AnonymousDeleted

@pixierose I have coworkers who treat me like this. I feel your pain. I figure it's different coming from a doctor and can't help you in interpreting that case. When it comes from my peers/equals, I figure it means they just don't like me because I don't fit in thier box, and can't really relate to my peers as CNAs. Let's just say I'm a minority in that title and am working my way out of this as fast as I can. I used to be proud of my job, but now that the welfare office trains people to do it for free, the quality of people I find myself surrounded by has gone down drastically over the years and its a pool I no longer want to be part of. This is putting it politely -_- I'd like to imagine that if I bust my tail hard enough, I'll be able to work in higher quality environments and find myself surrounded by people I can see eye to eye with, who share my enthusiasm for a true scientific and humanitarian calling. For now, I'll just have to tolerate being invisible in the break room, and excluded from the conversation while everyone else whines about how hard thier job is, all 3 of thier baby daddies skipping out on child support this month, or gossiping about the Kardashians. ::eyerolls audibly::

Hey there! I'm a CNA with about 8 years experience who also happens to be in her last semester of school for Practical Nursing. I've pretty much always been the one who got stuck doing the brunt work, dirty jobs, or tasks nobody else accepted and have learned to use this to my advantage over the years. Ive also noticed in my work and educational interactions that alot of supposedly "open minded" people really aren't as open as they'd like to think. I have heard classmates and coworkers belittle patients who were mentally ill, drug users, promiscuous, etc. talking down about them in report as if thier personal judgements and transgressions against these people was worth two cents (it isn't). My theory is that the kind of nurses who judge and belittle patients or give them attitude under the table must not be self aware enough to realize they're only making thier own jobs harder. I feel like being truly open minded and neutral is more of a curse than a blessing because not picking a side means nobody among your peer group will like or trust you. I'm the one nobody likes because I'll yawn or sit there stone faced while you gripe to me about a patient, spewing venom about thier lifestyle while not knowing how easily you'd do the same sorts of things they did if you were misfortunate enough to have to. I could easily see myself working with compromised populations in a setting where other nurses would perhaps rather not be, such as community std type clinic, correctional nursing, or detox unit. Hopefully some seasoned nurses will comment and share stories or let me know how I can make myself a more valuable baby nurse in pursuit of these goals? :)

Honesty will also get you nowhere in nursing. Rule #1 C.Y.A. Cover your own ass at all times. Lesson learned?

She has a psychiatrist who comes to see her for 'anxiety'. He also rounds in our facility on other patients, but not very often and his visits are usually short. Typically, he only speaks to the nurse and will rarely ask me questions... probably because I'm usually busy elsewhere. I am aware that there are alot of changes going on in long term care right now with the use of "chemical restraints" or people being 'overmedicated' and that every so often, we are required to try to decrease a residents dose to see if they can handle it for their own safety. I'm guessing, or hoping, that that's what's going on now, and that maybe her ridiculousness will decrease back to its normal level all in due time. I just really wish I were kept in the loop with these things.

Surely it has occured to me to just be nice to her. However, she is really some sort of psychic energy vampire... the more you give her, the more she demands. Maybe she's just a bored control freak. Either way, as I said, I have 14 other patients daily who need my time and I'm constantly being expected to drop everything and come running when she screams down the hallway. She lies and exaggerates to social services, alleging that I abuse her, and repeatedly tells anyone who will listen that she doesn't want me for an aide, which is fine by me, but nobody else on the floor will trade me a patient for her because she really is that bad. Sincerely, pulling my hair out.

