:angryfire I am desperately trying to get a job in a hospital right now. I just can't stand the NH anymore! Every shift I work, I'm disgusted at the lack of care our residents get. If you get on to the CNA's, they go to the supervisor, who backs them up. I'm sorry, but if you had time to be on the phone every time I saw you during an 8 hour shift, you had time to get that brief out of the floor and/or at least return some of the 20+ resident trays that were left on the unit instead of going back to the kitchen after the meal like they were supposed to. Caked on dried up poop that I have to scrub off to change a dsg, residents left in the bed all weekend that normally are up in a chair qd, g tubes that obviously weren't flushed after meds given. Poop left in the shower floor until all showers are done, gracious the list goes on! Had a very lucid resident tell me that the cna's told him they couldn't put him back to bed because they were short. Excuse me? They were short the first 2 hours of the shift, not the whole thing. Not to mention one group of residents got no care at all for several hours because they had them broken up into 4 groups and the 4th person was coming in late. :angryfire Is it like this everywhere? I've considered applying at other LTC's, but I'm afraid it'll be the same.
Re "I dont recall anybody condoning substandard care..." I was referring to :
"Typical VA work ethics. And with all the OT these NA's pull in, they're probably making more than the supervisors! The double diapering is just now finally getting attention from management after the NA's were doing it for years. Why it wasn't addressed when it was first brought up years ago is beyond me. Now they're saying any pt found with double diapers is to be written up. They still play hide 'n sleep at night. One NA sleeps so hard he snores louder than any pt and you always know where he is. When the supervisor comes around and asks where's so 'n so?, we ask her, "Can't you hear him?" She goes to him, wakes him up and says nothing about the sleeping, but asks him if he's available for OT for the day shift. What the ???? He's the same NA that is a no call no show every payday night.
Another night, another supervisor came to the unit and asked where everyone was. The nurse I was working with said to her, "They're all comatose! Would you like to see them? Come on, I'll show you." The supervisor walked out backwards waving her hand and shaking her head "no" and left. This was the same nurse who before she became a supervisor and worked the night shift always said, "If I have to be awake and alert, so must they!" Now that she's in the position to do something about it, she turns her head the other way. I don't get it. Then there are the NA's that really care and for them I am so grateful and thankful and tell them how much they are appreciated not only by the residents, but by the staff they work with. They are far and few, but nonetheless, very much appreciated."
By remaining employed in such a facility you are condoning this and allowing it to continue. Professional Nurses must come out very strong against this or we might one day end up on the receiving end. I am sorry but it touches a raw nerve. Nursing Homes like this couldn't stay in operation if they didn't have professional staff on board. It gives us all a bad name and even if you happen to proudly work in a "good" place, people assume that you are just too lazy or stupid to have a "real " job in a hospital. Go explain that we are not all negligent and cruel!
I currently work in a top-of -the line facility with so many extras for the patients: Excersize Room, Snoozeline Room, Movie Making programs, Animal Therapy, Inter Generation Program, Computer Classes, Weaving Classes etc.,etc. Yet people still confuse us with places like the one described above.
Sorry if I sound bitter about this. When it comes to nursing homes I want us all to be "All that we could be"!!!
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
"By remaining employed in such a facility you are condoning this and allowing it to continue."
I disagree. I know that for some, remaining employed in such a facility is out of a sense of "They deserve better, so I will provide better to the best of my abilities." I personally doubt I could take up a cause like that all by myself, but hey, it's out of concern.
And by the way, I don't work in a faciltiy like this.
