RNfromMN

This is 100% what I am saying. My husband works for a bank. I tried to explain to him it's like having the CEO (or a department head or anyone else in management) walk into work for the day & being told they're needed as a teller. You don't know where anything is, or how anything works...you just have to do it.

Just before I had found out about this pregnancy, I was on the verge of accepting a nursing position with another facility. I don't get any benefits through this job, but at least I would still qualify for my 12 weeks unpaid FMLA time once the baby comes. I wouldn't be able to receive that starting a new job at this time (which only means I wouldn't be guaranteed a job after 12 weeks). I agree with parts of what you're saying (& for the record, I have not complained once about my schedule), but it's more than a bit frustrating when I can barely walk into my front door without assistance after a shift, while other non-pregnant nurses with no existing health conditions are just saying, "No, I won't do that," and no one thinks anything of it. Which leads me to believe that the nurses *do* have some leverage in this situation. If I thought it was just helping out for a little while, that would change my feelings on the subject, as well. However the staffing coordinator has shared with me that she doesn't see this ending anytime soon because no one is applying and the aides we have are dropping like flies because they're so tired of the mandatory overtime. We do have a new administrator starting next month, so I'm a bit hopeful things might change.

As a staff nurse that only works weekends & takes care of her 3 small children during the week, I really don't feel it's my place to try & hire nursing staff. And if I knew anyone qualified for a CNA position, I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable recruiting them to a place where I've seen other CNAs mandated for 16 hour shifts on their first day. I don't think management enjoys paying through the nose for their nursing staff, but I definitely think this is their hens coming home to roost - there's definitely a reason everyone's quitting & no one's coming in to apply.

Yeah, definitely not a volunteer thing. Don't get me wrong - some of the nurses (that started where I work as CNAs) love the change. But even they're getting tired of never being scheduled to work as nurses over and over and over again.

That's totally how I feel. The doc that wrote my coworkers note didn't believe her that she was being scheduled involuntarily for CNA shifts. I guess he was like, "I don't understand - did you get in trouble for something over there? Are you being reprimanded? Or put back on probation?" We are being paid our normal wages, so that's nice.

Where supplies are found in each room. How they transfer. Dentures? Depends or pads? How much assistance is needed in dressing. There are 25-30 residents on my floor with new admissions throughout the week - I know these things about some of them, but no, honestly, not all of them. And they are things I can go find out, but that puts us all behind. Staffing shortage :). I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that the many CNAs & nurses who have put their notice in over the past year or so have been strongly (& always unsuccessfully) persuaded to stay. I'm not really sure at this point what one would have to do to actually lose their job where I work. It's not occasional. It's looking like every shift for me. For an indefinite period, as explained to me by the gal doing the schedule. No one's applying and float agencies only respond about half the time they're called (I'm told). The full time nurses I talk to tell me it's the far majority of their shifts that they are scheduled as CNAs. I sympathize with my employer, but kinda feeling like it's more of a "not my problem" situation. Particularly when it's not a shared problem - the work is only required/expected of certain nurses.

Wondering what others opinions are on this topic. I'm an RN, been working at the same LTC for 8 years. I'm also 4 months pregnant with my 4th child. For the past 6 months or so, RNs & LPNs have been scheduled to cover CNA shifts due to the worst staffing shortage I've ever seen at this place. We can get pool aides to come in once in awhile, but very rarely. I've done a couple shifts - it's pretty terrible, mainly because I was never trained as an aide at this facility (I did work as a CNA for 2 years about 10 years ago). I basically follow another CNA around and we do every single person together. Another nurse I work with ran right out to her doc when this scheduling started and he happily wrote her a note getting her out of it. He couldn't believe this was how we were handling our staffing. I know of one other nurse that flat out refuses to do it and has said she will walk off the job if she's ever scheduled to be a CNA. I don't want to come off as a snob, like I'm better than doing this sort of work, but I honestly have no idea what I'm doing when I'm supposed to work as a CNA, training is not an option and I only work weekends so I don't think I'd ever get "used to it." I don't feel like it's safe at times and I don't think it's fair that some nurses have to do it, while others just throw a fit and get out of it. Thoughts?

Give it a good 6 months until you feel comfortable with your job...best advice a nurse ever gave me.

Wow! All these stories are just nuts! I think I'll just stay in my lil' ole LTC - the most "deceitful" thing I have to deal with there is a 94 y.o. man who's only allowed to have two 1/2 oz of alcohol/day d/t liver disease, yet consistently tells the night nurse he hasn't had any drinks yet after she's already given him his 2.

i honestly can't tell if you meant to or not, but i think that you just blatantly insulted the profession i worked very hard to be a part of and am very proud to be a part of.

I loooovvvvvee "pleasantly confused." I use it all the time - I'm a new nurse, I haven't really ever thought of the "appropriateness" of the term. I feel when I describe someone as "pleasantly confused" -to a family member or otherwise- I'm saying that no, they're not with it, but they're okay with it, it's not upsetting to them.

No apologies necessary for melodrama - try to hang onto and remember this feeling for as long as you can! Congratulations!

I just treat the knee like an elbow, if that makes any sense, and take it in the calf.

Prayers sent your way - God Bless

congratulations!!!