I am a CNA working in a long term care facility, or nursing home, and have one patient in particular who has really been irking the hell out of me lately. I've been working with her for about a year and have determined for myself that she is a posterchild for Munchausen's Syndrome even though her chart doesn't identify her as such, and if she is already diagnosed, none of my nurses have ever shared that info with me. The only ailments listed on her chart for me are that she suffers from anxiety, COPD, and had fractured her hip years ago but still refuses to get out of bed to this day. She insists that she can only lay on one side in bed, and her body is becoming twisted and contorted because of it. She is continuously on 1L of oxygen, and receives breathing treatments, although if she ever needs a water canister refill for her continuous oxygen the nurses take thier darn sweet time getting it. Once when she was going out to an appointment by stretcher, I asked if I should send her with portable oxygen and my nurse directed me by telling me that "its a comfort measure only" and "not that important". I pretty much took the hint as to what that meant. She often can go for 15 minutes at a time screaming loud enough to be heard down the hallway about supposedly needing a breathing treatment or meds. I probably don't need to explain why that's peculiar. She also loves to go on complaining about stomach pains, constantly asks for laxatives even though she has liquid ***** down to her knees covering the whole bed daily. If it takes me more than five minutes to refill her ice water, she will literally dial 911. Her family never bothers to come see her, although she is constantly calling different people with sob stories. Every week she tries to tell me that a different family member is sick or died, to which my response is "haven't you run out of cousins and sisters to grieve for yet?". Sorry, call me cold if you want, but now that I'm officially privy to this woman's ********, I just have no more patience left for it. Maybe it is a bit unfair of me to expect her to learn and change, but I am seriously at a loss. I have 14 other patients who are mostly polite and need care and what little time I have to give... and she is being beyond inconsiderate of that fact. How should I handle this? Any advice would be welcome and appreciated.

Why exactly? I have noticed that most people don't use photos around here. Is there any particular reason?

So, I have been a certified nursing assistant since 2009 and it is honestly the only career I've ever had. I have a love/hate relationship with my profession, as do most of my peers. However, I am strongly interested in further study despite the fact that I've put it off for so long. I've had problems in the past, and have been fired from my past 2 employers, one was an assisted living facility that I worked at for 8 months that fired me for 'general poor performance' after writing me up for several things all at once out of nowhere. I'll admit that I've always had 'people problems' and it pretty much boiled down to that. My next job was much better, working as a patient care technician in a hospital setting for a few months on an orthopedic floor at night for a few months where I ran into some minor issues, and I agreed to switch to days on a med-surg floor, but was terminated for being a no call no show after about a year. I had a habit of working overtime or trading shifts with other people who would bully me and give me the **** end of the stick. I still have no idea how it happened and am 100% sure it was an honest mistake or I was purposely set up by someone. I was very proud and loved my job, it devastated me to lose it. Currently I am working in a long term care facility or nursing home and continue to have people problems. I've been here for about 2 years, which is quite an accomplishment for me. I have made no enemies, but I'm pretty sure I'm generally disliked. I really hate this job and would love to be a tech in a hospital setting again, but I've gotten comfortable in the fact that I've survived here for so long. For as long as I can remember, I've always had the preconceived notion that other people don't like me, and I'm not exactly sure when or how that started. I always went through life not trusting people, or wanting to share things about myself with others. It has been brought to my attention that I definitely have eye contact problems, which is a trademark of those affected by asperger's. Also, I have very few interests but am an expert on a handfull of topics. Unfortunately those all happen to be topics that aren't generally socially accepted as appropriate to share with others: I am into the occult, an avowed athiest, bisexual and extremely into left hand path philosophy. Let's just say that making friends isn't easy and leave it at that. People with asperger's have very poor social skills but are said to be nearly intellectual geniuses and excel in careers so long as they are tailored to fit the few interests that they have. I am without a doubt sure that I suffer the condition and I fit the bill perfectly. My dad does too, but I've never discussed it with him and I'm pretty sure he's probably never even heard of it, but I'd like to think that's the origin of my problems. I would very much like to pursue treatment but I need some reassurance that it'll be worth it. I've read that social skills training is the best that there is to offer, and maybe treatment to reduce my social anxiety as well. I need to hear from other people who are already diagnosed... is it hard to be diagnosed as an adult? What are the advantages of being clinically diagnosed? Would you disclose it to your employer? Do you regret disclosing? What should I know before going through with this? I just cant take it anymore.