:oI am new to this site but I already found answers to some of my questions. I have been at a couple nice long term care facilities, but they were private pay and most residents only stayed until their finances were depleted. The other two facilities I have worked at as a LVN were borderline abuse. Unfortunately, the State passes these facilities. I was told at my previous job in a medicaid facility that State was out in less than two days. Of course, the mistakes went covered up. I am currently in a facility attempting to provide skilled nursing. I return every weekend with several complaints, potential law suits/threats from families, and very poor hygiene. Out of 18 residents-over half are dissatisfied stating the CNA's there are too rough. I respect CNA's if they do there job. I previously did CNA work for almost nine years until my back gave in. The responsibility lies mainly with the DON. Unfortunately, the CNA's are protected in my facility. Every staff meeting from the day I started is geared to attack the nursing staff. I give 200% to my job and would just like to see something positive come from it. Get out of the nursing homes if you can or find a better ( private pay) facility. The hospitals have to meet their RN to LVN ratio and most times are unable to accomodate a LVN especially if they are noted to be mostly in the field of geriatrics. I hope other places are different and I hope to find one before I decide to give up on a profession I thought I'd make a difference in. Sorry, so long-winded but it really frustrates me that elderly people receive such poor care and that the healthcare system has come down to this.:angryfire I hope someday things will change.
Hi SouthernLPN, Have you considered private duty? When I was an LPN I did alot of private duty and loved it. I could take very good care of my patient and still had time to do the Excelsior program. I am doing private duty next month as an RN for one week. The week between Christmas and New Years. The baby is 11 mo old and is on a vent. The regular nurse will be away on vacation. Good luck. Hope you find the job of your dreams!
I left a NH once because of the poor care that the patients got. I could talk till I was blue in the face and things never changed so I had to change myself and leave. I understand how you feel. It is very sad. I'd rather be dead than put in a NH. I'd rather be in heaven. A must better alternative!
Re "I dont recall anybody condoning substandard care..." I was referring to :
"Typical VA work ethics. And with all the OT these NA's pull in, they're probably making more than the supervisors! The double diapering is just now finally getting attention from management after the NA's were doing it for years. Why it wasn't addressed when it was first brought up years ago is beyond me. Now they're saying any pt found with double diapers is to be written up. They still play hide 'n sleep at night. One NA sleeps so hard he snores louder than any pt and you always know where he is. When the supervisor comes around and asks where's so 'n so?, we ask her, "Can't you hear him?" She goes to him, wakes him up and says nothing about the sleeping, but asks him if he's available for OT for the day shift. What the ???? He's the same NA that is a no call no show every payday night.
Another night, another supervisor came to the unit and asked where everyone was. The nurse I was working with said to her, "They're all comatose! Would you like to see them? Come on, I'll show you." The supervisor walked out backwards waving her hand and shaking her head "no" and left. This was the same nurse who before she became a supervisor and worked the night shift always said, "If I have to be awake and alert, so must they!" Now that she's in the position to do something about it, she turns her head the other way. I don't get it. Then there are the NA's that really care and for them I am so grateful and thankful and tell them how much they are appreciated not only by the residents, but by the staff they work with. They are far and few, but nonetheless, very much appreciated."
By remaining employed in such a facility you are condoning this and allowing it to continue. Professional Nurses must come out very strong against this or we might one day end up on the receiving end. I am sorry but it touches a raw nerve. Nursing Homes like this couldn't stay in operation if they didn't have professional staff on board. It gives us all a bad name and even if you happen to proudly work in a "good" place, people assume that you are just too lazy or stupid to have a "real " job in a hospital. Go explain that we are not all negligent and cruel!
I currently work in a top-of -the line facility with so many extras for the patients: Excersize Room, Snoozeline Room, Movie Making programs, Animal Therapy, Inter Generation Program, Computer Classes, Weaving Classes etc.,etc. Yet people still confuse us with places like the one described above.
Sorry if I sound bitter about this. When it comes to nursing homes I want us all to be "All that we could be"!!!
I stay because I make a difference. Our veterans need more people like myself to take care of them in their time of need. To leave would make me feel as though I abandonded them, turned my back on those who fought so hard for yours and my freedom. I just can't bring myself to do that all because of a few bad apples. Believe me, the bad apples will have their day.
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
I stay because I make a difference. Our veterans need more people like myself to take care of them in their time of need. To leave would make me feel as though I abandonded them, turned my back on those who fought so hard for yours and my freedom. I just can't bring myself to do that all because of a few bad apples. Believe me, the bad apples will have their day.
