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.

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as a cna there is a no lift policy in nursing homes. you can do transferes with a co-worker do to you do not want to hurt yourself are the patient.you also should ask if they have a gait belt where the patient can assist with you if they are able. never try lifting a patient yourself.

is there a state lifting policy in Arkansas nursing homes
and where could i fine it if exists

i am a new CNA and i work in a nurseing home in my area and i am allow to lift by myself but the peoblem the patents i have to i can't lift on my own and my boss said had to get a doctor note to tell how much i can lift beacuse of my hight did this happent to you before? and how much should a CNA be lifting ?

One person should not be lifting a patient by his/herself. It is not safe. It can cause a back injury. It takes at least two people to lift one person. That is the law. Nursing homes break the law all the time.

debbie73160 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma said: One person should not be lifting a patient by his/herself. It is not safe. It can cause a back injury. It takes at least two people to lift one person. That is the law. Nursing homes break the law all the time.

Debbie i work in a nursing home now. and im embarrassed to say where i work it is on the northeast side of town. They tell you that this is a no lift facility. Thats a lie I work on the 11-7 shift. Some nights we have 2 aides in the whole building of about 85 people. The day shift have the nerve to come in and have a bad attitude because no one is up in the morning. The D.O.N dont care. This is unsafe for the residents and the us the employee. I have been a nursing asst. since 1989 i have been working in Hospitals but my husband has had a stroke and i am a fulltime caregiver so i had to take a job that i could work 8 hrs.So i applied at a this place it is close to home.We dont have pads most nights,we have to do the laundry after every round,we dont have a working hopper room in the building,So you know what that means Yes everything goes in the washers and dryers. These place and sad and i hate to be a part of this> every employee that leaves calls the state about the conditions. But they come and nothings being done. Years ago when i worked in nursing homes this was a place were old people enjoyed there last years now there are young people disabled that live in these places. They have access to the outside world drugs, and alcohol them they come back acting bad. It is scary. And we have to put up with this behavior. I often wonder were are the familys of the residents the come in for 10 minutes to visit mother or father and never notice the conditions that there loved one is living in. I lift resident by my self with a lift it is very unsafe anything could happen a sling could break from being old and worn out. Which has happend not to me but another aide.

we are constantly asked by the morning staff to get residents up at 5 oclock in the morning i think this is totally wrong as i would not like my family member to be sat in a chair from 5 am until they go to bed

I recently hurt my back on a lady that knee gave out and instead of her falling I swung her back in her reclyner. Weeks later I was released from light duty and lifted a man that could bair no weight, but who I had lifted many times at night by myself into his chair. A minute later he needed re-adjusted in his chair and asked a nurse to get his legs. When I bent over it irritated the muscle and I had to go back to the doctor. Now they are saying that you must have a two people if they require to people no matter what. Now I was trained in CNA class to lift people by myself and no one said it was agiainst the law. They may not give me light duty and want me to take a lifting class. Putting him in the chair did nothing, it was the way I bent over when I was adjusting him in his chair. Are they just trying to get aroound paying me or is it a law that you must have two if they can not bair weight even though you are stong enough and you have been trained to?

Hi Debbie,

I read some of the replies and there are some good ones. But I think that the best advice any one can give is always CYA( cover your ass). Soory to those who din't like the langage. I to have a problem with people that do the things that happen to you. I at one time worked at a assisted living falicity. I was hurt a nd was evently fired. The back injury was a bad one and I only work part time now and can naot get another job. But here is my advise to you : ALWAYS with any company get all the instruction before you leave to start your job. As a supervisor I would be happier if you asked a dump question than to get hurt. Not everyone is like that, but always try to get an answer. You soung like you are makeing a good CNA and that is important.

I am C.N.A as well and I work at an assisted living facility part time and I just recently injury my back lifting a patient. And I am being treated like crap. All the coworkers there now hates me because they have do half of my job as well as their own work. But they all put it on themselves. For they knew this patient was a three or a five assist but only two assist this patient and the aide I had help me was being lazy and wasn't assisting me right so that is how I injuried back. So I know for sure it is a matter of time when they fired me too because I am a hazard to them. Well personally they need to be more professional then just being greedy for these patients money. They will reap what they sown. Treat your aides right and they won't get hurt .

Does CNA training teach you to lift a 300lb person. Can a 115 pound woman lift a 300lb man. I am dealing with someone who lies, and am checking everything they say. This woman told me she lifted a 300lb man by herself.

I work in a care home where we are expected to be able to transfer residents on our own. There is also a 1:6 ramp in our home up which we are expected to push very heavy residents. I would like to know what is the legal incline of ramps in care homes in the UK.We only have one hoist for 2 levels and when it breaks down, what then? Some carers will lift normally hoisted residents, but whe I refuse, I being awkward!! the new retirement age for women of my age in the UK is 66!! How is anyone meant to work at that pace until they are 66??

Kay P said: Debbie i work in a nursing home now. and im embarrassed to say where i work it is on the northeast side of town. They tell you that this is a no lift facility. Thats a lie I work on the 11-7 shift. Some nights we have 2 aides in the whole building of about 85 people. The day shift have the nerve to come in and have a bad attitude because no one is up in the morning. The D.O.N dont care. This is unsafe for the residents and the us the employee. I have been a nursing asst. since 1989 i have been working in Hospitals but my husband has had a stroke and i am a fulltime caregiver so i had to take a job that i could work 8 hrs.So i applied at a this place it is close to home.We dont have pads most nights,we have to do the laundry after every round,we dont have a working hopper room in the building,So you know what that means Yes everything goes in the washers and dryers. These place and sad and i hate to be a part of this> every employee that leaves calls the state about the conditions. But they come and nothings being done. Years ago when i worked in nursing homes this was a place were old people enjoyed there last years now there are young people disabled that live in these places. They have access to the outside world drugs, and alcohol them they come back acting bad. It is scary. And we have to put up with this behavior. I often wonder were are the familys of the residents the come in for 10 minutes to visit mother or father and never notice the conditions that there loved one is living in. I lift resident by my self with a lift it is very unsafe anything could happen a sling could break from being old and worn out. Which has happend not to me but another aide.

YES I HATE WHEN MORNING SHIFT COMES IN...AT LEAST 30 MINS LATE AND THEN WANTS TO COMPLAIN BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE ONLY AID FOR 40+ PEOPLE THEY WANT TO HAVE ME WRITTEN UP AND I WAS RECENTLY TOLD I WAS GONNA LOOSE MY JOB BECAUSE I COULDNT GET A 400+LB HALF PARALYZED WOMEN UP

sunwaterclear@yahoo.com in Blue Ridge, Georgia said: Does CNA training teach you to lift a 300lb person. Can a 115 pound woman lift a 300lb man. I am dealing with someone who lies, and am checking everything they say. This woman told me she lifted a 300lb man by herself.

THE ANSWER IS IF THE RESIDENT CANNOT HELP YOU THEN NO YOU CANT BUT THE NURSING HOMES WILL EXPECT YOU TO ANYWAY BECAUSE HONESTLY AS LONG AS ADMINISTRATION GETS THEIR MONEY THEN THEY DONT CARE WHO HAS TO SUFFER/ LOOSE THEIR JOB