Lifting Policy In Nursing Homes

I really needs some feed back here. I recently went to work for a medical temp agency, and wouldn't you know the first job they sent me on didn't turn out so well. On top of that my background is as a home health aide. So my first assignment with the temp agency was the first time I had work as a CNA and my first time in a nursing home.

The nursing home was very upscale and a nice place to work. But the other CNA I worked with treated me as through I were I an intruder. When I asked question she snapped at me.

But that's not the bad part. When dinner time came she told me to transfer certain patients from their beds to their wheelchairs. The first thing out of my mouth was "Are they able to put weight on their feet. If not I'll a second person to assist me with the transfers." She told me "yes" they could all put weight on their feet. Well, it turned out they could not, and one resident and I just about fell over together.

When I asked the CNA with assistant with the other tranfers she said "I'll just do it." She would not do the transfers WITH me. She did the transfers FOR me.

Next I find out she has reported me to the charge nurse for not being able to tranfer residents.

Later while I'm cleaning up a resident in the bathroom, the charge nuse comes in and asks if I have any physical limitations about lifting. I explan that "No I don't. If residents can put weight on their feet I can transfer them just fine by myself. If they cannot put weight on their feet then I need a second person to help with the transfer."

And she and I transfer the resident that I had just cleaned up from the toilet to the wheelchair with no problem.

Yet, afterwards she put me on "lightduty." And the next day the temp agency called me and told me the nursing home did not want me back because I "could not lift."

To you CNA's out there. Please explain to me what is going on? I don't understand. Do the homes what CNA's to lift by themselves?

I don't work in a nursing home, but I work in a hospital and you are never expected to transfer by yourself if you don't feel comfortable. They don't want you to hurt yourself. However, I just finished a clinical rotation at a rehab hospital and the nurses and aides did transfer by themselves, but presumably they had special training in transferring and with sliding boards, etc. I personally do not feel comfortable transferring alone, for the safety of my patient and myself. I think you did the right thing. The nurse or the other aide could have been more helpful and showed you the way they did it, if there was a safe way for it to be done with one assist.

Thank you Jennifer for your reply. Come to find out this nursing home does in fact require the CNA is lift patients by themselves, which is against the law here. There official policy is it takes two -three CNAs to lift a person depending on the person size. But the real policy is that the CNA better be strong enough to lift on her own or she is out of a job.

There is no special training available here for lifting patients by yourself because lifting by yourself is against the law.

I'm so glad they discharged me. Now I work in a wonderful assisted living center, and it's great!! No lifting required!

there is so many lazy cna's out there! All they want to do is make you look bad so they can shine. the residents knows who is good to them and who isn't. That is really what matters. Let them laugh, but all the nasty cna's and nurses will pay in the long run. It's sad when you have to cover your ass all the time because of underhanded people who really could care less.

We as c.n.a all over the country need to do a walk out.
and demand more respect, and more pay a c.n.a with experance should get $14 an our because the agencys and nursing homes are getting big bucks the LPN ARE GETTING $20 TO $30 A HOUR we did go to school and we did receive a certificate, a lot of nurses look down on us some places you work they dont'want to even speak to us, only if they need us to do somthing for them,they treat us like we are just dumb and stupid It's time for us to stop being afraid and stick together and raise HELL!
I AM WILLLING ARE YOU !

I'm not sure what the answer is. I don't like the idea of raising hell, or doing anything that will make you or I look bad.

We have a wonderful Vo-Tech school here called Moore-Norman Tech School. I've never seen another Vo-Tech School like it. They have a great LPN program, and these instructors hold your hand every step of the way. They practice gentle learning, they work with you. And they review with you before each test. They won't let you take the test unless they are sure you'll pass it. I've taken one course with them, a MAT class, now I'm taking a Certifed Medication Aide course. I was going to take the LPN course, but I've decided I'm enrolling in RN school this summer.

There is a small community college here that has a two year program and I'm going to jump on board. If I have to get tutors for every class I'll do it.

I can no longer tolerate the poverty I live in. Plus I will find myself in the health care field anyway doing one thing or the other. And bottom line, I have a heart for hurting people.

And all those good CNA's that really care about their patients, I wish they would at least consider taking a LPN course at their local Vo Tech school. There are bad Vo Tech's and good ones. Stay away from the bad ones. I've attended those too, where there were gang members in the class room. You had to watch your back everyday. That was lots of fun.

I couldn't wait to get of there! The Vo Tech I'm attending now has an emotionally nurturing environment.

Best of luck to all you. Let's not underestimate our abilities. We must move beyond our fears.

DebbieMarie

Most places should have a system to let you know who is a one person, two person or three person transfer. If people require more than one person you shouldnt lift if you cant do it. Another cna needs to help and it should be a state violation if you dont. I personally lifted alot of people who were 2 person lifts alone but I was able to however I NEVER said no or got angry at another cna who asked for help. It takes mere minutes to help another cna. It can also make a day go by much smoother if you just team up and do it all together. Cna's who have an attitude or dont want to help do not have the elderly persons best interest in mind because it all comes down to transfering them safely. Im sure ithurts to be dragged around by someone in a hurry with an atttude. Those kinda of cnas need to pursue a new career.