So... It's about 10:45PM and I'm about to head out when i hear a very wound Unit Secretary (16yrs) talking about how fun it is to do blood sugars and encouraging our Unite Secretary who is also 16 to dop them as well.
I went up to her and asked her who did she did a blood sugar on and she turned pale white and said one patient but apparently she did 16 blood sugars because the RN's asked her to on another unit because they didnt have a CNA.
I had a total melt down and told her how dangerous that is and how she should never do that again her job is to answer the phones, call bells and enter orders/consults, never was it to perform patient care in any way shape or form.
I'm just amazed how some people do not really understand where they stand in the nursing field and how a simple mistake can cause some serious problems. What if a patient had a blood sugar of 40 and because she did not know what is an action range number did not report it to the RN?
If the 16 year old is caught violating a Hippa, then they will be terminated, just like a 26year old would be. I know of many 16 year olds who are on the academic path-college bound who show more maturity and responsibility than some of the 30something CNA I have worked with before.
I see good in this program, I have seen it 1st hand the past few years and it has been a win win for all involved.
You are seeing the negative which yes there can be. They are very selective on who is allowed to join this program. If I would just hear the blanket statement of 16 year old giving patient care I too would think "what the heck??" but since I have seen it, supervised them and now am parenting one. I feel I know this program well, and it does work.
I am sure in your life you have encountered many adults who you wouldn't trust to do patient care ..I am also willing to be you have met 16 year old whose maturity and responsibility has impressed you. Those are the kids they are seeking out for this program.
I have been pondering this thread all evening. Thanks BlueRidge for saying EXACTLY what I have been thinking. I was a volunteer in high school at the local hosp. I remember how I felt dealing with some of the patients. Burn patients, dementia patients etc. All I had to do was deliver magazines, flowers, and fill water pitchers!
I have seen 16- and 17-yr-olds working as CNAs in LTCs. I've seen 16-yr-old CNAs who were way more mature than some 18-yr-old ones, and maturity is the key here.
As far as whether or not this particular one should have been doing accuchecks, bottom line is that UCs are not to do anything invasive, and poking fingers is considered invasive. And it has nothing to do with whether or not the NM doesn't mind the extra help, it's legalities and P&P. If the facility does not allow UCs to do any pt care, then they can't. Period.
The nurses who asked this of her ought to be ashamed. They have knowingly put her and their pts at risk. A16y/o probably doesn't know squat about universal precautions or dangerously high/ low blood sugars. Bad nurses! Bad!:no:
If she was properly trained, I wouldn't care what her job title was or how old she was. In fact, I'd be ecstatic to have a coworker that was willing to go beyond the minimum required of her. If not properly trained, then get her properly trained so she can help out instead of sitting on her behind when there's nothing secretarial to do since she's interested in being helpful.
And checking blood sugars isn't rocket science, so it shouldn't take too much to properly train someone who's willing.
Instead of getting this girl in trouble, this girl who was TRYING TO HELP OUT, let's get her training.
If she was properly trained, I wouldn't care what her job title was or how old she was. In fact, I'd be ecstatic to have a coworker that was willing to go beyond the minimum required of her. If not properly trained, then get her properly trained so she can help out instead of sitting on her behind when there's nothing secretarial to do since she's interested in being helpful.
And checking blood sugars isn't rocket science, so it shouldn't take too much to properly train someone who's willing.
Instead of getting this girl in trouble, this girl who was TRYING TO HELP OUT, let's get her training.
It doesn't matter whether or not she was properly trained. It does matter if it was within the scope of her practice. Would you really like to be the nurse who allowed a UC to do something like that against policy and get caught at it by OSHA or JCAHO? If you, making that decision, cost the hospital money in fines, they would not be looking kindly at you.
I wonder what will happen and who the nurse will blame if some has a severe reaction especially if she did not report a high or low to them. The responsibiliy lies with the nurse it is thier license that is on the line.
I think maturity does come into play. At 16 I was in high school and in CNA classes and I was very mature, but I can not say the same for many of my class mates. They would go back to school and blurt alot of stuff out, this was before HIPAA but still wrong on many accounts. I think some 16yo's can be trained and need to say withing the scope that they are trained in, but this one is question does not sound mature according to what OP posted.
Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.
When I went through my CNA program we were 30 where weeded out of 300.
We had background checks done and fingerprinting... the whole nine yards.
For our ages most of were very mature taking AP classes and getting acceptance letters from colleges left and right with full ride scholarships.
We were all a prodigy group and were trained by excellent RN's. But not everyone was of the same calibur and I believe this U.C. Happened to be one of them.
I am just upset that she would A: do it and B: let the RN's talk her into it. I am pretty sure they learned their lesson.
And BTW NJ does not have a CNA shortage it just so happens that my facility has a co-op program with out local HS and the CNA's volunteer on many of the med-surg units so since they are familiar with the facility why not hire them who show initiative and maturity my choosing to work with the masses.
I feel as if I am personally being attacked but let it be known that even though I was only 15 years old when I started working in my hospital, I was very mature and took my position very seriously and understood what would happen if I overstepped my boundaries.
If she was properly trained, I wouldn't care what her job title was or how old she was. In fact, I'd be ecstatic to have a coworker that was willing to go beyond the minimum required of her. If not properly trained, then get her properly trained so she can help out instead of sitting on her behind when there's nothing secretarial to do since she's interested in being helpful.
And checking blood sugars isn't rocket science, so it shouldn't take too much to properly train someone who's willing.
Instead of getting this girl in trouble, this girl who was TRYING TO HELP OUT, let's get her training.
Amen, you said exactly what I was thinking about this thread all day... I think that "children" in this age group are capable of much more than we give them credit for. People with this attitude that they shouldn't be doing this or that are enabling them to not live up to their potential. I often wonder if we raise our expectations of people in general if society wouldn't benefit from it.
If the 16 year old is caught violating a Hippa, then they will be terminated, just like a 26year old would be. I know of many 16 year olds who are on the academic path-college bound who show more maturity and responsibility than some of the 30something CNA I have worked with before.
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I see your point and I do agree because I too can think of many teenagers who are more mature than some adults I know.
That being said, I still disagree because no matter how mature they may behave or are perceived by others, they are still growing and learning, and in that process they do not always know the consequences of their actions.
Here is an example of what I mean. My cousin, who was 18 or 19 at the time (and in no way immature in my opinion), worked in dietary at the hospital of a very small town. She delivered a tray to an elderly man and walked in the room just as he was trying to get out of bed. In the process his gown had slid up and unintentially revealed his private areas.
At the time my cousin did the mature thing, and assisted this gentleman without making a big deal out of "flashing" incident, but then went home and proceeded to tell her parents how she walked in on this man and couldn't believe how large his member was! She then revealed his name, and it turned out that her parents knew the man. So now the whole family not only knew this man was in the hospital and his diagnosis, now they were making "innocent" comments/jokes about so and so's member size.
I was appalled when I learned all this from my grandmother. When I explained how this was wrong of my cousin and cited hipaa, she just said to me, "Well it's just us", meaning it wasn't a big deal because my cousin only told family! So she obviously didn't get it either. I just feel really bad for this poor man whom I've never met who is now being made a joke out of.
My whole point to this story is that maybe with a little more experience/ education/ tactfulness that comes along with growing older, maybe this wouldn't have occurred.
My cousin was 18 or 19 and still did not have the maturity to recognize that this was wrong ("because I only told my parents")!! I just do not think the healthcare setting is appropriate for minors.
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racing-mom4, BSN, RN
1,446 Posts
If the 16 year old is caught violating a Hippa, then they will be terminated, just like a 26year old would be. I know of many 16 year olds who are on the academic path-college bound who show more maturity and responsibility than some of the 30something CNA I have worked with before.
I see good in this program, I have seen it 1st hand the past few years and it has been a win win for all involved.
You are seeing the negative which yes there can be. They are very selective on who is allowed to join this program. If I would just hear the blanket statement of 16 year old giving patient care I too would think "what the heck??" but since I have seen it, supervised them and now am parenting one. I feel I know this program well, and it does work.
I am sure in your life you have encountered many adults who you wouldn't trust to do patient care ..I am also willing to be you have met 16 year old whose maturity and responsibility has impressed you. Those are the kids they are seeking out for this program.