The field of Nursing is wicked to CENAs..the ugly side no one talks about

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been a Nurse's Assistant for about 8 months. I am currently studying to be an RN. I am 23 year old female

In the beginning, the occupation as a Cena appeared to be a wonderful job to me and being that there are SO many opportunities to move up inside of the health care field itself, getting trained and finding a position in a hospital or Nursing home was a smart idea. RNs are in large demand right now.

I have worked at 2 nursing homes so far, and from my experience working as a CNA is one of the most risky jobs you can ever have. While I think the job itself can be relatively easy--especially if you work the midnight shift-- and it can be very challenging--the hectic day shift--it is a wonderful and rewarding job and I enjoy it when you are amongst ppl who are FAIR.

Unfortunately, from my recent experiences I think being a CNA is not a reliable job, and often you work at the mercy to some of the most wicked, scheming, prejudice, discrimanatory ppl in the industry. In this field it is VERY easy to get lied on, and get fired, there is absolutely nothing to protect us from the malicious ways that go on. We are pretty much disposable. It is very hard to keep a job in this field

I am working at a Nursing home with a LPN, who has an infamous reputation for firing Nurse's Assistants like its a sport. She is very manipulative--she has poured water in residents diapers in efforts to besmirch an employees reputation so they can get terminated. She will pick a target, and harass this person until they get fired or they quit.

I am her "target" I have been working there for almost 3 months. I have not yet reached my 90 days, and it's obvious she does not want me to. She has turned up the heat on her treacherous ways because I am getting close to my last days of probation.

Lately, this wicked LPN has been watching me--another employee confirmed this--I feel her eyes on me when I am working. Everytime I pass by I feel her eyes follow wherever I go. I am a very hardworker, I come to work everyday on time, never called off. I am somewhat of a fast worker--I simply cannot help this though once i get going it's like an andrenaline rush.

Since I work the midnight shift anywhere from 3-5 residents have to be up and in the dining room from 5-7am in the morning. I have found a routine that works for me to where I get most of them dressed and ready in the 5 hr bracket. Depending on the residents that I have for that night I get some dressed a bit early because they are my hardest patients. If you start them later then you will end up staying over your shift which will result in write ups. Many employees practice this as well.

The wicket LPN never had a problem with this until the past few weeks. She has noticed that I always have my residents up and dressed promptly and on time in the morning. I am about my business. She has confronted me about this and told me that I get them dressed too early and I explained to her why I have to with certain residents. She wants to make a Cenas job miserable and difficult by being against this.

Last night, the wicked LPN instigated a conflict. While, I was doing my rounds, she pops into the room and tells me that another resident needs to go to the bathroom while I am in the midst of changing someone's brief. (Lately, she has been making a habit of interrupting me in the middle of one thing, to tell me to do something else that really doesn't need to be done in any kind of urgency. This is her scheme to try to throw me off and cause work conflict. She wants me to fall behind) The resident that she "claimed" needed to go to the bathroom is continent and usually pulls her call light when she has to go...I am at this woman's mercy so after I finished changing the resident's brief I do what she says and go to the residents room to take her to the bathroom--only to find that this woman is in a deep sleep and is snoring--obviously she has been sleep for hours and does not need to go go the bathroom. She is continent and in her right mind--she let's you know when she has to go. Still, I tap the woman on the shoulder and wake her up, I ask her if she has to go. She replies that she doesn't. I make sure by asking her several times, she assures me that she doesn't have to pee. I try to encourage her to get up, but she refuses. The residents do have rights. Therefore, I tell her I will come back later and try again just in case.

I leave and assist another resident..the wicked LPN comes in after me as I am changing a brief..and asked me if I took the other resident to the bathroom..when I tried to explain to her what happened when I went in there--she cuts me off, and presumes that I "refused to take orders" and will write me up. I remained calm as I tried to defend myself then later realized its best to stay quiet. The wicked LPN was purposely being very quarrelsome and unprofessional. She left the room and said she will write me up.

