not what i thought it would be like

[caring1cna]

hi all, i have been lurking for a long time and felt compelled to talk about my expierence at my job. I got my cna cert back in june after going to collage to receive my cert. I am working at a nursing home currently, I have been here for 2 months now and though the teacher repeatly told us that how it is in class is not how it is in real life i am still wondering if this is the right cereer for me.

my number one thing that bothers me most is lack of teamwork amoung the aides that work my floor. i work the 3-11 shift we have all the alzhimers patients on this floor. we normally run with 4 aides when nobody calls out or gets pulled to another floor. 15 patients per aide.

heres what bothers me, the senior aide has been there for over 11 yrs and i was mentered by her. she does everything by the book and doesnt cut corners in any form. shes great.

we start putting our people to bed after supper about 6:30 pm and her and i get done around 9ish. (we work indepentently from each other) we work hall (A) the other 2 aides work hall (B) somehow the b hall is done by 730pm and sits untill 10ock rounds start. I know she is fast because she has been there for many yrs like I said before. even she who has been there for years it takes untill 9pm to get all our people to bed and since i was taught by her i go by the book too!

how come the other aides who have the same amount of people as us get done so early, the never ever offer to help if i or her are behind due to showers etc when i asked her this question she said figure it out! lol ok they arent doing pm care etc but why are they allowed to get away with it. the nurses see that they are sitting and only get up if one of their bells go off. it isnt fair, i say to my self if i just put people to bed wet and change them on there 10oclk rounds i would be done by 730 too but my concience wont allow me to do that!! any thoughts guys?

[systoly]

Why do you worry about what everyone else does so much? That's how candidates lose the race. You seem to be a great CNA, so just do your thing and maybe work on your spelling a bit, please.

[FLCNA]

Hello Caring1CNA!!

I am sorry there is a lack of teamwork on your shift.

Do you ask for help from your co-workers when you are behind?? Your heart is in the right place. And don't worry about your spelling, use spell check! It works for me. (:

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

When I started at a nursing home I always fretted about how "slow" I was.

I soon realized I was the slowest one because I was the only one doing my gol danged job.

That's OK, I kept outworking those sleds (many of whom hated me, but I didn't care) until I got hired by a hospital.

[yousoldtheworld]

You'll have things like this everywhere. At the end of the day, all you can really worry about is how YOU are doing YOUR job.

TJust because these aides are getting away with not doing their job now doesn't mean they ALWAYS will - new nurses, managers, etc. come into these facilities all the time. And sometimes, managers/supervisors take note of these things without you noticing.

Also, unless you have witnessed them not doing their jobs properly, they could just have a different routine than you. I have been griped at in the past because I get done getting my residents to bed before most of the other girls, but on a regular day, I don't go put people to bed for the others. I will help transfer or with big messes, sure, but I'm not going to go do others' work for them.

Why? Because when I get in at 2, I bust my butt before dinner getting my showers done, my rooms stocked and nightclothes out, and getting my tube fed residents who like to lay down early laid down and changed. Meanwhile, most of the other girls aren't getting any of that done, and then they're complaining that they are behind later. Of course, when I'm done early, I'm not sitting around, either - I'm doing rounds, cleaning my rooms, and doing things like extra oral care.

Point is, if you stress yourself about someone not working exactly as you do or as you would like, you're going to be stressing forever. Just take pride in the great job that you do, and trust that in time, those not doing a good job will be dealt with, whether it be via the facility or karma. :)

[samirish]

At some point, you have to ask yourself what kind of nurse do you want to be? Its gut check time.

They are obviously not doing the care they are being paid to do at the expense of the residents. If someone does drugs or robs a store or harms an animal, does that mean its okay and you would do the same? Be forewarned, once you start cutting corners, it becomes easier and easier to do.

Be the nurse you know in your heart you want to be.