OncologyRN23,
When you work in a Nursing Home/geriatric the patient to nurse ratio is High, My ratio is 24:1 so when you have anything like the CnA comes in Hand. The CNA's in my facility cannot do vital signs, CBS., The nurse does it all. In my facility the CNA's sit on the dinning watching TV and waits for a call, but sometimes they don't even answer a call light. Mean while I don't even get a chance to have my break. Last night I ate my supper at 12:30am. I had 10 patients that need immeadiate attention, from neb tx, toilet, neuro assessment q 15 minutes for the first hour, 3 people that had pain (prn narcotics), One Patient lost eye glasses, the other one lost upper denture, With all that I had 3 skilled patients that I had to have the vital signs with the firts hour of work, so I can assess them. The other patient has the G-tube and needs to go on and we do have to do patient teaching with hime because he is being discharged. This happen in the first hour of work. I also have to give scheduled meds to 24 residents before the meal truck arrives at 5pm when the meal truck arrives we cannot give any meds except for prns. So don't emidiatly think because is not only a CNA's job because we do have full plate in our hands when we come in to work.
Raquel