Justus

It rocks! I'm not much for poetry either but I would've loved this!

must i be an attorney to question an opinion? no. this is a discussion board, throw out your opinion and if someone replies you, they or both might gain enlightenment. ie.( if i say all eggs are blue (my opinion) and you think that only robin's eggs are blue (your opinion) and we discuss it we will learn from each other. ) your post(s) reflected either something i agreed with or disagreed with in its entirety (ie. stereotyping) or something vague that i could neither agree or disagree with because it lacked specific explanation. or was perceivably contradicted by another opinion/statement. my perception ,in part, is that you did not like others devalulization of your accomplishments (lpn vs. rn) and yet you appear to do just that to your co-workers.( ie. "when i was an lpn i was offended...." "but try to get your co workers...") likewise, you say you understand why some stay where they are and at the same time refute their reasons / excuses. by asking you about these things i was attempting to clarify your opinion vs. my perception. also, i was not asking you to validate your opinions / education, to the contrary i was asking why anyone should have to. (ie. im' not an attorney but in order to understand and potentially learn something either about you, myself or any given topic i ask questions as opposed to make assumptions.) this was meant to be a discussion not a personal afront.good communication is key and it is difficult to aquire that over the internet. if nothing else i've learned that.

Re:RN34TX I had to reread your post(s) and must admit you were somewhat right about "haste". To conserve space I won't quote the posts in their entirety. It is so hard to tell on b.b. when one is being a smart a$$...truely I'm not. I mean this with the utmost respect and seek only enlightenment on that which eludes me. So here goes: "They all have 2 things in common...." - this is stereotyping. The only commonality that is shared in this context is they are bullies, manipulators etc. and need to be reminded of their limits. And that those limits must be enforced. "These types could prob. function much better if they went back to school..." - Why? Wouldn't this only make for licensed bullies, manipulators etc.? "...I've tried diligently to encourage them to go back to school and better themselves and show everyone what they know"- If in the context of this thread, wouldn't it be better if they were re-educated in their current position first? If this post was in referece to only the toxic CNA as you say, then here again I must wonder what difference would be made? "When I was an LPN I got a little offended..." - Why? Did you feel like you / your accomplishments weren't valued by those around you? "But try to encourage your co-workers to go back to school...every excuse in the book" - Obviouslythis applies to more than toxic CNA's, so is that to say that you must have a formal education to validate your position or knowledge? By who's standard? If you understand that "some people stay where they are for their own reasons" and you have already been in their shoes...then how is this any different?

RN34TX...To read your post you are of the opinion that "all CNA's are jealous and have low self esteem" and that there is some reason why they did not become nurses. Although I agree with everything else, to state the aforementioned is stereotyping CNA's. There are some that simply choose to be CNA's while other's may become nurses, phlebotomist or flip burgers. It is possible that some stand in awe of nursing (nurses) without being "jealous" .

:imbarhmm...was your na being sarcastic? i wonder if this cna was told the exact same thing? imho -it is precisely that kind of caustic / unprofessional behavior that gives air to this whole thread. oh, i understand that there are times, when someone has crawled all under your skin but to allow yourself to ever sink to that level... here again, no matter your profession, your income etc. etc. this should not ever be allowed.

"Stitchie" - You say tomato and I say tomatto... LOL

Not sure I understand, is that to say that you would open the can on a CNA and overlook your fellow RNs? I agree that it is "infuriating" and there is no room for it. Which brings me back, yet again, to why is this type thing so common and acceptable? Many times I have proposed that this among more offensive things should be stopped, that regardless of position we have the means to clean up healthcare/nursing...and yet nobody has agreed or disagreed.

Ladies- you are the tops and point on! I would be honored to work with you!:balloons:

:imbar Did not mean to offend. I'm sorry. Truely, just went through very similar circumstance and it is so frustrating that it has become common or much worse acceptable! From bottom to top everyone is complaining about how awful nursing has become. I have acute Nightengale Syndrome highly irritated by this infection of bad nursing, bad management and overall b.s.! We need a bloody antibiotic that will drive these little germs out of the system and allow nursing in its truest form to recover and prosper as prescribed by everyone of us that is worth our Caduceus! {LOL-although I am serious} Again, I apologize- I did understand your post and feelings therein.

