Tell the CNA to clock out and go home

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Things are changing now at my "Anything goes" LTC. We are now being told that we are not to put up with any CNA insubordination anymore. We were told that if a CNA refuses to do what we tell them to do, that we are to tell them to clock out and go home. How do you think this plan will work out on the 3-11 and 11-7 shifts when we are already short of CNA staff to begin with?

Management, I'm sure, has better things to do than "set you up".

Ever worked in LTC? It's common for the management to throw staff off the train, under the bus, etc.- rather than expend the real energy it takes to solve a problem.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I've worked in long term care for longer than some of you have been alive and NEVER saw any employee set up. I worked my way up and have been the Director for the past 10 years. The management team and I sit with the front line staff if there are problems to figure out as a team how to solve the problems. I am really tired of all the mangement bashing that goes on here.

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Well what do you want to call it then? I was told that they were going to do something about the "problem CNA's"? They lied to me. They" set me up to fail" by lying and saying that they were going to get rid of these "problem CNA's. The CNA's are here to stay. These CNA's will continue to be nasty and hateful to the nurses and patients and will continue to do as they damn well please here.

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CapeCodMermaid,

First of all, I admire you for working your way up to be the Director and kudos to you for sitting with the front line staff to solve problems as a team. I wish you could advise most of the other LTC facilities how to make the workplace work better for all--the nurses, nurse assistants and residents.

I don't see these posts as management-bashing. It's really just frustration because we, as licensed personnel, are responsible for the well-being and safety of our patients. We complain, with legitimate grievances, about nursing assistants and we are not heard. Nothing happens.

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I would not think you failed.. You sent one CNA home for one day. I would suggest keep your head up high and do what you need to do. Keep sending them home... Sooner or later Management will take care of the situation when they have had enough of seeing reports of CNAs going home. It might be that managment is still just watching to see what happens since the sent home was given. It might take the 5th or even 10th time but sooner or later managment will have to do what they have to do.

As for the smerks and laughing behind your back ignor it. It is childish of them, and you have more important things to worry about.

Just keep showing your authority that managment gave you and either two things will happen. The CNAs will be tired of being sent home and start to do their jobs the way they need to, or sooner or later they will be let go. Either way you will be the winner.. It just might take some time

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I have seen countless nurse and aides 'set up', so they could be 'gotten rid' of. Countless. And what's sick is that in right to work states, no reason is needed- why can't people just be fired, and left alone- why the games, the hate, the spiteful acts, allegations of 'abuse', 'reporting to the BON', ad nauseum? This behavior is posted all over this blog, more every day. I don't see management bashing in here at all. Everyone is telling experience from every level of staff- in fact, I seem to see more CNA bashing than anything. If you are one DON who really does take the high road? Wonderful- stay that way. Maybe you can 'inservice' the more egregious DONs on how to mange, discipline, and even fire staff in a humane, dignified manner?

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg.

Well as for management bashing, there is a lot of bad management out there, esp in LTC. I have sent my share of CNA's home. It especially galls me when I the "I'm not doing this, I'm not doing that" (Complete attitude and gum snapping included). I would say, " well if you're not going to do your job, then I don't need you here. Punch out and go home." It generally works very well. The other method that worked very well for me was cutting down the staff of CNA's on the shift - less time to screw around. It's harsh and they will work their butts off, but it works. Management usually goes for this because it saves them money. CNA's cannot be allowed to run a facility!! Blackcat, I feel for you. I took a nurse manager position in a nursing home (2-STar) that needed to be cleaned up massively. They had all new grads for nurses and the CNA's ran right over them. The DON allowed this. When I started my clean-up methods, she was a little unsure at first, but eventually got on board. It took a year to "clean house", but we did it. the facilitly is now a 4 star facility. Keep a written log of every little interaction, because if it gets ugly, you'll need the documentation.

