GeriRNfromNZ

HCA whoops I mean CNA lol we call them HCA's in new zealand You could always volunteer to lead an inservice for the care staff, focussing on some of these major issues.

where I work we have unwanted event forms, (Im sure your facility has similar) which cover everything from pt falls, injuries, injuries to staff, unsafe practice etc - we fill these out describing the event, then what corrective action we took and the follow-up action we will do or want the manager to do. eg: the corrective action is what you did at the time, and the follow up action could be a suggestion that the HCA needs further ed on ......

that is unbelievable! I live in New Zealand and many non-healthcare areas give 5 days sick leave a year, but in my workplace it's 10 paid days a year, and if you need more its given without pay to a certain limit, think its a month - then they will start talkin bout letting you go if you can't do the duties you are employed to do,

Well......... As I read it, your manager has taken your past concerns seriously and should be easy to approach with these recent ones. In my experience with difficult/unsafe co-workers (also as a recent grad), you first need to make sure that you are not being unfairly tough on this CNA because of your past altercations with them. Then if you are sure that you are holding all your co-workers to the same standard, I would suggest you start making formal complaints to your manager ASWELL as attempting to re-educate this CNA on why these situations are unacceptable - so at least you can say you have tried to help them provide appropriate care. Try not to go overboard with the complaints, I mean forgetting to let you know that a resident needs pain meds - when they have them regularly and you know this (I would go check myself), isn't as big a deal as the Gtube guy or aspirating a resident I had a similar situation when I started my first job in LTC as a new grad RN, needless to say the 2 CNA's were let go - and I'm still there! Good luck with it!

Sorry, I don't know the answers to all your questions as I'm an aged care RN - but I can tell you that nursing in NZ seems a heck of a lot less stressful than in the US. We don't have such a massive emphasis on "customer service" the way you guys seem to, and of course, you can't be sued here, although you can have complaints made to the Health and disability commission against you if something serious happens, etc. If you don't want to join the rat race here, don't live in Auckland!! From the nursing specialty you have described, I imagine you will be snapped up in NZ once you have your BN and a few years of experience. I went to the US on holiday in November and loved it; I wish I could go and work there for a year or so!

Heya all, Im a new grad RN, been at my current job in LTC for approx 7 months. When I started there were 2 CNA's there who were so unsafe! The final straw for me was when they both flat out refused to my face to hoist a non weight-bearing resident, as they said the hoist upsets her. One of them yelled at me and told me to do it myself cause she wasnt gonna. So anyway, after a few weeks those 2 cna's were "let go". Fast-forward to now, we have a good team, apart from one cna. He always comes to work on time, does extra shifts when asked and has good rapport with the residents, but maan can he be unsafe! He gets all hyperactive and does stupid things like setting alcogel on fire or making blowtorches with aerosol cans (IN THE NURSES STATION!). Routinely I find him sitting in the lounge chatting to residents while his partner is bustin their ass getting the work done. He hoons around the facility backwards in wheelchairs (at night tho) and the other day crashed into the water cooler making all kinds of noise, while there was a resident attempting to pass peacefully in the room closest. I suppose the issue is this: I like this kid, he has a good heart, but he makes stupid decisions. Im the only RN who takes concerns to the manager about this, the other RN's have all discussed it with me, and all get annoyed at his behaviour, but dont DO anything about it. I just hate how Im gonna get the label of "bossy nark nurse", when in reality I am pretty easy goin an enjoy a laugh, just not if it compromises patient care in any way. Anyone had anything similar occur?

anyone? :)

Hey all I'm a new grad RN, first job. I'm wondering if the way we are rostered at my workplace is typical, because it's seriously doing my head in! At the interview I was told we do rotating rosters, 4 on - 2 off of one type of shift, eg. 4 ams - 2 days off then 4 pms 2 days off etc. But what has been happening, and what is rostered until june (!) is a total mix up of shifts, usually goes AM PM NIGHT NIGHT. Thats not the problem though, the worst thing is that the boss counts the last nightshift - when I finish at 7 in the morning, as one of my days off! So in reality Im only getting one day off. Sometimes I dont even get that one whole day off, as they seem to like scheduling training days on my ony day off arrghh! Please tell me whether its normal practice to count a day in which you work from 12 midnight to 7am as a day off?? thanks