Terrible Incident

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

So I'm in a CNA program, and we're in clinicals right now. Last Tuesday, my CNA student partner and I were assigned peri-care on a 94yo. lady, who is anemic, and is covered in dressed skin sores. As we were cleaning her, she requested that my partner take off the sore dressings so that thorought cleaning could be done around the sore. My partner misunerstood the resident's request and took off all of the dressing (about 3 or 4 in total.) When the resident found out about this, she threw a tantrum, and began to cry in pain.

When the LVN was made aware of this, she told my partner and I (in a very distasteful tone of voice) that we couldn't undress any sores because we were "only" students, and not actual CNA's. She said it was "against the law."

Aferwards, I asked the LVN if we were to fill out an incident report, and she just disregarded my question. Now, here's what I was left wondering; What law, if any, did we break? And, why weren't we required to fill out an incident report?

You're awsome!

Specializes in LTC, Home Health.
i remember seeing cnas turn of feedings..i dont think its in their scope of practice or not but the nurses were aware of it. a lot of times, the nurses are busy; and instead of waiting for the nurses to turn of the feedings, the cnas would do it so they can start on their work ( changing, preparing the pts for the shower room, etc...) its probably not in their scope of practice, but that does show teamwork. and the nurses are aware. i see the cnas helping with the creams also. i see them applying it. the nurses would get the cream for them and they would apply it. Im sure they wouldnt do it, if the nurses tell them not to do certain things . but when you have so many patients needing everything done at the same time, i can understand why do it.

I want to say kudos to all the CNAS!..its a tough tough job.. and u guys are the backbone in nursing..i thank them everyday when im at work for helping me out. and i try to help them out as much as i can.

Turning off feedings and applying creams are NOT within a CNAs scope of practice. You are right about that and no nurse should be asking a CNA to do it. Work within your scope of practice because if something went wrong and you were doing something that was not within your scope of practice it would bite you in the butt and it is just not worth it.

This is what confuses me. Some facilities allow CNA's to perform invasive procedures, such as giving a suppository.

Specializes in med/surg and Tele.

Good Lord! These places sound terrible to try and learn anything at. I went through CNA school in 2007. When we were all done with the class portion of it, we went to the clinical site. We were let loose in there. Each CNA student was paired up with a CNA worker, and we assited them in everything all day. By ambulation, to cleaning, to feeding. At my hospital that I work at we are aloowed to do whats called simple dressing changes, insert folery catheters, D/C IV sites, perform 12-lead EKG's and in the ER draw blood. Now dont get me wrong we have had the training to do this. But dang! These places sound crappy if you ask me.

A friend works at a place where the medical assistants change dressings. The CNAs got some kind of training and now pass meds. They believe hiring a nurse to do this is too expensive.

Im a CNA in Nursing school, as a CNA they taught me to clean wounds, and then the nurse would bandage them. You should've gotten the nurses consent so you were for sure, but u didn't break n e laws sounds like that nurse was having a bad day or just on a power trip not something to freak out about..i would have told the patient that I was unaware of what they meant and that i am sorry, then explained the situation to the nurse...no biggy sorry this happened to you but don't worry....:)

thnks for the sympathy.

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