I really hope someone can give me some insight(specifically someone who's a supervisor or manager), because at this time, I'm very offended and upset.
I was charge nurse on a unit a few nights ago, overlooking a female CNA who has been having a little romance with a male CNA from a different unit. I believe they think that no one knows about it all.
Another CNA who I often work with and regard as someone very trusting and honest, as well as a great CNA all around, confided in me that he saw these two CNAs come out of a darkened, secluded patient waiting room very early in the morning after their break. He said that he saw that the male was sweating a bit, and the female was flushed and had what he perceived as a guilty, sheepish look on her face. He never saw anything go on, but what he did see gave him the impression more was going on than sleeping while on break.
Since this woman was working with me, and since this other CNA who confided in me seemed off-put by what he saw, I went to the nursing supervisor working that night. This supervispr told me that it was very inappropriate, could result in dismissal if they were caught, and that while nothing was seen, there was enough to be seen in order to raise suspicion, and the eyes will now be open. She gave me the impression that I did the right thing by telling her. She also told me to discuss this with another supervisor who will be supervising the hospital when these two CNAs are scheduled.
As the first supervisor said, I went to speak with the second supervisor. This is where things get very weird for me. The second supervisor told me that our breaks aren't paid, so employees can do pretty much what they want to on their breaks, because it's their own time. She was mostly concerned about things going on in a public place, like a waiting room. She gave me the idea that she doesn't care if anyone does some sort of sexual activity on their breaks while in the hospital, as long as they go somewhere private where they won't be found. She said, and I quote, "If there's a patient room that's open, you can close the curtains, lock the door...just don't mess up the bed." I was completely horrified and, I hate to admit it, but I almost started crying. The clincher was the last thing she said to me, and that being, "If you were to knock on my locked office door and there was no answer, best to just keep walking, because my husband might be visiting me late at night." I was so shocked by what this self-proclaiming Christian said, that I didn't have the mind to say anything about it. I hurried up and got out of there quickly.
It doesn't bother me that these two CNAs might have been up to no good, because the big word there is MIGHT. What really bothers me here is that one supervisor tells me that what they could have been doing was a no-no, and another supervisor pretty much telling me that breaks can be spend any which way, and that it's all really none of my business unless I catch them in the act. But, if these two CNAs aren't very good at hiding themselves (because they raised a lot of suspicion looking and acting the way they did(, I'm worried that I could catch these two in a compromising position later on, which is really something I don't have the stomach to see.
So...please...anyone who's worked at a lot of hospitals, anyone who's a nursing supervisor, nurse manager, whomever, PLEASE give me your opinions about doing anything physical on the job. I personally see if offensive to the facility, lack of respect for co-workers, as well as lack of self-respect. I really don't like the idea of break being my own time so that means I could do anything I wanted. I'm sorry, but if someone knows that their lover is working that night and they'll get to fool around with them later, their mind is probably preoccupied with that and not really focused on patient care. People who drink on the job are probably preoccupied with getting a fix or being drunk, and someone would lose their license for that, so why not something that a co-worker, patient, or patient family member might see.
So, please tell me if I'm wrong in this situation. All of the other nurses I confided in think that I'm right and that this 2nd superivisor has a screwy way of doing things. I'd ike to know if I'm wrong in this situation.
