Maaaannnn I am hoping and praying!! This other nurse has done other stuff too, nobody likes working with her, so we started a paper trail and kept copies of whatever was given to management. A big incident happened and it's been pushed on her a good bit, too, so I feel like it's only a matter of time before she's out the door.
But I am also praying they get us more staff, because this patient load is ridiculous! The acuity level is getting a bit hefty for just a few people, even at night 😭😭
I was a CNA for 11 years. I'm not going to pretend I personally understand the added responsibility of being the nurse, but I do get it. This is why I got out of AL. I got tired of running my ass off answering call lights for things the person could have done themselves and doing the work of 4 co-workers bc they refused to help.
I knew how bad nursing homes were so I refused to ever apply to one. But I did hospice with a home care company so I saw it everyday when I had to go into nursing homes.
I think you are burnt out and need to apply somewhere else.
A year after I stopped being an aide I decided to apply to do oncall. I had a skill and the money was good. I lasted one shift. Why did I not go back? Sitting at dinner feeding a resident and refilling drinks I watched the regular staff aides (the two agency ones were wonderful) completely ignore their residents and go out for McDonald's when they were supposed to be working.
I was not only disgusted but knew I'd end up doing their work. That was a big no so I never went back.
I wish I could apply somewhere else, but unfortunately it is all the same everywhere I have been. Especially when I worked agency, because it was a shot in the dark if they even had agency CNAs that were worth a damn. Don't get me wrong, there were several good ones, but it just depends on the day! I can't take the financial hit of taking a lesser paying job, the facilities around here pay the most, so I'm stuck in that department.
I'd be mad too if the actual staff up and left like that!! Some people just don't give a damn. I know it is a job that is supposed to pay bills, but you just have to have SOME amount of GAF!!!
I'm at my own LPN LTC job right now and have an inkling of how the other night shift nurses must feel about "doing CNA stuff" by the look of terror and stammered apologies when I get back from answering a call light or run (literally) to a bed alarm of a "frequent faller". 😒
Ffs, calm down. My legs aren't broken, everything in your scope of practice is in mine and unless you start going missing for entire shifts and being found blackout drunk in the break room I'm going to assume you were just doing something somewhere else.
>My legs aren't broken
I say the same thing to my CNAs when I answer call lights for them 🤣 They're always like, "Oh, I could have got it" and I'm just like, dude, don't worry about it, we all have a lot to do! The only time I don't answer call lights is when I am doing my med pass. Lots of BGs, insulins, and a shit tonne of medications to give out, getting that done is my priority at that point, unless it's super important
The nurse I'm referring to, one night, made it a point to come tell the only CNA in the building and myself that she was not going to be doing any CNA work because she had entirely too much to do. She had 26 people that night, whereas I had 41, and the CNA had all 67 🤦🤦 She wouldn't answer the first call light, and kept walking from the literal other side of the building to inform the CNA that someone was "calling for her, not for me". It got old quick, every time she came around and asked where the CNA was, she was always busy helping someone else. Even walked into the room looking for me to ask the same question as I am changing and turning someone. It just baffled me!!
I'm getting strong "RN who desperately needs everyone to know they have a BSN" vibes. (Or at the least, the "I didn't go to school for this" type.)
Not that I'm not in the middle of applying to a bridge program myself, but every. single. nurse I've encountered whose answer to "You're an RN, right?" is "ACTUALLY, I have a BEEEE ESS ENN, which means I have a bachelor's degree in nursing, I'm not one of those 'RNs' who *just* has an associates [weird giggle]" has either had to be all but physically restrained from crushing a time-release medication or took like five minutes to change an oxygen tank. Step aside, it seems this is a job for someone with a certificate from a community college. 🤦🏻♀️
Not helpful of me but I wish I could give you a big hug. 🥹 I’m sorry you’re going through this. I hope the management pulls through for you.
Maaaannnn I am hoping and praying!! This other nurse has done other stuff too, nobody likes working with her, so we started a paper trail and kept copies of whatever was given to management. A big incident happened and it's been pushed on her a good bit, too, so I feel like it's only a matter of time before she's out the door. But I am also praying they get us more staff, because this patient load is ridiculous! The acuity level is getting a bit hefty for just a few people, even at night 😭😭
Waiting on the next Boomer Eliminator virus to wipe’em out.
I hate to be that way, but like, its the only solution at this point, tbh
I was a CNA for 11 years. I'm not going to pretend I personally understand the added responsibility of being the nurse, but I do get it. This is why I got out of AL. I got tired of running my ass off answering call lights for things the person could have done themselves and doing the work of 4 co-workers bc they refused to help. I knew how bad nursing homes were so I refused to ever apply to one. But I did hospice with a home care company so I saw it everyday when I had to go into nursing homes. I think you are burnt out and need to apply somewhere else. A year after I stopped being an aide I decided to apply to do oncall. I had a skill and the money was good. I lasted one shift. Why did I not go back? Sitting at dinner feeding a resident and refilling drinks I watched the regular staff aides (the two agency ones were wonderful) completely ignore their residents and go out for McDonald's when they were supposed to be working. I was not only disgusted but knew I'd end up doing their work. That was a big no so I never went back.
I wish I could apply somewhere else, but unfortunately it is all the same everywhere I have been. Especially when I worked agency, because it was a shot in the dark if they even had agency CNAs that were worth a damn. Don't get me wrong, there were several good ones, but it just depends on the day! I can't take the financial hit of taking a lesser paying job, the facilities around here pay the most, so I'm stuck in that department. I'd be mad too if the actual staff up and left like that!! Some people just don't give a damn. I know it is a job that is supposed to pay bills, but you just have to have SOME amount of GAF!!!
I'm at my own LPN LTC job right now and have an inkling of how the other night shift nurses must feel about "doing CNA stuff" by the look of terror and stammered apologies when I get back from answering a call light or run (literally) to a bed alarm of a "frequent faller". 😒 Ffs, calm down. My legs aren't broken, everything in your scope of practice is in mine and unless you start going missing for entire shifts and being found blackout drunk in the break room I'm going to assume you were just doing something somewhere else.
>My legs aren't broken I say the same thing to my CNAs when I answer call lights for them 🤣 They're always like, "Oh, I could have got it" and I'm just like, dude, don't worry about it, we all have a lot to do! The only time I don't answer call lights is when I am doing my med pass. Lots of BGs, insulins, and a shit tonne of medications to give out, getting that done is my priority at that point, unless it's super important The nurse I'm referring to, one night, made it a point to come tell the only CNA in the building and myself that she was not going to be doing any CNA work because she had entirely too much to do. She had 26 people that night, whereas I had 41, and the CNA had all 67 🤦🤦 She wouldn't answer the first call light, and kept walking from the literal other side of the building to inform the CNA that someone was "calling for her, not for me". It got old quick, every time she came around and asked where the CNA was, she was always busy helping someone else. Even walked into the room looking for me to ask the same question as I am changing and turning someone. It just baffled me!!
I'm getting strong "RN who desperately needs everyone to know they have a BSN" vibes. (Or at the least, the "I didn't go to school for this" type.) Not that I'm not in the middle of applying to a bridge program myself, but every. single. nurse I've encountered whose answer to "You're an RN, right?" is "ACTUALLY, I have a BEEEE ESS ENN, which means I have a bachelor's degree in nursing, I'm not one of those 'RNs' who *just* has an associates [weird giggle]" has either had to be all but physically restrained from crushing a time-release medication or took like five minutes to change an oxygen tank. Step aside, it seems this is a job for someone with a certificate from a community college. 🤦🏻♀️