thanx2mj

So today I accidentally ate something that had sulfites in it, and I am allergic to them. Luckily, I'm not so bad off that I immediately go into shock, but I had to take a ton of antihistamines, far more than usual, with the blessing of my allergy doctor, to stay out of the hospital. As of right now, I still don't feel well and am displaying mild allergy symptoms. I called in to work, today was to be my first day by myself as a CNA. While on the phone the charge nurse belittled my decision to stay home because of my allergies and the heartburn that was accompanying them. I was not thrilled that she wanted me to list so many symptoms and even less than thrilled when she belittled my decision and acted put out that I was not coming in. My previous allergy doctor (I just moved, he is in another state now) ordered me to NOT work when displaying out of control allergy symptoms--even more so when I accidentally consume sulfites or naproxen. My last two employers would not let me work at all with an allergic reaction, no matter how mild (one was a hospital, the other a law firm). They did not want to deal with the liability or the potential of me being taken out on a stretcher to an ER. I told several family and friends about this and their recommendation was to go to HR to ask how much should be disclosed to my immediate supervisor, since the charge nurse was so rude about it and expected me to come to work while barely able to function. I am wondering...would going to HR be a good idea, or should I just go to my supervisor? I carry an epi pen in my purse at all times and am supposed to wear a medic alert bracelet that states I am allergic to sulfites and naproxen. I've also been hospitalized twice in the last 6 months for my allergies, so my allergies are no laughing matter, and I really did not appreciate being belittled over them. I also disclosed to HR that I have serious, potentially life-threatening allergies upon hire. So it is not like HR is unaware.

I normally lurk here, but decided to respond to this thread. I don't get why it is okay in healthcare to claim to be something you are not. I've worked in healthcare, and also in food service, retail, as a maid in a hotel, in the call center of a large law firm, and I would never dream of claiming I was a manager or higher up the food chain than I am. It just introduces a ton of liability. That and calling myself the manager, or the team lead, or the store owner, when I was not, was frowned upon, if not outright a fireable offense. No one at the law firm I worked at called themselves an attorney unless they really were an attorney. Luckily for me, as a CNA, all my employers have been very picky and not allowed this nonsense. One place I worked at (a noteable children's hospital) even required that I state that I was a CNA when I first met the patient to do routine vitals, and also tell them who the nurse was, and then write both our names on the white board with our titles. The families knew exactly who was who, and who to call in for certain things. And if they did not, then I would state that I'm just the tech, and I will find the RN and she will help them. I just don't get it, I really don't. I don't get why someone would want that liability. I'm not going to say that people work hard for their RN's (people do, I come from a long line of RN's) I am going to say I don't get why its okay in some places to claim you are something you are not. I don't want that liability myself. Until I am an RN, I don't want to have to deal with it. I'm content to be the CNA (or the paralegal, or the call center grunt, the cashier, the customer service rep) and hand the higher up stuff to the people who have the training to deal with it. I don't get why it is NEVER okay to refer to oneself as a Master Sergeant, cop, Colonel, lawyer, service manager, call center manager, floor manager, franchise owner, hotel owner, or librarian...but it is okay to go around saying one is an RN. Or, for some, even claim to be (and practice, via the giving of medical advice) an MD when one is not. I'm a CNA, plain and simple. The day I pass my boards I will then call myself a nurse. Right now I've got no more claim on being a nurse than being a brain surgeon or a Desert Storm veteran or the store manager of the South Coast Plaza Macy's.

I was working as a Restorative Aide in a facility that specialized in care for middle aged adults who had suffered from TBI's. To fill out the census, they would take on rehab patients as well. One of my duties as the Restorative Aide was to feed five of the patients at the Restorative table. We had this one patient who everyone thought was cute, he was 43 but had a myriad of problems, he had Downs originally and a bunch of other problems that messed up his ability to walk from birth. He came to the LTC I was working at because he needed rehab, as he had fallen at his other facility, which was for people with Downs and other forms of mental and physical handicaps who couldn't live alone. Long story short, despite the fact that everyone thought he was cute, no one wanted to do his cares or feed him and in the case of his nurse, give him his meds. The other Restorative Aide and I were always doing his cares and then getting in trouble with the DON when she would catch us showering him and changing his soiled briefs and bed linens. Well, the nurse tried to get me to pass his meds. She had to crush them and put them in his shake, otherwise he would not take them po. She tried to make me do it. I refused. It is outside my scope of practice as a CNA to pass meds. She became clever. She did not want to give up. Obviously she felt it was beneath her to give this patient his meds...so she collaborated with the cook (also not allowed to pass meds) to have the meds hidden in his meals. She wanted ME to pass them that bad! So one morning I am feeding the patient his oatmeal at my table and discover the patient's meds in the oatmeal. I complained to the DON who did nothing about it. I quit working at that facility after three months.