Wrongfully fired

[Tiffani3116]

I'm a seasoned CNA and I was terminated this morning from my job at a ltc facility. The administrator told me I was fired for the confrontation I had with a dietary aide last week when they refused to make my resident an alternative for dinner. The gave my resident an egg salad sandwich on white bread which the resident refused because she doesn't like pickle and doesn't like white bread. She asked for a grill cheese sandwich on wheat bread instead which the kitchen did not want to provide. They argued that the sandwich was not made with pickle so they would not make the alternative. I told them the resident does not want the egg salad sandwich and does not like white bread and is alert and specifically asked for a grilled cheese sandwich. I told them that I would go to the administrator if they could not provide an alternative for my resident and that my resident could call the state or ombudsman and complain on the facility for this. They made the sandwich. Today the administrator said that I threatened the kitchen with calling the state on them and she was letting me go. She told me she would not fight me on unemployment and wished me best of luck. I feel enraged and heartbroken! I thought I was doing the right thing and I feel wrongfully fired. The administrator didn't even wait to hear my side of the story before deciding to fire me. She called me and left a voicemail on my phone stating they wouldn't be using me anymore and my check was ready to pick up. Am I just being sorry is does anyone else see this as u just??

[OpinionatedCNA, CNA]

It sounds like you were fired for not knowing when to pick your battles, honestly. I completely understand dealing with dietary feels like trying to pull teeth. But at the same time you have to realize they are essentially working min wage, usually understaffed, to feed 150ish residents. If they stop to make a grilled cheese sandwich for Mrs Smith the food for the residents in the other wing gets cold.

They should have offered to make something else that doesn't require cooking time like a tuna salad sandwich or pb&j, but I believe you are in the wrong for telling them the resident is going to call the state on them. What you should have done is, "I'm sorry Mrs Smith, the kitchen isn't able to make you a grilled cheese right now, they can only make you x,y,z." In our facility, residents are only able to request meal alternatives up to 3ish hours before they start cooking the meal, if they want something else at dinner time it's whatever the kitchen can put together. If she is alert and this is an ongoing issue you can propose that dietary print out their meal plans a week in advance and let her pick what she wants, but it is unreasonable to demand something that specific at the last minute.

I know that you are trying to stand up for your resident but just remember 1) resident's rights don't include being able to eat whatever whenever they want 2) pick your battles. Not getting a grilled sandwich is not violating anyone's right. It's your job to help them within reason get food they are okay with and ask management / dietary to work with them (in advanced) if they are extremely picky. I know we want it all for the residents, but it is not our job to cater to them. I'm sorry you were fired, it sounds like it was an overreaction from your management, but hey. You know better now and CNA jobs are a dime a dozen.