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Ever worked in LTC? It's common for the management to throw staff off the train, under the bus, etc.- rather than expend the real energy it takes to solve a problem.

so true ex. post it notes left on residents

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Well as for management bashing, there is a lot of bad management out there, esp in LTC. I have sent my share of CNA's home. It especially galls me when I the "I'm not doing this, I'm not doing that" (Complete attitude and gum snapping included). I would say, " well if you're not going to do your job, then I don't need you here. Punch out and go home." It generally works very well. The other method that worked very well for me was cutting down the staff of CNA's on the shift - less time to screw around. It's harsh and they will work their butts off, but it works. Management usually goes for this because it saves them money. CNA's cannot be allowed to run a facility!! Blackcat, I feel for you. I took a nurse manager position in a nursing home (2-STar) that needed to be cleaned up massively. They had all new grads for nurses and the CNA's ran right over them. The DON allowed this. When I started my clean-up methods, she was a little unsure at first, but eventually got on board. It took a year to "clean house", but we did it. the facilitly is now a 4 star facility. Keep a written log of every little interaction, because if it gets ugly, you'll need the documentation.

Nasty. I am so far only the second (known) advocate for CNAs, that are treated like hell. If others might consider a pause in their 'holier than thouness'? I ask you: what is the real reason that aides rebel? Same as the slaves. Sad. There's a reason most SNFs are so crappy- and if I may be so bold, it's from nurses that are on power trips (nurse that sukc on any level) so they LIVE to trample upon those less fortunate then themselves. Sick.

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Yeah, cutting down the number of CNAs per shift so they "have less time to screw around" sound like one of the most horrible ideas I've ever heard of. I agree with suzilvn, I just sounds sick to me. So the good CNAs should have to work even harder for wages that I'm sure are a few bucks above minimum at your crappy facility?

Thank God I work in a union facility.

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Yeah, cutting down the number of CNAs per shift so they "have less time to screw around" sound like one of the most horrible ideas I've ever heard of. I agree with suzilvn, I just sounds sick to me. So the good CNAs should have to work even harder for wages that I'm sure are a few bucks above minimum at your crappy facility?

I don't think short staffing is going to make anyone who has a crappy work ethic to begin with work harder.

It's more stuff that they just aren't going to do.

I still think the offender should be sent home.

The blame for working short should be put squarely on the shoulders of the person screwing around.

Their bad behavior caused the other aides to have to work short.

Trust me, a CNA's life will be miserable if s/he wanks off her/his peers.

Now if all the aides are a crummy lot, the problem is very deep.

Why can't the facility find a higher caliber of aides?

Why are good workers loathe to work there?

Why don't these places look at what they can do to draw decent people and get them to stay instead of just dragging in anyone?

If these nursing homes could just give a crap about their CNA's and provide a healthy work environment and showed them that they are valued, then people will want to work there and these places can pick and choose.

There's more to it than that, of course, but no one wants to read an essay, here.

I have always found the if-we-have-more-staff-they'll-screw-around idea insulting.

I mean, who gives a flip if the nurses and aides actually got to slow down and provide more thorough care for their residents or pts, right?

:banghead:

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Nasty. I am so far only the second (known) advocate for CNAs, that are treated like hell. If others might consider a pause in their 'holier than thouness'? I ask you: what is the real reason that aides rebel? Same as the slaves. Sad. There's a reason most SNFs are so crappy- and if I may be so bold, it's from nurses that are on power trips (nurse that sukc on any level) so they LIVE to trample upon those less fortunate then themselves. Sick.

Your language is inflammatory: You compared CNAs to "slaves." You believe that CNAs rebel. (Most don't.)

You believe that the nursing staff is "holier than thou." According to you, there are nurses "on power trips."

You are "so far only the second (known) advocate for CNAs", but have you recognized other posts and threads on AN where CNAs also lament their lazy, uncooperative colleagues? These wonderful CNAs pick up the slack because they genuinely care about the residents and, because of the lazy ones, they have to work harder.

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