Patients are family members

[pumpkin92356]

I am wondering if any of you have this problem where you work at.

I am a CNA and work in a small rural area nursing home. We have several patients who are related to some of the nurses employed at my facility. Recently a nurse brought her 90 year old parents to live here.

Her parents sometimes do not want to get up in the mornings and sometimes wish to relax in their rooms napping, reading etc. Well this nurse come in to see her parents on her day off and was furious with the aides for not getting them up for breakfast and lunch. The residents had been asked that morning if they wanted to get up for breakfast and they had both answered no. Now my question is just because this nurse works at the facility does that give her the right to come in and demand that the aides get her parents up without asking them first. She says just get them up dont ask or they will refuse. Where do you draw the line when you are an aide up against an RN who has been working there for 10 years?

[TiggerBelly]

The residents have the right to refuse to get up early. Its their right. I would think as long as they do get up at some point during the day and are not neglecting their ADLs, then they are fine. I think the nurse overstepped her bounds a little bit by getting mad at ya'll. To me it sounds like she is accusing ya'll of not doing your jobs. To me this is a conflict of interest. I would speak to a supervisor about it if this behavior continues. The nurse may also be in a small bit of denial because her parents are getting older and they do need help now. That may also account for her behavior. If she has a problem with what ya'll are doing, she should go to a supervisor as well instead of taking it out on you. Tough situation. Good luck

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

I think we all know the answer. It doesn't matter that she works there or not. I get all types of family members like this. We can encourage our residents to do things, but we cannot force them. The nurse needs to be taken aside and reminded of this.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

We all know the answer but poor Pumpkin is kind of screwed. She's an aide in a world with a strong pecking order and she really can't go up against an RN without bringing grief down on herself.

I don't know how to handle this one, Pumpkin. Good luck with it.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

OKAY so I might be a bit odd, but as the DNS I don't care who is the CNA and who is the nurse. What's right is right. We cannot force residents to get up if they don't want to. If you as the CNA explain this to the nurse and she continues to give you a hard time, do what you'd do with any other family member who was this unreasonable....go to the supervisor and let them know. The fact she is a nurse does NOT change the fact that these people have rights, and you are correct in sticking up for your residents' rights.