Posted by Debbie on August 30, 1999 at 23:25:51:
Hi Cindy! You have my emotional support. All the way
from Michigan!! After a hard 8 hours of working short
(again and again etc.) I came home, logged on and
found your plea. That situation does sound very
frustrating and very familiar. Our facility is going
through the same sort of problems after being a model
nursing home for many years. We are falling apart.
Well, I made a decision to get totally involved in
this-not just put in my 8 hours and go home. The
thing that keeps me going is the fact that I can
go home. Thank God!! The residents are there for good
(for the most part).They cannot leave. So, I am taking
daily notes, surveys on all shifts, and communicating
with the OFFICES (D.O.N., A.D.O.N., and Administrator)
I'm not really getting anywhere, so the next step is
my state reps-whoever will listen. I am doing all this
in an above board manner, no lies, no deceit and no
rumors. Anyway, I know what you mean about CNAs that
take loooooong breaks. We have someone that disappears
on a regular basis for one hour- we have to answer the
lights, and do whatever their resident needs for the
time they are gone. Well, thank goodness our nurses
took matters into their well-equipped hands and caught
this person-(timed him) and he got written up! Most
of the time, people get away with stuff because we
need them so badly, but if they are not doing their
work, we don't have them anyway, so might as well know
it from the start and do what you have to do. It's not
fair, but my main rule in life is "Don't ever sink to
someone else's level". We know who is right and who
is wrong. We could not live with ourselves if we acted
like the lazy CNA's. At our place, we do not have
many, thank goodness. I could go on and on, but I have
to get to bed. Good night. Debbie