Posted by Patti Green on September 27, 1999 at 21:59:01:
In Reply to: CNA recruitment and retention posted by Lori on September 27, 1999 at 19:22:21:
Ok- let me think...not too hard..
Why do we leave?
Lack of decent pay...
Lack of support from nursing leadership: It seems
that our ratios are way too high for us to get
done all the things that are supposed to be done.
We go home feeling like bad people because we did
not get it all done. We get yelled at for this as
well. Many CNA's are no longer accepting the
excuse about funding crap. We are beginning to
feel that nursing leadership (DON's, ect) are
"selling their souls" -compromising care for
profit. If they really believed that care comes
first than why aren't they out there fighting
for better staffing? Demanding it.
Off the soapbox.
The high ratios not only leave us feeling bad,
they leave us sore, hurt and exhausted. We get
ill more often than people in other jobs...
Nursing is becoming the number one worst profession healthwise.
CNA's are not stupid. We deliver almost all the
care, yet we are seldom asked for input about our
residents. Our opinions don't seem to carry too
much weight. When a resident has an aggression,
it is often thought that it is the CNA's fault?
This is degrading.
Nursing staff need to start respecting us. CNA's
are going to form a national association such as
the one you run- only on a much larger scale. We
are offended by being called UAP's...In some
states CNA's are now licensed (NH is one state)-
so we are not UAP's. Also, many CNA's are under-
trained. More training is needed. We are not just
butt wipers anymore. The CNA can be a residents
best advocate: We see, hear and sense their needs
better than any other caregiver. We need to be
empowered to advocate for patient rights.
Often when a CNA leaves a LTCF they go to the
hospital environment, where they find they are
even less respected. From there many go into home
care- the ultimate working environment. The
client in this setting has total control over
their care, and CNA's thrive in this setting. There are no dumb rules and regs to worry about.
Some CNA's leave the profession and go into
something non-nursing related. And many go on to
be nurses.
Hope this helps..Patti