Post by Rosie on Feb 1, 2012 11:15:28 GMT -5
I work in a Nursing Home in Texas, and this week has been horrible at my workplace.
I work from 10pm-6am and three days ago we had someone quit and leaving us with a total of 3 CNA's for a total of 83 residents. The DON said that she will not hire another person because the census is low. That was leaving me with 28 residents to care for.
This is what happened two days ago.. I got to work and the first thing that the RN nurse said to me was *There are two more people that got admitted here and down your hall(making it 30 residents for me to care for alone). One is very weak and has cancer, you will need to assist to the bathroom and watch the resident closely because the resident has been vomiting. The other resident is a diabetic, very weak, you will need to ask her if the resident needs to go to the bathroom because the resident will not go by theirself. THe resident is sleeping in a recliner because that is what the resident wants and you need to keep an eye on the resident.*.. I had voiced my concern about the second resident sleeping in the recliner because of the weak state, I was afraid that the resident would fall out and the RN told me that is where the resident sleeps all the time, is in the recliner.
I began to pass my ice and that gives me the chance to assest my own residents and to make sure they have everything or need anything. About 2 hours into my shift, we had someone pass away unexpectedly. The RN called the family and we had to wait until 4AM when the family had shown up and the Nurse called the funeral home. The funeral home did not show up til 430AM. During that time, I was making my last round, making sure everyone was cleaned, the rooms picked up, and I was closing the doors half way so the residents would not notice what was going on. I am suppose to get 3 residents up, dressed, groomed, in their wheelchairs and out in the lobby, because dayshift wants it that way.
THen at 430AM, during all the commotion, someone from dayshift called in sick. The DON called someone else in and that person arrived around 545AM, and at 5AM I was making my last walk through with my residents and to check on them.
Anyways, when the dayshift worker came in, she had found me and told me *I need you to get the residents dressed and I will get them up*. I was beside myself, but I went along and helped her out a bit. Beside the 3 I am required to get up, I got another up and got 3 more dressed. I could not stay any longer because I have children to get off to school.
Then next thing I know, the daytime CNA told me that one of my residents had fallen to the floor. I asked which one and it was the new resident that sleeps in the recliner. I went to the Nurses station and asked about it. The daytime Nurse chewed me out, and the night Nurse chewed me out and wrote me up for it. They had said * She had fallen and could not reach her call light*, I had told them both that she was in her recliner at 5AM when I had walked through to check on everyone. I was so upset, because, I have never got wrote up for anything before and I am so careful with what I do and I make sure all my residents are cared for. When I leave work, I know that my people are well cared for.
I was so upset and cried all the way home.
what more can I do when I have 30 residents for myself alone and I am the only one that makes walk throughs. The night Nurse does not walk through and check on everyone. I am thinking of going to Home Health instead. THis is getting to be too much. Is there not a ratio for CNA to Resident in the State of Texas?
Sorry for the vent but its weighing heavy on my heart. The last thing I would ever want is one of my residents hurt. Thanks for listening
I work from 10pm-6am and three days ago we had someone quit and leaving us with a total of 3 CNA's for a total of 83 residents. The DON said that she will not hire another person because the census is low. That was leaving me with 28 residents to care for.
This is what happened two days ago.. I got to work and the first thing that the RN nurse said to me was *There are two more people that got admitted here and down your hall(making it 30 residents for me to care for alone). One is very weak and has cancer, you will need to assist to the bathroom and watch the resident closely because the resident has been vomiting. The other resident is a diabetic, very weak, you will need to ask her if the resident needs to go to the bathroom because the resident will not go by theirself. THe resident is sleeping in a recliner because that is what the resident wants and you need to keep an eye on the resident.*.. I had voiced my concern about the second resident sleeping in the recliner because of the weak state, I was afraid that the resident would fall out and the RN told me that is where the resident sleeps all the time, is in the recliner.
I began to pass my ice and that gives me the chance to assest my own residents and to make sure they have everything or need anything. About 2 hours into my shift, we had someone pass away unexpectedly. The RN called the family and we had to wait until 4AM when the family had shown up and the Nurse called the funeral home. The funeral home did not show up til 430AM. During that time, I was making my last round, making sure everyone was cleaned, the rooms picked up, and I was closing the doors half way so the residents would not notice what was going on. I am suppose to get 3 residents up, dressed, groomed, in their wheelchairs and out in the lobby, because dayshift wants it that way.
THen at 430AM, during all the commotion, someone from dayshift called in sick. The DON called someone else in and that person arrived around 545AM, and at 5AM I was making my last walk through with my residents and to check on them.
Anyways, when the dayshift worker came in, she had found me and told me *I need you to get the residents dressed and I will get them up*. I was beside myself, but I went along and helped her out a bit. Beside the 3 I am required to get up, I got another up and got 3 more dressed. I could not stay any longer because I have children to get off to school.
Then next thing I know, the daytime CNA told me that one of my residents had fallen to the floor. I asked which one and it was the new resident that sleeps in the recliner. I went to the Nurses station and asked about it. The daytime Nurse chewed me out, and the night Nurse chewed me out and wrote me up for it. They had said * She had fallen and could not reach her call light*, I had told them both that she was in her recliner at 5AM when I had walked through to check on everyone. I was so upset, because, I have never got wrote up for anything before and I am so careful with what I do and I make sure all my residents are cared for. When I leave work, I know that my people are well cared for.
I was so upset and cried all the way home.
what more can I do when I have 30 residents for myself alone and I am the only one that makes walk throughs. The night Nurse does not walk through and check on everyone. I am thinking of going to Home Health instead. THis is getting to be too much. Is there not a ratio for CNA to Resident in the State of Texas?
Sorry for the vent but its weighing heavy on my heart. The last thing I would ever want is one of my residents hurt. Thanks for listening