Moments later she drags another Nurse from a different station brings her into the residents room while I am still working, points her fingers and says, "you see this GIRL, she will not do what i say. I told her to take a resident to the bathroom but she did not do it." She went on and I felt humilated and embarassed, felt like I was being bullied. The other Nurse had nothing to do with what was going on, and what she did was childish.

When the two left the room, I could hear the wicked LPN loudly saying in a nasty and harsh tone, "that girl i told her to take that resident to the room but she didn't want to do it..." and some other things. I felt belittled that a person in her position would stoop so low.

Now, I get a call today that I was taken off the schedule to work, and that I have to attend a meeting with the administrator and Charge Nurse Monday. I honestly feel like I do not stand a chance to keep my job and will be fired. I really liked my job but it was the wicked LPN who made things worse. This type of stuff has happened to me in the past where you get Nurse's who like to habitually LIE on Cenas because they think low of us.

I don't know what to do

And it is CENA..........;)

CENACompetency Evaluated Nurse Aides

CENACompetency Evaluated Nursing Assistant

yeah, yeah, yeah.

i know.

i know.

i know.

i've responded accordingly (post #15?).

thanks.

leslie

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
And it is CENA..........;)

CENACompetency Evaluated Nurse Aides

CENACompetency Evaluated Nursing Assistant

see post #14.

i was too, educated.

Thanks to both of you! :idea:

Please educate me, if you kindly will. :)

What does the 'E' in "CENA" stand for?

As you can see from a previous post - I didn't say that they meant the same thing, I simply mentioned that in my state they don't account for a difference. When I went through my CNA class I asked what the difference was the RN teaching the class said there was no difference, and CNA and CENA are used interchangably. Employers also use them interchangably here. It's not like if you are a CNA they won't hire you because your title doesn't say CENA.

Yes, both titles are used interchangeably here in Michigan. Sorry if I caused confusion. I don't know what the "E" stands for really LOL

I called my job, and was told not to come in tonight either. Tomorrow is the day that I will have the "meeting". I am very scared and do not want to lose my job. I am hoping that they will work something out.

I did write a letter the night the incident happened. I did not go into detail but informed them that I had been treated unfairly by the LPN, and that I was hoping for some kind of resolution to this matter.

Maybe that is what the meeting is going to be about. I am hoping it will not lead to termination.

i really do wish you the very best, ms. nurse.

you know in your heart, you did nothing wrong.

'if' you do get terminated, consider it a blessing in disguise.

through all my hard knocks in life, i can now fully accept that i am where i am supposed to be.

i'll be thinking of you. :icon_hug:

leslie

Specializes in med-surg.

I am so sorry that this has happened to you. I'd like to make a couple of points.

1) As one poster said earlier, having CENA experience will not necessarily help your nursing career. Many of my fellow RN students have taken on PCT positions and are regretting it. You will have plenty of time to learn the duties you have already learned in clinicals. Find something a little less stressful. I'm content with my little dead-end job I can quit after graduation. It pays the bills and requires no brain function.

2) You stated you were 23. One of the hardest things about being a young adult is learning to become a savvy adult. The ideals you have about the world are being challenged and the sooner you understand that the world is not fair and that bad people can sometimes mop the floor with good people, the better. It is hard to let go of those ideals, but you must learn the concept of CYA at all times. Sad, but necessary. No one is watching out for you except you.

3) There are petty, jealous gossips all over the place. They may be male or female. They may be over or under your head. They typically have no reason to treat you badly other than you are something they aren't or have something they wish they had. They cannot attack for those reasons without making themselves look bad, so they attack what they can--your work. Sometimes being a grown-up means working with others that have the social skills of venomous high school girls. Be nice to all and make friends. Friends can stand up for or with you and help you CYA.

4) Go the extra mile to help people you know hate you. It confuses them and makes them look extra bad to people when they are badmouthing you.

Good luck! I wouldn't cry over this position too much if you lose it, but maybe going to a different unit might be better for your own peace of mind. I would write down anything you have so you have something to refer to in that meeting.

