need to depend upon the kindness of your co-workers to see you through a difficult time. There are reasons we have FMLA and ADA; to help people out who can still contribute to the workplace, but need reasonable accommodations. You may understand it better in another 20y.

of course ocn, i think everyone understands that.

but- what crux argues, is also a valid point.

what if 95% of staff has a disability that limits them?

is the remaining 5% supposed to try and do it all, or do they neglect the pts?

leslie

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