Amen! (I have nothing else to say but the little pop up said my message was too short. So here's some random words to waste your time.)
each one of us can make a defference. i still work ltc, because i love the people. oh, they may "hate" me because i make the cna's get up the patients,or make the resident walk when they have to....but when i eventually get thanked for being a pain when i was one.....enough said.
Southern...Wow...You're doing far better than I could. I stepped foot in a nursing home as a CNA and it lasted about 24 hours. In RN school clinicals, I couldn't wait to leave. As an RN, I don't think I could work in a nursing home. My heart goes out to those, like yourself that are IN it. Like someone else said, "RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sorry to say that.
I am currently a RN charge nurse on NOCS in a LTC facility and I have to say I am very lucky, I work with AWESOME CNA's! I know not to take this for granted.
I worked as a CNA and under the deplorable conditions that are mentioned in many (or most) of the above posts for about 1.5 years when I first became a CNA. I know what it was like having 2 CNA's for 60 pts b/c there were call offs and no replacements - it happened frequently and the mgmt did not care. That was in a neighboring state (wyoming) to where I am now (colorado). This was about 4 years ago, but I heard through the grapevine that the pay was higher in colorado and so I packed up and came here.
Again, compared to wyoming, it seems that in N. Colo, CNA's are payed living wages by LTC facilities and given benefits. Not to say everything is perfect, but from what I have seen around here, CNA's (at least I did) have more respect for their jobs and there is less turnover in staff. In wyoming, I remember I got a .25 raise after 4 months and the facility offered a very meager health ins. plan. I mean, what respectable person is going to work for that? In Colorado, I fared much better. I believe I started out at 2.50 more an hour and got fairly decent health insurance.
Any facility I have worked for in colorado got minor violations on the state survey. The one in wyoming was on probation and unable to take admissions when I left.
Sorry if I am rambling, but from what I have seen, if the facility respects it's CNA's (and nurses) and treats them fairly as employees (including wages and benefits), it results in much more of a stable and dedicated staff and the residents get much better care.
p.s. I am sorry if i offended anyone in wyoming or colorado, things may have changed by now, but that was my experience.
My 74 year old father has parkinsons and a year ago I had him in one nursing home for what was suppose to be physical therapy but turned out to be the nursing home almost killing my father.. I would come in to see him and he would be laying in bed on wet bed linens and a wet gown.. It made me angry!! When he first went into the nursing home he was able to walk and shortly after him being there for 3 weeks he was just thrown into a wheel chair and I asked the nurse why he was in a wheelchair and she claimed that he could no longer walk.. Physical therapy never worked with him and I was in there 6 times a day constantly checking on him.. Finally on the 4th week of him being there I just took him out of there when I went to see him and saw that he was setting in his own bowels.. I told the nurse that he needed to be changed and she looked at me and replied "My med pass is more important than your father right now you will have to wait until a cna gets back from their break to change your father." At that point I hit the ceiling and changed him myself and we left right after that.. I didn't wait for a discharge order or anything.. I decided that day to just keep my father at my house and care for him.. I've been caring for him now for over a year.. By the way, he is able to walk again and goes to the mall with me all the time and pushes my daughters stroller..
i am an stna/lpn student right now, and i work at a ltc facility for 3 years now, i absolutely love it, and i totally agree with you that the residents do not get the care they deserve. most ltc fac. are short staffed and the employees are overworked. it is so unfair to the residents. i feel though that as long as i give them the care and respect they deserve i know i am making a difference, you can't change other people, but at least you can make a difference. i want to work in a hospital also, but i feel you lose the sense of relationship that you build with your patients in a hospital., they are in and out so fast (which is good for them), but i love getting to know my residents and their families, you become part of their family and that is really special to me. I feel i will always work ltc, i can't see myself anywhere else, and everyday you can just do what you can and you can leave knowing you made a difference:)
I am a 22y/o Lpn. Have been one for a year. I worked as a cna for 5 yrs and loved it. Yes I agree it is a very hard job and used to think that nurses had it easy. Boy was I wrong. But cnas dont have it easy at all, other than the fact that no matter how many times certain ones r reported for not doing their jobs, they still get a paycheck? Excuse Me but cant they make money flipping burgers instead of taking care of other peoples loved ones? Especially when I get in trouble for not signing out a tylenol? Gimme a BREAK, and not a half hour to an hour smoke either! I have worked with some very GREAT TRUSTWORTHY cnas along with some that i wouldnt let dog sit for 1 hr for me. I ve worked in several nh and 1 hosp. I would much rather be in a hosp as far as pt care and experience goes. Ive worked @ a nh where i was the only aide on 11-7 4 72 res c one nurse who didnt do anythng xcept chart & ask me questions while I worked. She did do laundry for me! this was not all the time but CI were common.. I done every bedcheck, wash, grease, flip and repeat. started getting up at 445. By 6 am I had almost 2 halls up!! That is called "work"! I have had aides who cant wash grease or flip n e one or give showers to 41 res. 3-4 cnas scheduled because "they dont have time or enough help." It takes 2 hrs to get them in bed after supper? With no hygeine given..When a nurse has told cnas numerous amt of times that their pet peeves are T/p q 2, peri care, cath care, washed faces & hands (gen care) and they lie to ur face about turning a critical pt. What do u do? I help when possible even when not. I change res, do bed checks, all while doing my own job, i dont yell at them, or even ask much of them. these r my good aides. HELP!!!!!!!! Im one of the nurse they like and agree with.... I miss the hosp too. total "outer limits" n nh.. I respect cnas who work i understand, relate. Ur cnas r ur eyes n a nh when they r open!!! If u have aides who do their job right, listen to them, praise them and CHERISH them because they r not everywhere!!!!!!!! If u happen to have any xtrs send em my way, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
achot chavi
980 Posts
Re "I dont recall anybody condoning substandard care..." I was referring to :
"Typical VA work ethics. And with all the OT these NA's pull in, they're probably making more than the supervisors! The double diapering is just now finally getting attention from management after the NA's were doing it for years. Why it wasn't addressed when it was first brought up years ago is beyond me. Now they're saying any pt found with double diapers is to be written up. They still play hide 'n sleep at night. One NA sleeps so hard he snores louder than any pt and you always know where he is. When the supervisor comes around and asks where's so 'n so?, we ask her, "Can't you hear him?" She goes to him, wakes him up and says nothing about the sleeping, but asks him if he's available for OT for the day shift. What the ???? He's the same NA that is a no call no show every payday night.
Another night, another supervisor came to the unit and asked where everyone was. The nurse I was working with said to her, "They're all comatose! Would you like to see them? Come on, I'll show you." The supervisor walked out backwards waving her hand and shaking her head "no" and left. This was the same nurse who before she became a supervisor and worked the night shift always said, "If I have to be awake and alert, so must they!" Now that she's in the position to do something about it, she turns her head the other way. I don't get it. Then there are the NA's that really care and for them I am so grateful and thankful and tell them how much they are appreciated not only by the residents, but by the staff they work with. They are far and few, but nonetheless, very much appreciated."
By remaining employed in such a facility you are condoning this and allowing it to continue. Professional Nurses must come out very strong against this or we might one day end up on the receiving end. I am sorry but it touches a raw nerve. Nursing Homes like this couldn't stay in operation if they didn't have professional staff on board. It gives us all a bad name and even if you happen to proudly work in a "good" place, people assume that you are just too lazy or stupid to have a "real " job in a hospital. Go explain that we are not all negligent and cruel!
I currently work in a top-of -the line facility with so many extras for the patients: Excersize Room, Snoozeline Room, Movie Making programs, Animal Therapy, Inter Generation Program, Computer Classes, Weaving Classes etc.,etc. Yet people still confuse us with places like the one described above.
Sorry if I sound bitter about this. When it comes to nursing homes I want us all to be "All that we could be"!!!