Slower pace environment for CNA's?

[Baubo516, RN]

I am a new-ish CNA. I have been working at my first CNA job since July 12, so I just had my 90 day review, which went fine. I work in a long term care facility. I am feeling pretty conflicted about whether or not I want to stay at this job. If you have time, please read this post and share any opinions/advice you have for me. Here is what is stressing me out at work. I have no problem with any of the things we do for residents - "poop", "pee" and "wiping butts" do not bother me in the least, as I know these folks need help and I hope one day, if I need it, someone will help me!!! I also don't mind working hard. I am not lazy, and I want to do the best job I can. HOWEVER.... I do NOT enjoy the general atmosphere of "hurry, hurry, HURRY!!!!" that exists in my workplace.

Apparently I am still too slow at my job, and my coworkers frequently voice their frustrations to me. I understand that they might be stressed because me being slow makes "more work for them." I work 1st shift and the morning get-ups are the worst part of my day. We have 26 residents on our wing, and we are supposed to have them all up for breakfast by 7:45am. Right now, we have maybe 4 who are "independent," but we also have 15 who are an assist of 2, so you can't just do them by yourself. We are supposed to have 3 aids and a bath aid, who usually gets up about 3 people, as they get their baths before breakfast. Anyhow, I have been told to make it a goal to spend only 15 minutes getting a resident up, washed and dressed for breakfast. I am down to 15 minutes once they are on the "potty chair", but then it takes a few minutes to clean up the bathroom and get to the next room... and that doesn't include the time actually getting them up out of bed. In reality, it is taking me about 20 minutes per resident. I am working to improve my speed, but I refuse to forgo the gait belt (which many of my coworkers do) or the basin, because I think it is silly to have one way to do things when State is in the building and another when they are not. I want to do my job so that State could walk in at any minute and they would think it was just fine. Even with starting at 6:15am, the most people I have had up and done by 7:45 was 4 people.

It seems there is a double standard going on here. The DON and ADON, and also the nurse on our hall, have told me they appreciate my thoroughness and that I should do my job right and not worry about the "hurrying" factor. My fellow CNA's, however, will poke their heads into a room where I am helping someone and stand there and say "Let's go!! Get a move on here!" Which does not help, by the way, as it just stresses me out and makes me fumble things. I feel like there is some sort of weird conspiracy where the administration tells you to do things the right way, but really wants you to cut corners as long as you don't get caught. That is what most of my coworkers do, and they get mad at me because I won't do it.

OK - I am sort of rambling here. I guess what I am wondering is this - is there an environment where a CNA could work where patience and thoroughness are valued more than speed? I have applied at the two local hospitals, but I feel kind of guilty about it, like I am a quitter or a traitor. I do not look down on LTC - I applied there because I wanted to care for older people who need help. But this environment feels toxic for me. I just can't spend my days hurrying and being yelled at. I also will not hurry a 95 year old woman as she is getting out of bed. Is this what I will always find in LTC? Would hospital work be any different? I don't personally know anyone who works as a CNA at a hospital, so I don't have anyone to ask.

I would appreciate any feedback. Please know that it is not the work that bothers me - body fluids and messes are no problem for me, it is life and folks need help with it. I just hate to hurry all day long and feel like a loser when I am not the fastest one in the bunch. I hope I don't get burned too much for this...

[Baubo516, RN]

** crickets **

A lot of people have read this but no one has posted any replies. I guess that means the answer is "no." I am considering switching to 2nd shift, moving to an Alzheimer's unit (where they let the people wake up when they wake up), or even home care, although I have no idea how to break into that!

I read some old posts about hospital CNA's and it sounds like it can be just as crazy, although those people posted that their team was very supportive. I think that would make a difference.

[yousoldtheworld]

Home health...or why don't you just try 3rd shift?

[Baubo516, RN]

I am interested in home health. Maybe I will check that out. Because of my school schedule I am afraid to try 3rd shift - I don't think I would be able to get enough sleep to stay well. I may have to open my mind to that, though. I think I would miss the interaction with the residents if I went to 3rd shift.

I will keep trying to get faster, as well! I just wish people would treat each other more kindly on the job. I have never worked in a place where people were so rude to each other on a regular basis. I am trying not to participate but it is hard!

[karamarie91]

Why don't you try 2nd shift. I had the same issue as you when I use to float on 1st shift. I got tired of the rush mentality. 2nd or if I must do it,3rd is better for me. And everyone is stressed about the rushing too, they are just used to it.

[systoly]

I love your attitude and wish you the best in finding a better work environment. It will be a great loss to your present unit, no doubt.

[Baubo516, RN]

Thanks for the suggestions, yousoldtheworld and karamarie91! I think the first thing I am going to try is moving to another hall at my facility, as even the administration admits that the one I am on tends to be the "craziest" and is also staffed with some very strong personalities. My 2nd choice will be to move to 2nd shift.

I HAVE put some applications out at hospitals, as well. Not sure if this would be an improvement for me or not, but maybe starting over with new coworkers and a little more wisdom on my part would help.

Thanks for taking the time to reply! I will probably post as things change!

[Baubo516, RN]

Thank you, systoly!!! :)

[yousoldtheworld]

Well, I've heard of some people having downtime on 2nds, but I'll say at my facility, 2nd shift is just as rushed as 1st...generally less staff for the same amount of residents, plus if you're working with the elderly, sundowning starts and makes things about 10 times more difficult.

HOWEVER, the rush is at a different point of your day. On 1st shift, the first few hours are the biggest rush as you're trying to get everyone up and dressed. On 2nd shift, the middle-end of the shift is the rushed time, as you try to get everyone bathed and dressed and in bed. You might like that better, I think it's easier because I can bust my butt and get most of my showers and the like done early in the shift and make the end easier on myself.

And for me? The hospital was WORSE - more demanding patients expecting you to drop everything and get them what they want in 10 seconds. But some prefer it. Just depends.

[jose2010]

I'm glad u brought the subject up. Last week was my last week of clinicals and my instructor informed me that i had failed. My instructor said it was because i was to slow and that i needed to hurry up and get things done quicker. Plus I needed help getting a 1:1 lift up. The resident couldn't move her feet very well so my classmate had to help me move her. So its like now i don't even want to go into this field anymore because i don't want to end up hurting a resident.

[yousoldtheworld]

Everyone's slow at first, and everyone is nervous about hurting someone. It took me months to get comfortable! Maybe you could do something like companion work until you feel comfortable enough to try again. There are companies that hire people to work with the elderly and mentally/physically handicapped in their homes, but they don't need actual home health care, just companion care. You don't have to be certified for these positions, in fact, my friend got hired as a companion as her first job. It's definitely a slower pace and more calm than facility work or even some home health agency type positions.

[northernguy]

Home health aide sounds like your best bet, or hospice aide if that is something you would like to do, that certainly wouldnt be for everybody though. I think in any LTC facility youre going to be rushed to some extent.

Working in a hospital probably isnt going to be that much better than LTC. The only real advantage to working in a hospital I see is that you have the potential to learn more. There may not be the constant rush rush rush mentality you get in LTC, but you still have things you need to get done, and the fact you constantly have new patients you're unfamiliar with, one or more patients may become unstable on your shift, and nurses or physicians might need your help with time consuming medical procedures makes time management more difficult.