"It turns out the tech had been fired at one point, and her family threatened to sue for wrongful dismissal..." How old was the tech that her family could sue in her place? "However, I do not go to work to be demeaned and belittled, so I quit." Have felt this too, responded the same way and still regret it. It is a shame that we come into this with the greatest of intent and nobility only to be shown how replaceable we are. As if! It is their loss, keep going you will find a place that appreciates all you have to offer and if they fail to see it...(see end of post)!:) "If the organization wants to lose an RN rather than an aide..." It is unfortunate for any organization to lose qualified / professonal staff regardless of their position.But what does Nurse vs. Aid have to do with it? Not being persnickety but this is a common attitude that I do not share or understand.What makes a Nurse better? A college education, income, power? (Again, I mean this in the kindest way) For me to claim some egotistical superiority over an aid is rediculous, are children less valuable because their not adults? Albeit, they may lack the wisdom that comes with age I can hardly imagine a world without them. {sitting on the fence,taken it all in } It seems that some Aids are more assertive than their more educated counterparts and being a Nurse does not make you a leader. eek...this makes for bad chemistry. Whether your a Nurse, tech. or housekeeper you are taken under wing by the senior employees to learn all the ropes that don't necessarily go by the book. Nevermind what employee X thinks you "should do", stick to the book! Trust yourself and your educated training first and foremost, if you can't do that you're not ready for an authoritive role. There's no shame in it, better to admit it then run amuck. {bloody longwinded! sorry} This is a pet peeve, I hate that we keep losing good nurses,cna's etc. to bad management. If we keep allowing ourselves to be shoved aside for those that are unprofessional even incompetent then how are things ever going to get better? STEP ON THEIR TOES! Post on top of post speaks of how tiring this is to all of us and yet we do nothing because we're somehow inferior ,defeated or "in this alone"? {tugging on jack boots} Who's got my back?:rotfl:

I had toxemia with my first 2 pregnancies and all the symtoms of it with my 3rd BUT midwife told me that because 2-3 had the same father there wasn't a chance of it with the 3rd baby. Never made any sense to me. Also, I talked to a nurse that said the Dr.'s of medical card pt. opt for c-sections because that is the only way to recoop the losses on care for the pt. Apparently, medical assist. programs don't pay as much as say personal insurance. It wouldn't surprise me, I had a hard time even finding a Dr. that would take my med. card with my first pregnancy and was treated like cattle at that. Thats my 2 cents...

http://www.ican-online.org Maybe this will help? I have always questioned my c-sections. I was told that my pelvis was "too small"- FYI- hard to imagine as big boned as I am!

If you have ever worked in LTC you have seen it all. Staff shortages, neglect and abuse top the list. Some nurses / CNA's do it because they love it, some because "it pays more than Wally World". In truth I think the latter started with the best intentions but became complacent with the reality of it all. When you work in LTC, you know you're not going to "save" a life but you want to give your "family" every comfort possible. I can't imagine anything worse than knowing one is being abused / neglected YET absolutely nothing will stop it. Most won't report it for fear of retaliation, alienation and even job loss. Oh yeah...all have happened, BUT why? So here's my thing - I want to stir the hornet's nest but to do so I need your advice, opinions etc. Why did you become a CNA? Do you feel you are a valued employee? Is reporting abuse / neglect an option? If no, why not? Do you have a CNA support group? Would it help? What changes do you want to see? How can they be accomplished?

Perhaps give it a cooling off period first and then tactfully confront your "friend"- be thankful for her concern but firm in the importance of your privacy. Then I would contact my attorney, and have him contact the doctor/lab. Thats a wake up call. Or you could push it into a law suit. Either way I would not just let this go. I'm sorry this happened to you, I can imagine how such an invasion would feel.

fergus...you are exactly the kind of person I would want to debate. Thanks for listening to all sides, playing devils advocate, we could do with more of that.:) I look forward to more thought provoking posts.

I'm having a hard time understanding what the age, the # of children and whether or not one smokes has to do with their ability to act professionally? I've worked with just as many 21 yr.old pains in the butt as I have 50 yr. olds. So long as they leave their home life at home, take the breaks as required and do their job effectively / professionally ...all else seems irrelevent. At the same time I too have seen the problems described thus far in this thread. They do not begin and end with CNA's but apply to all nurses in all manner of their choice of employment whether that be LTC or Hosp. The bottom line is simple (should be) we all need to get over this "good ol' girl" line of thinking. I recently read a thread where a nurse was complaining that she "doesn't like tattle tails"...well too bad. If these problems are to improve that is exactly what it is going to take. Susie may be my very best friend BUT when it comes to doing my job she takes the back seat to every single one of my patients even if it costs her job or mine. I'd much rather lose my job for protecting my patients than lose it because I failed to OR much worse lose one of my patients. At some point the professional CNA's must take a stand and make what the were taught actually mean something. Until then, we're just pi$$ing in the wind.

