NurseWiggins

I am very surprised to hear some of the replies I recieved... First, for those of you saying "we get paid, that is our reward," give me a break. I have yet to meet one person who refuses a "job well done", or "heres a token of my appreciation". Our facitliy is one of the top in our area...I take pride in coming to work, and taking care of MY patients. As many of you prob see it, these geri pts are our family, you grow to love them as your own, and would do anything to make their life as best as it can be... Though, there are many who dont care. Those individuals shouldnt even be in the nursing field, let alone working with the elderly. These are the CNAs, even nurses who leave the non responsive without being changed, or repositioned, etc. And write up after write up, nothing happens, these people continue to "hide" down the halls talking on cell phones, and yet they still have a job--with these pts whom we have grown to love. Management does nothing, in fear of being short staffed, etc. but the way I look at it, Id rather not even have the life sucking idiots working on my hall...Id rather work short that with them. I have been told many times Kristi, you know, you are the only nurse that tells us thank you. You are the only nurse that helps us change our pts. ETC. My aides are helping ME!!!! there is NO WAY that I could do my job, PLUS theirs. And therefore I would like to tell them thank you. I am constantly telling them thank you, heck, just for coming to work...ya know? Thank you for being here, and not being one of the idiots who call in everyday for their shift...Thank you for taking your break on time, thank you for doing oral care, changing your pts, TRUE, this is in your job title, this IS what you get paid to do....but like someone else said in reply, those lazy idiots get the same pay. WHY NOT SHOW APPRECIATIOIN FOR THE WORK WELL DONE?! LOL. If my DON showed her nurses some appreciation to those who are just doing their jobs, I think the others who are lazy nurses will either quit, or realize they should get off their a$$es and do something. We have nurses who give the dressings to the CNAs to change. Nurses who let the CNAs do tube feedings, Nurses who let colostomy bags be changed by the CNAs...When knowing the policies and procedures of our facility clearly note it is the nurses job to perform. Is the nurse suffering from this act? Surely not. The CNA?--slightly, they are doing their job and the nurses...But the Resident is suffering most. When management sends out memos informing everyone that this isnt right, that isnt right, you arent working to our standards, etc....and NEVER EVER tell you THANK YOU! JOB WELL DONE. Its crap!!!!!!! And the over all moral of a facility goes down hill. Those who are working hard everyday says screw it, why should I keep doing my job when so in so is screwing off??!? Ive heard my good aides say that. OR! you have your aides doing their jobs, PLUS those jobs of the crappy aides...Before you know it, they are passing snacks for the entire facitily, they are changing everyone, they are catching every call light. Why not give those aides a pat on the back to show appreciation?? (we get paid to do our job) GET REAL. Not one person wouldnt like an additional pat on the back, something special to just make your day. I know I would. For those of you who gave me wonderful ideas, thank you very much!!!!! I think they are wonderful!!!! and my aides will love it!!!! Perhaps the slackers will start picking up the slack to be recognized too.... Uggh. kristi

I think its silly. Granted it has some advantages, but there are a few residents at our facitily that constantly fall due to alz/dementia...They place the chair/bed alarms on the residents, but incidents still occur. Then, placed in a merri walker they are falling over in them.....UGGH! Your left with no choice but to "babysit" 1:1 care with these residents, medicate, or write up an accident report along with sending to ER usually for injuries. I dont like having my residents restraint free...even a lap buddy would help...and yet, they cant be used if the resident isnt able to release the belt. ???? So these residents continue to fall until eventually breaking a hip...Very sad. Protecting a resident isnt as important as slapping a label on the facility "RESTRAINT FREE". ugggh.

At most LTC facilitys we have good CNA's, and then we have the LAZY CNA's who hide in rooms on their cell phones, never do rounds, and seem to just suck the life out of the other CNA's...etc. right? WELL. Im sick of the good aides not being appreciated at our facility...thus causing them to leave, because they are picking up the slack of the LAZY aides...Im trying to think of a reward system that our Baylor nurses can offer...maybe per shift for our Aides that go above and beyond, to say Thanks for doing an awesome job... I was thinking CNA pins, badge holders, the new rubber band bracelets, Candy, heck, I dont know...Just looking for some ideas that wouldnt cost a fortune...like I said would like to give 4 out a weekend...one each shift. Thanks in advance... kristi