FoxyProxy215

Yesterday, I went to a clients home and as soon as I stepped in they were door, they were like "Okay, you can clean and sanitize the bathroom, and then start on the kitchen and take the trash out". I said, oh, you must've thought I was from the maid service, I'm Barbara, the home care nurse. They were like yeah all the other nurses clean the house. I left and called my agency and told them they weren't expecting a nurse, and that was that. Agencies need to stop allowing this.

I dread going to work everyday! It's like wild horses have to drag me in there mentally. I have 25 patients, and am new at this facility. Yesterday, the unit manager approached me during my med pass and handed me the phone 3 times for telehealth doctor visits for patients I knew nothing about. I felt stupid trying to hurry up and navigate through the notes to try to tell the doctor something about the patients, at the same time, doing wound treatments and pill pushing, so I can go home on time. Why wouldn't they warn me that I'd have appointments? During med pass, people are constantly, constantly, constantly interrupting me telling me who wants meds...right now. As if everyone doesn't want their meds. I tell them I'll get to them. I was reprimanded for asking a CNA and PT aide to stop coming up to me telling me people want their meds. Mind you, these are patients who are only getting vitamins, I try to work on my insulin and blood pressure med people first, because a lot of those meds are due before they eat breakfast. All shift, there's no time to sit for charting so the nurses do PCC and other notes AFTER the shift. Nurses are there at least 3-4 hours after their shift ends everyday to do charting. The DON gets pissed at us nurses for not answering the phone at the nurses station during med pass. I almost gave a patient the same meds twice because I was being pulled every which way but loose. Lunch break? There's no such thing, but yet there's wage theft because they still take it out of our pay. There's no way to prove we aren't getting breaks. The problem is nurses are so compliant with the overload of work, it makes a bad look for us who want to take their unencumbered breaks. When I first asked for a break, everyone got all bent out of shape and no one wanted to relieve me because they're too busy. No matter where I go, it's always the same bs. At night, my anxiety gets so high because I know I have to be back at that dreaded facility in the morning.

Go to the bathroom. Stop allowing these companies to force us to hold it.

How is taking bp in dining hall against HIPAA when CVS, Rite Aid, etc, has blood pressure machines in their stores which are in plain view? I always see customers sit in the bp jawn. A resident has the right to request their blood pressure be taken while in the dining hall, the numbers don't have to be announced, a piece of paper can be taped over the screen. No difference from taking the bp in their room within earshot or view of the roommate(s) (some SNF's have 4 or more patients to one room), or changing their briefs after a bm with nothing but a thin curtain dividing them from the other 1-3 roommates. Besides, no one ever said that you have to work the way your trainer does. Just do a good job and don't worry about it. I'm quite sure your tune has changed a bit since 2016.

I'd like to add that SNF's now serve as homeless shelters and drug rehab for people 60 and younger down to the 20's. I've witnessed nurses and residents get into arguments and fist fights because the resident didn't get percs or xanax exactly the minute it was due. A resident runs a speakeasy out of his room at a facility I've worked at, and the DON was escorted out from another facility for taking the narcotics and fell over asleep on the med cart. Drugs, prostitution, sex crimes, etc. run rampant in a lot of these so-called "SNF's". They go and get people off the streets to move them in, which hasstrained the system so badly. 90-year-old woman roomates with a 2-year-old who blasts her music and keeps trying to feed the elderly lady who is NPO. They work employees like mules.

They might ask to descibe an example of when you went above and beyond for another person, and to descibe a situation where you all had to come together as a team. Watch some dialysis videos on YouTube too.

Yes, they use a third party agency.

That's a very low pay. You should learn to aim higher, and you must don't have a family to support and are okay with being mediocre. $12-$13 is on the low-end. Don't you think your're worth more? If not, maybe you just came into this just for a job. Dont speak for everyone. I have five daughters to support. That pay would not cut it. I asked for what I thought I deserved, not no $12 an hour. Sounds like you have poverty mentality

Lol, you think $12 an hour is paid "quite well"? What planet do you live on? That pay sucks, especially when you have children to provide for. That rate was even low for two years ago.....lol. I'm still laughing at that. It might be good pay to you, but the majority would disagree.

Is this an ad?

You sound as if you don' t want to hear the truth. I was hired at one of the Big Two with just a high school diploma, and they Do train you. Smh. Utilize Google if you don't believe it.

Yes, are you still in the field and how do you like it?

Also FRESENIUS and DAVITA trains for pct. So you'll be getting on the job training. Check them out.

Go with the CNA, then also apply for PCT jobs. In Philadelphia, Pa you don't need experience or a CNA to be a PCT. The hospitals train.Just a high school diploma is needed, but the CNA helps. Listen, I've seen ppl get stuck in CNA... And never learn any new skills, at least you'll gain better experience in my opinion as a PCT. My job trained me as a dialysis PCT then I took the state exam and became a Dialysis Tech(same thing)... So to wrap up, go for the cna, but go after pct jobs. It's almost the same as cna, but you learn phlebotomy, which is a career in itself. Sorry excuse the typos, my phone is giving me hell.

PCT. You'll learn more skills, and won't be called an "ass wiper", like I was called. I became a Dialysis Tech, and was able to do a lot more and it feels more rewarding. Although I love caring for ppl as a CNA, I got sick of the disrespect from higher ups. One RN came in the shower room while I was showering a resident and asked me to put a foot rest on a residents wheelchair, she said it wasn't her job. Maybe you should do both for the experience, it couldn't hurt being as though CNA only takes 4 weeks.

Hey, how is it working out for you now @Bralu1977?

Hi, I see that this post is over 7 years old already. I was just hired as a PCT. I wanted to read more about "turnovers (preparing for the next patient I'm assuming ) however, when I google it, it thinks I'm talking about job turnover, and I've only found one video about it on youtube, but the woman seems to be more or less gossiping. My question is, is there another name for turnover? Maybe I can find out more info by using a different term for it.

Hi, I am also a travel CNA and I've seen it all. Another travel CNA I worked with, reported abuse, about two hours later, the entire building knew she had reported it. They called her downstairs and told her that was only her "perception " of abuse. Shortly thereafter, our "co-workers" began to bully her on a daily basis, like pouring water in her residents beds to make it look like neglect, and other sick jokes. About three weeks later, she was fired. I finally convinced her to get a lawyer and told her that although Pennsylvania is an "at will employment state, meaning they can fire you without a reason, there are still whistle blower laws. Anyway, she was a good CNA. Stand up for your rights, get a lawyer, community legal services may help if you have that in your area.

I see plenty of opportunities for travel CNA's. In fact, I was offered a 13-week assignment in Hawaii as a CNA. Start with PrimeTime Healthcare. Google can be your best friend at times.

This was very helpful. I am in Nursing School in Philadelphia, PA, and I plan to become a travel nurse. I'm researching USVI and Hawaii. You mentioned the pay of $1300 week before housing costs...I heard of companies that pay room & board...do you hear of that out there? Thanks for the good info.