Excellent! Very well said!

PegRNBSN- you hit the nail on the head. Also, I am mystified by pro-choicers that claim there is nothing wrong with abortion & that in some way it "saves lives".Lets see , maybe if they practiced abstinence or actually used birth control and safe sex measures then just maybe there wouldn't be so many poor little women having to make this "difficult" decision. Like I said in my first post, there are extreme cases where this must be done- strictly medical. Getting lost in the heat of the moment should not qualify. Frankly I feel that those frequeant flyers should consider sterilization. I'm not joking. LisaCaNurse2b - I can completely relate to your first post and agree. I think it is max unfortunate that you felt the need to apologize for your opinions just as I feel for the nurse that felt the need to hide her identity. This isssue hits very close to home. I know 2 women who have gone through this procedure, one who had an abortion to hide the fact that she had an affair and whom has never got over the abortion mentally or physically. The other had 6 last year -3 the year before because she "doesn't ever want kids", "hates them".PLUS I was told I should abort my last child because of severe epilepsy, I was shown what could possibly happen to my child and even told what would. I am happy to say it was my most uneventful pregnancy,perfectly healthy child who is in advanced reading and math classes. So far I have resisted the urge to walze him right up to the idots that gave me all that fine advice.

Yes, I would provide all care needed for the patient. No, I would never have anything to do with the process of abortion. Yes, it is the woman's choice, she made that choice when she decided to put herself at risk of preg. in the first place. Abortion should not be used as birth control or a means of erasing a bad decision. Abortion should be reserved for extreme cases only.

so...its okay to parade around Pro choice BUT its not okay for Anti abortionist to do the same? If theres "nothing wrong with it", then why not let everyone see what it is really like? Why should explaining that to your kids be any different then explaining ...say the birds and the bees?

:rotfl:"CNA council"? oh tell me more! Have thought many times that such a thing would be great. Perhaps help alleviate some of the frustration etc. that CNA's feel. I think most would agree that as low man on the totempole their opinions and such are not valued. We currently have a "b*tch box" - serves absolutely no purpose other than furthering one of my pet peeves ...cliques vs. teams

What kind of stethocope are you using now? I use one made by "Prestige Medical" (double tubes) it came with a variety of ear pieces. Perhaps if you simply change the ear piece it will help? Sorry, seems like a "duh" kind of answer but it made a differece for me.:)

What kind of stethocope are you using now? I use one made by "Prestige Medical" (double tubes) it came with a variety of ear pieces. Perhaps if you simply change the ear piece it will help? Sorry, seems like a "duh" kind of answer but it made a differece for me.:)

I was recently hired at the LTC where my father had lived his last years. I spent the first several hours of orientation getting to know my new "family". As second shift came on I was instructed to spend the next couple of hours reading the employee handbook (poorly written /repetitive/ much that did not apply to me in the least). While reading I was joined by 3 MTs (not cert.) and one CNA.(Later I found they were the ONLY nurses in the building.) What followed was a series of contiuous smoke breaks, ranting sessions and power play. They thought I was a "newby, about 20" and that I could be lead by my nose and cowed into whatever position they wished. I was told not to say anything about what went on during that shift and threats were made of consequence. They proceeded to curse the patients, slam doors in their face, leave the med room unattended and open, openly make fun of patients. etc, etc. I left in tears, not from hurt but from outrage. My father was here , I just promised my "family" I would see them in the morning! Already I was attatched and being forced into the only thing I could do. I returned early the next morning and made clear and precise why I would not, could not, work for this facility. I was assured this would be "nipped in the bud and that heads are gonna roll". :angryfireThey were reprimanded.:angryfire :rotfl:Until there are major changes in our LTC things will not get any better.Those changes start with one CNA. Damn a "few warm bodies"- we must have nurses with heart & soul ! Obviously none of us are there for the $, I could do half as much at W Mart and make as much or more. DOCUMENT everything. REPORT everything. By doing so you protect youself but more importantly you are protecting your patient(s).

More than likely you will be rotated through various floors/ dept. but you can request a specific area of interest. Best of Luck