Working alot of hours on NO sleep, and a Dangerous CNA. Moral support PLEASE

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my biggest problem is how do I tell a crazy lazy psycho CNA that she needs to prioritize, she cant be leaving the floor all the time, she needs to not up the O2, she ...

oh hell, I jsut dont know how to tell this one very experienced CNA that she needs to do Simple things like, if a fall risk wants back in bed, dont' let the resident yell about it for an hour while you are calmly and sluggishly changing a wet brief!!

:banghead: I mean, someone who is KNOWN to get up and fall ALOT ..they SHOULD be a priority over a wet brief, right??? It was just a regular wet brief, no wounds, no outings planned, just a wet brief!!!

and this resident DID fall.....she kept asking to go back to bed, her bed is ALWAYS to be in lowest position but was raised high to "deter" her from getting in bed....AND IT WAS WELL PAST HER BEDTIME ANYWAY!!! and yes, she got very banged up when she fell.

Because of things llike this, I'm still doing insulin at almost midnight. I DO NOT have this problem, or ANY problem, with any other CNA. With the other CNA's, I actually do get to help them out and cut them a break when I'm able to do things like get my own temps. I actually LIKE helping them change or clean someone so I can see the skin, or learn a better way to do anything that the CNA has found helpful for that resident!

And yes, I have told management. Everyone knows about the CNA, they all know that she is taking advantage of my inexperience......I don't want to leave my job, but I really feel that because of this CNA, I have found the answer to my own post about "how can one's job make them lose their license. "

Which brings me to my next major cause of freaking out.....

Sorry for rambling...after the mandated all nighter double, I have been home six hours and only slept for three. And now I have to go back to work, I don't feel like I am thinking straight from lack of sleep, I feel exhausted, I feel sick, and I don't know how in the world I am expected to even be a half-assed nurse.

At the end of tonights shift, I will have worked 25 hours within 32 hours. By law, I had my 8 hour off time, but 25 hours work hours within 32 hour, thats three shifts out of four on NO SLEEP...I'm just so exhausted.

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Just wanted to add that I have done doubles and such before w/o any difficulty, I can work sun up to sun down and be just fine

....but forcing myself to stay awake all night when my body is used to a midnight bedtime...it's really messing with me.

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

At the end of tonights shift, I will have worked 25 hours within 32 hours. By law, I had my 8 hour off time, but 25 hours work hours within 32 hour, thats three shifts out of four on NO SLEEP...I'm just so exhausted.

I have a very easy solution to this particular problem. Call off. No way would I go to work on 3 hours of sleep. Then they will blame YOU for the med error you make.

I have told all my employers on hire I do not believe in madatory overtime and if push came to shove I would go home sick, then quit. I think it is just one more way the company saves money. Don't hire new people, just work the old ones. Then when they quit, no need to replace, just mandate, mandate, mandate.:banghead: There are agencys out there that will staff places, companies just don't want to pay. Makes me sick:rolleyes: Ok, off my high horse.

As far as the CNA. I would send a memo to the DON, Administrator (SP?) and to risk management. I would push the whole LAWSUIT angle. Document on a chronological the talks you have had with her regarding falls and the actions she took to correct or not correct her behavior. Beyond all else COVER YOUR OWN A__. YOU are the professional, so ultimately they will ask what YOU did to protect the patient. Good luck.

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Ditto everything said. Most errors are made due to too many hours on the job, no sleep, stress.

You need to document CNA behaviors logically without any emotion. Date, time, event. Don't get mad. Show your professionalism in each sentence. They will not respond to accusations of trying to save $$ (we know that is bottom line). They will respond to concerns raised of legal concerns. They don't want to lose you. You are their work horse. But even the best horse needs rest or will collapse.

best of luck. Write carefully with great thought in each sentence.:typing

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The thing with calling off, every single day for the past few weeks, SOMEONE is mandated on a shift. Then they call off or quit. Hence, a cycle. Because the call off isnt in due time, agency doesnt get called in.

We've lost three nurses in two weeks, two CNA's. One day, there were only 3 nurses and 6 CNA's for 90-some patients.

I've been mandated (along with everyone else) one day the past three weeks, but never an all nighter and come back w/o sleep.

And ya know what? The day I ended up mandated and having to work the midnight.....it was my day off, I volunteered to cover. Jokes on me, huh.

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

What a pathetic situation! My heart goes out to you. That is incredibly sad to me that you were mandated to cover another shift when you'd completed a shift that you'd VOLUNTEERED to cover.

Yes, document everything that is done. Second, ask for a meeting with the DON so that the DON,you and the CNA can talk about this. If nothing changes, write her up, report her to the next highest supervisor(administrator) and to the Board of Nursing for unsafe practices---or at least consult the Board about her.

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Specializes in neuro, critical care, open heart..
What a pathetic situation! My heart goes out to you. That is incredibly sad to me that you were mandated to cover another shift when you'd completed a shift that you'd VOLUNTEERED to cover.

Yes, document everything that is done. Second, ask for a meeting with the DON so that the DON,you and the CNA can talk about this. If nothing changes, write her up, report her to the next highest supervisor(administrator) and to the Board of Nursing for unsafe practices---or at least consult the Board about her.

I agree, you have to write her up!! When I was the DON at a LTC facility and the nurses would complain about a CNA, I would tell them to write them up. The DON needs a paper trail in order to terminate someone. Now that being said, The state I live in is an "at will" state, so technically I could fire someone for wearing the wrong color of uniform, but when it came to unemployment benifits, I had bunk to stand on. If I had enough written evidence of poor work performance, then I had ammunition to fight unemployment on some of them. But definitely write her up each time she does something that is not right!!

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I have talked to two different people in the DONS. Ya think anything has happened? Nope. And I had no idea we could write up CNA's. Now, I just need to "grow some" and do it.

Oh, I finished the shift w/o sleep and everyone survived. I'm still not recovered, and going off for another shift feeling like I'm hungover.

Thank you for the comments, too. No one really talks at work.

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