Why then, caregivers, do you continue to move from job to job
Posted by Patti on June 14th, 2007 / Print This Post
Matt, The Nursing Home Administrator has a question for us:
Why then, caregivers, do you continue to move from job to job, facility to facility? If you truly believe in resident privacy, comfort, and dignity, why don’t you want that continuity for your residents? Are you a caregiver for yourself or for others? When faced with a difficult situation on the job, do you find yourself thinking about how it will affect you or your residents? How many issues that people quit over could be resolved if ours goals were better aligned?
Go over and tell him why…or why not. Let’s start a conversation about this topic. There’s no need to be rude about this either; honesty and being forthright, yes…but rude and defensive- no…
June 15th, 2007 at 8:53 am
Matt I have been a CNA for 30yrs (my current place of employment 20yrs). I’ve never worked in LTC but I do sit on the CNA Council for the Fl. Board of Nursing so I do have some insight into this. I’m sorry and I do not not mean to be rude but look around you. What do your CNAs make? Maybe $10.00 an hour? They do hard backbracking work. They put up with B.S. from the families, the nurses, each other, the DONs and adiminstrators, and yes even the patients. Add to that the financial burden. Let’s see $10.00 an hour, 40 hours is 1600.00 a month (before taxes). Should they have to choose between health insurance (if it is even offered to them) and food? Rent or car insurance? People say well go to school be a nurse, and that money would come from where? Do you offer a tuition program? Maybe allow them to work less hours a week but still get paid for 40 to have time for school? But most of all do you require that your nurses help them out, “it’s not my job” should never be spoken patient care is everyone in any facility’s job! Do you insist that everyone be treated equally reguardless of job title? When you make changes to policy do you ask them what they think? (It may look good on paper but will never work on the floor). If your place is just like alot of others would I leave because the place down the road is paying a quarter more an hour? Yes! If I have to work in bad conditions here or there why not make a few cents more an hour. I’ve been a CNA this long because I do love it. But I work in a great hospital and it is a second income my husband makes good money so I am not under pressure to make more. If you make your place somewhere that the CNAs feel valued and are treated fairly they will stay. That’s why I’ve stayed here. Mary
June 15th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Matt,A lot of the problem is because of the fact that you don’t get the help that you need from the other aides. Then you have aides that after bieng told to speak only english to the residents nothing gets done. I am living my current place because nothing is being done when a resident complains that she feels unsafe when a aide comes in and will not give her name, I reported that and now I am being called a racist. Which I am not. So I am sick of this issue so thats why I am leaving.
June 15th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Tina I share your concern about being labeled a racist, just because you reported something. I nursing home down the road from me had an aide who was fired for reporting her non-english speaking co workers…well- they could speak English but chose NOT to in front of the residents. The residents reported this all the time and nothing was done. When the aide reported it, she was accused of racism and placed on a suspension without pay, all that. The DON and NHA did an investigation and they ended up canning the aide out of fear of a lawsuit from the other Hispanic aides…
Two months later (three weeks ago) guess what happened? The state came in for their annual survey and wrote the place up for ABUSE for ALLOWING the aides to speak in a language the residents didn’t understand. The facility has 15 days to come up with a Plan of Correction for this or face fines.
Aides can’t win. We’re taught that these things are wrong and are abuse…when we speak up about it we lose our jobs.
June 17th, 2007 at 11:07 am
I have been a Nurse Aide for 4 years now at the same facility. I can’t imagine working as a Nurse Aide anywhere else. This is in part because I don’t plan on being a career CNA, and in part because I don’t think there is another place with the dedication to excellence in care and improving our processes anywhere in the state of Wisconsin. I have a lot of respect for Aides that work prn, it’s something I couldn’t do and we really need the help sometimes. However, I don’t understand how Aides can go from facility to facility year after year. I’ve been taking care of the same residents for years as well as many, many acute care patients. I work as an aide as a service to others. I feel that public service is my duty, my purpose. Without a certain level of dedication and direction I feel that some aides should not be here or anywhere at all. If you’re looking for a paycheck, go somewhere else. If you’re looking to make a difference in the lives of many people, be a CNA, and stick with your facility. If things are bad, they won’t get better by your quitting and going somewhere else.