teamwork vent

Published

I’ve read posts about lazy CNA’s/nurses, lack of teamwork, people saying “That’s not my patient/resident”, and felt that I just had to post a thread about the lack of teamwork I ran into at the LTC I used to work at.

There were 3 co-workers that I know of that believed in teamwork and helping co-workers, and I had a good shift when at least one of them was there, and I sure appreciated working with them.

Most of the time, though, I had problems with getting someone to help me with a 2 person transfer. I had the resident clean, dressed, ready to transfer, and it wasn’t like I was asking someone else to do my job for me, and I was certainly willing to and have helped with transfers, toileting, etc. for other CNA’s residents.

One day, I spent 40-45 minutes hunting down and asking other co-workers for help with the 2 person transfer, and the answer was the same, “I can’t do it/I don’t have time, ask someone else.” (They had time to gossip during the breakfast tray pass, and I noticed they’d help their friend with a transfer.)

The worst time was when I asked for help from this one co-worker to transfer someone to the toilet, and she said she was busy getting the safety bingo numbers, and to use the sit-to-stand. She even told me later that day that the sit-to-stand was faster then a 2 person transfer. (It isn’t, especially with a combative resident.) This may sound petty, but a month or so later, I saw the same person helping another CNA with a 2 person transfer to toilet a resident---and it was the same resident!

Other CNA’s have had problems getting help with 2 person transfers. There’s been quite a few back injuries when a CNA tried to transfer the 2 person resident by themselves, injured their back, and dropped the resident. Luckily so far, no one broke a hip, or got seriously hurt.

I can’t prove it, but I get the feeling maybe those CNA’s were told they could do the transfer by themselves because the others didn’t want to take the time to help them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I can't prove it, but I get the feeling maybe those CNA's were told they could do the transfer by themselves because the others didn't want to take the time to help them.

Ya think? Actually it sounds like people who are cruel toward anyone they don't know/like. I faced the same thing when I was in CNA school, at my clinical. There was a CNA who was downright mean to the students, humiliating us and making us feel like idjits when we asked questions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That's pitiful! Maybe you should have innocently asked the DON for help?

I remember when I was a brand new nurse and had to do trach cares - I wanted one of the more experienced nurses to run thru it with me the first time, but no one could be bothered. Finally I mentioned that I would just call the nurse supervisor to help me - then I got plenty of help!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
That's pitiful! Maybe you should have innocently asked the DON for help?

I did that the day before on a transfer, after I asked all three of the CNA's.

After I quit, I thought, well why not use the Hoyer for the transfers I wasn't getting help on:devil:. It takes time to wait for the Hoyer, more time than helping someone with a 2 person transfer would take.:chuckle (There was only one in the facility.)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Gosh..I hate the way it is in LTC. How about the nurses? I will always help with a transfer, if the person is ready to go. Sounds like maybe you need to ask the nurses about how to approach this one.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I did that the day before on a transfer, after I asked all three of the CNA's.

After I quit, I thought, well why not use the Hoyer for the transfers I wasn't getting help on:devil:. It takes time to wait for the Hoyer, more time than helping someone with a 2 person transfer would take.:chuckle (There was only one in the facility.)

squeaky isn't it the state federal law that you're not to transfer with a hoyer lift

or sitted stand with two people in you're area?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

When I was a CNA I would work at different LTCs through an agency before I got my job at a hospital. I had that same experience time and time again whenever a patient needed to be transfered. What usually happened was that the person wouldn't get moved because I refused to take the risk. Now, if I had been on staff at any of those places I would have complained starting with the floor nurse and going right on up to the administrator of the facility if I had too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

That was one of the main reasons I hated being a CNA. I was new, and in nursing school. Therefore the seasoned CNA's didn't want to help me. They always told me to get the lift. The residents would be pretty light, maybe 130 lbs, but I wasn't comfortable lifting someone who weighed more than myself. They were suppossed to be a 2 person transfer. Yes, we were always to have 2 staff members present to use the lift, for if the lift started to tip over, no one would get hurt. It used to make me so mad, when I would then see them going for a smoke. :angryfire And don't even THINK of asking the LPN to stop her med pass to help you for 30 seconds. I don't miss being a CNA!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.

Teamwork is expressed at my facility strongly. I was a cna at my facility while in nursing school and before. I am always willing to help and the CENAs on my shift know it. There have however been times when i have always been unable to but I get on the overhead page and page someone to the room to help.

A few weeks ago, I wrote up an aide who was sitting on a bed watching MTV on a resident's TV, gossiping on her phone, but told a new CENA to our facility she was too busy to help. She filed a union grievence but my write-up held, because the new CENA finally got fed up and did the transfer all by herself and it resulted in the resident getting a skin tear that required steri-strips.

Talk about being ticked. :angryfire

Up Vote Up Vote ×
squeaky isn't it the state federal law that you're not to transfer with a hoyer lift

or sitted stand with two people in you're area?

I don't know much about that, but I would have talked with my supervisor and asked about this before I would have went ahead and used the Hoyer. Otherwise, I would have had to leave the resident in bed since I didn't want to do a dangerous transfer where they could fall and break a hip. Are you talking about having two people there for the sit to stand or Hoyer transfers?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

When I first started as a supervisor at my current LTC facility, there was a big problem with people not helping eachother. It's taken me a long time to get the facility to where it is today, but I'm proud to say that we all help eachother now. Everyone knows that if needed I will be right there scrubbing poop beside them, and seeing the supervisor do that shamed the LPNs into helping. It's hard to feel like you are too good to do something when your boss is is there doing it too!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I don't know much about that, but I would have talked with my supervisor and asked about this before I would have went ahead and used the Hoyer. Are you talking about having two people there for the sit to stand or Hoyer transfers?
YES !
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion