(VENT) Very bothered. This doesn't feel right.

[armada14]

Im kinda ******. I literally just finished my first day as a Direct Care Professional (Im a caretaker for developmentally disabled adults). **Im a 20yr old pre-nurisng student**

About my patient:

-age 65, lives in an apartment complex with other mildly disabled individuals (my patient is severe)

-6'2 (but shorter because he hunches, and weighs 215lbs)

-can barely lift himself out of his wheel chair, non-motile unless has walker chair

-diagnosed with: impulse control disorder, disruptive behavior disorer, seizure disorder, schizophrenia

I had a great day with my patient. He was very cooperative. I helped him eat, consistently transported him to his room, back to the restroom, out to the patio/ so on and so on.

He took his meds with no problem right before he fell asleep at 6pm.

My shift was suppose to be over at 9:30pm and I was told he does not have 24hr support (the next staff's shift is @6am New Years day).

9:28pm- My patient wakes up, has to go pee. I transport him to the restroom, he stands up to pee and starts to pee before he even makes a complete stance. After he finished, I cleaned the little pee from his legs, washed him up, took him back to his room to change into fresh underwear/socks and he went back to bed.

9:45- I'm cleaning up his tiny mess of urine in the rest room and he calls from the room over and has to go pee again. I successfully transport him and he is able to urinate with no problem.

I leave @9:58 after he is back in bed and knocked out. It really frustrates me that no staff is scheduled to be with him overnights. My company has overnight staff and I'm going to inquire with my supervisor tomrw morning as to why he doesn't have overnight staff? Im pretty sure he is going to have to go to the restroom at some point of the night. He can sure as hell fall and severely hurt himself, and pretty much develop some infection if he urinates/defacates on himself overnight without being changed or taken care of. I felt horrible that I had to leave and even called/txd my supervisor if I should leave or not(with no answer since new yrs eve I assume). What really ****** me off is that my supervisor told me earlier in the day that since it was my first day I could leave an hour earlier @8:30 if he was taken care of and in bed. This is my first day with this company...how long has this been going on? WTH!!?

***On a side note: Happy New Years everyone!

I really appreciate all the hard work nurses of the world do. I really got a small taste of your hard work today (especailly the lifting part [i stand 5'9 at 145lbs where the pt. was 215lbs at 6'2 lol] I hope to get accepted into a program, and become a nurse very soon to join the rest of you! P.S--- sorry for my long rant!

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

Welcome to my world! In interviews, when I was asked what I thought the hardest part of working as a nursing assistant would be, my answe has been: knowing that I'd like to do more for a patient and knowing it is not within my scope to do so.You are young and idealistic. That is wonderful. I used to be younger and my desire to change the world led me to feel intense dusatisfaction in my prior career as a teacher (many of my students had special needs)I have no advice for you, but just want to say that it is probably likely you will continue to encounter situations that aren't ideal. Maybe you can change some of the situations, but I am preparing myself to learn to simply do the best job I can in my role and to pray for my patients for the times that I'm not there that someone else who has much greater power than I, can be there. If a situation involved blatant abuse, I'd report it, but aside from that, I realize I'm not in control of it.Happy new year!

[AZMOMO2]

Since you are a DSP and work under the guidelines of DDD it is generally not paid during the overnight. Unless the client has "Nursing Hours", where he would get Nursing Respite which would include overnight care, by an LPN/RN. So thus no overnight coverage. Are you there for attendant care or respite? Attendant care is during waking hours only, regardless if he may need to use the restroom at night. He is considered stable up until the time that he would need to go into a traditional group home or into LTC.

I with DDD, work as a DPS and an LPN for different folks. For one case I am Nursing and work NOC, get paid as such, for the other I do attendant, habilitation and non-nursing respite, which is supposed to end when the client goes to sleep or 12 hours, which ever comes first.

[momtojosh]

i am 4 11 1/2......115 lbs and i have a 6' 200 lb TBI 23 yr old male i have to take care of....we have 16 hr nursing care....i am one of the LPNS that do the care....we have 11 other clients in our house as well....welcome:barf01:,it does get frustrating....