My job is so depressing. Being a CNA at a nursing home has its rewards, but working with young girls who don't really care about these poor elderly people makes it hard for me to sleep at night.
Going to my superiors isn't even an option. They aren't going to get rid of them anyway, and it just makes my life more miserable. Being treated like crap and given the cold shoulder, is something that cuts me like a knife. And that is exactly what would happen if I told anyone about the things I witness these girls doing and not doing. And the worst part is how they have my superiors sooo fooled. Either that or they're in denial. They think these girls are just wonderful. I told the charge nurse how two girls had seven people in bed in a half hour and how three of these residents are ones who require a lift, and she just said, "I don't know how they do it. And I KNOW they do good cares."
Good cares. Yeah, right. If she would just stop and think about that for a minute, she would know that it is impossible to get that many people in bed in half an hour and still gently remove clothing and put on pajamas, toilet them and do pericare, brush their teeth, apply lotion, remove trash and laundry and wash hands in between rooms. How many times does seven go into 30? They had to have worked together on three of these residents. That would allow 10 minutes for each of those. But they also had four others in bed.
I don't want to cause trouble. I just want these poor elderly people to be treated with dignity and respect and be well taken care of. Good cares? I wonder how this nurse would explain the dry toothbrushes I found. Guess the girls forgot to wet them to try and fool me. That is what they do when they remember.
I think that is why they don't want to work with me. I slow them down because I DO brush teeth and put people on the toilet and apply lotion if available.
It's hard being hated by your coworkers. But I know the residents love me. And I know how many of them feel about these young girls. I know because the residents themselves have told me, and it isn't good. I know things that no one else knows and it's lonely keeping these secrets. But like I said, even if I told them, nothing good would come of it. Sometimes I think I am the only one who does care.
