Same assignment/residents

[AJ_427]

I've been working at the same facility for quite some time and last week I accidentally found out that I've been put permanently on the same assignment. I have my regular 11 residents (2-10 shift) that I take care of when I work 2-10pm. Getting the same assignment all the time is very rare at my facility. The thing is that I am getting a little bit bored and people are telling me constantly that I am very lucky that I'm with these residents all the time. I was wondering if you guys are in the same situation.

People at my work think that working with kids is very easy but I think otherwise. Yes, I can lift them all by myself and that is the only thing that I find easy. I have to deal with extremely demanding families (families of 9 out of my 11 residents come every time I work). They are all incontinent (and get wet very often), none can feed themselves, none can walk/talk, they fight a lot, and so on. I am thinking of switching to morning shift to change things up a bit. And yes, I've asked my supervisor to put me on a different assignment but she never does (I think it's the fact that I have not yet gotten into trouble with any of the families and I do a pretty good job lol).

To open a discussion I am posting few questions. Do you guys get your regular residents? Would you like to have your regular residents? Should CNA's get the same assignment if they want to? Have you every refused your assignment? Thanks for your responses!

[Kitsey]

Since I'm part time I have to float to all 5 areas of my facility as needed. I HATE that part. I've only worked there 3 months and it's my first CNA job. I constantly dread getting the new schedule, worried I'll be put on the floors I've had very little experience on. For me, getting the same assignment/residents would be amazing. I feel so much more confident and comfortable when I get to be on my favorite unit (dementia). If I had the choice I'd never go anywhere but the dementia unit, though I'd be ok with working on either of those two halls.

[CoffeemateCNA]

I hate having the same people to take care of all the time. Float me around, and I'm happy. If I have the same residents all the time, I tend to get a lot more frustrated with them over the smallest of things and get burnt out quickly. One of the good things about permanent assignments, though, is that you get to know your residents and their routines VERY well, which makes things easier in that aspect.

If I get new people (or at least a different assignment) each day, it keeps me on my feet and makes things more "fresh." I like variety.

Our management often prefers permanent assignments because it "provides for better continuity of care," but I think that's a big fat load of BS. I think certain people just want to be lazy and have less scheduling to deal with. People get tired of permanent assignments (especially the more difficult ones) and call in more often, necessitating frequent replacements. So in trying to minimize the number of caregivers that work each assignment, they end up creating more than there was to begin with. Total crap.

[Poi Dog]

Our residents are divided into sections. Each CNA is assigned a section for a week. I like it that way because if a section sucks, I know that I only to deal for 7 days.

[yousoldtheworld]

We have a mix - a few people have permanent assignments, while most of us switch around between 2 or 3, and just stay in the same general section. I'd say I work on one group 3 days a week, and then the other two days, I work on 2 other groups. Personally, I think there are good and bad things about having a permanent assignment.

I would say that I prefer to switch around a bit - I like rotating between 3 or 4 groups. That way, you get a break from any residents that drive you nuts, but you still know the few groups you rotate between well enough to take good care of them.

[LaterAlligator]

My facility is small enough that there are only 6 runs in the place, and we all get switched throughout them. Although there's one run with no lifting/transferring, so that's the one people get for a length of time if they are on light duty for whatever reason. I don't like having the same run over and over again, because then those people really work my nerves. If it's different residents, it's different behaviors and I don't get in that mindset of "Oh, Mrs. X is going to complain I put her stuffed cat in the wrong spot on the bed AGAIN!".

[pumpkinking]

The snf where I work has a rotating schedule. We have 4 on, 2 off. When we come back from our time off, we get a new section. At least in one respect, you're not permanently on a difficult hall, so I really like it.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

Way back when, when I was a CNA we had (if memory serves me correctly) 2 wks on one assignment then we went to the next. I liked it. Two weeks was jut about the time I was ready to move onto the next one. With that set up, no one got stuck with the "hard" assignement..and no one was lucky to keep the "easy" one.

Now as a nurse, I much rather have my same floor/unit. I got to know "my" patient/residents..i know whats "normal" for them and can pick up on things that are not. Our CNA's are assigned to the same group all the time. Again, I can see how its easier for the CNA that way. They know their residents, they know when things are different about them etc. However, its also more difficult for the CNA's, especially if there are one/more than one resident that is just a pain in the can. You know the type. Also, the assignents aren't "fair" in my eyes. One assignment might have say a majority of limited assists and only a few really tough residents (total care, hoyer, behavior issues etc) while another might be loaded down with 2-assist or hoyers and a majority of total cares.

My suggestion had been to evenly distribute the residents to the CNA's. So that no one one had more total cares than another etc..got shot down by the powers that be

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

We have 4 units with about 3-5 assignments on each. Some people work only one unit and some work 2, 3, or all. I have no idea why. I used to get bumped all over the place and now I'm stuck on the same unit all the time (the most demanding one to boot). It drives me nuts dealing with the same "problem people/families" over and over again and leaves me wondering why they did this to me... was it a good reason or a bad one? A while back I asked not to be put on the easiest unit anymore because it was boring and I didn't like the regular staff over there. Next thing I know, I'm being phased out everywhere else too. I'm afraid to say anything though because I don't want to be taken off my regular unit altogether-- I'm attached to a lot of the residents over there. Most people hate that unit and I don't- I just need a break from it like once or twice a week. But knowing this place if I ask for that they'll do something else entirely.