There are some absolutely fabulous people that work in Assisted Living/Nursing Homes. But it is my *opinion* from what I have seen in my area, that there is a higher ratio of licensed staff there that are either 1) incompetent or 2) unable to be hired by hospitals/clinics for various reasons including inability to get along with others or are are on restrictions for drug/alcohol abuse. It is my *opinion* that since nursing homes are generally so hard up for staff, they are willing to overlook these things when they hire. Perhaps that is some of the problem you are facing where you work.

And to be completely fair, even though I work in a hospital, I had the unfortunate experience of working with an incompetent nurse, who finally resigned because she couldn't pass her BLS. It was not a good experience.

The fact that they took you off the schedule has me a little irked and worried. It stinks that they are taking money out of your pocket before even hearing your side of the story. I really think you should look for another job even if they don't fire you. This isn't going anywhere good for you especially if they value the word of the witch causing so many problems. Get out.

BTW...if they fire you go right to the unemployment office. Must people think that if they are fired they aren't entitled and often that isn't the case. Go and apply ASAP. If you need help on this end PM as I have experience in HR, etc.

Well, I attended the conference today, and told my side of the story. I have to tell ya, that Nurse did not even acknowledge the confrontation that had occured. She tried to use the fact that I was late for my break etc things she can't prove. She doesn't know what time the CNAs come back..and then that I dressed a resident too early.

Also the Nurse says in her write-up that the night I went home, a Nurse's Assistant from the day shift confided in her how a resident said that 'some girl' was mean to her earlier, and took her to the bathroom, then sat her down and instantly got her up without letting her urinate. And that she was not washed up or anything before her brief was placed on her. When they asked the lady who 'this girl' was, she said she didn't know.

Honestly, this is bogus. The woman is obese, there is no way in hell that I am going to go through all that effort it takes to assist her into the wheelchair and toilet then immediately pick her up without barely letting her sit down for long. Yeah right. I want to rest and don't mind how long she sits! You can't even get her up that easily if you tried, it takes her awhile to pull herself up and that's just from the toilet seat. As for washing her up, I wiped her with tissue.

This is a set-up. No one likes that Nurse, she is loathed by too many. Even when her mother died, many ppl did not sympathize with her, and said she got what was coming to her. In the past, a group of CNAs who had had plotted to kill her! I doubt any CNA would mention anything like that to her--except for two older women there who are her friends. I think she got one of them to lie for her. I was told that the day shift CNA will be in the conference with the Nurse when they hear the other side of the story.

How convienient for something like that to occur the same day so she can use it to her advantage.

I was told they will call me and let me know their decision once they hear both sides of the story. The Nurse was scheduled to come in after me. I am not so sure about this one, because the Nurse used some really good shady tactics against me to get me out of there. I will hope that they will look at the whole picture, at how she has 3 CNAs who have written letters and specfically requested that they do not work with her anymore. And they don't.

I am very disappointed that they do not seem at all concerned by their employees well-being. I explained to them how the Nurse was very disrespectful and talked down to me. She was quarrelsome, and was one step away from going into a rage. How do they expect the residents to be treated well if the CNAs are not with a nurse like this??? If I were older, I don't think she would have talked to me like that at all. This woman is going around making ppl miserable and they don't seem to care at all. She has gotten many complaints from other employees. I truly hope they will finally see the light.

I hope that I still have my job, I truly do. My parents will be dissappointed. And it will be hard for me to find another place who will compromise with my schedule.

Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

Darling, from what you described, I doubt I'd want to work there much longer....it could be hard, but from a personal point of view, if you keep working there and they don't have your back for issues...the next time you get a patient complaint, you WILL be blamed regardless of your side of the story.....trust me, it happens. I do a great job, and hear MANY compliments from patients....However, bring up 1...just 1, complaint against you and your boss doesn't want to hear it...you're in trouble, etc.....no matter how many positive things you have on your side....AND once, I was complained about when I wasn't even working on the floor....I wonder how that works? Just document facts and objective data, calmly restate your opinions and if they don't have your back, get the HECK out! GL to you...hope things work out by later.....

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