Bad aides

We had some students have really negative experiences at clinical this week. (We had some with really great experiences but that's not what I am writing about.)

I won't say where it happened because it doesn't matter and unfortunately it could have been anywhere.

We had two sisters who are white but are fluent in Spanish. They were with aides who spoke Spanish. Both their aides talked about the residents in Spanish while providing care. They called them names, made fun of them and showed a total lack of respect and no compassion. One resident asked if she could go to another floor to see a friend in the facility and the aide said in Spanish to the other aide that she didn't have any friends etc... Then told her no in English. The aide then began talking about the student in Spanish saying she was lazy and thought she was too good for her etc.... The student asked to be changed to another aide (and was). It wasn't until the end of the day that she told the aide she spoke Spanish. I have to admit I would have turned around and said something to her in Spanish very early in the day.

I called the director of the nursing home and relayed this incident today.

Second bad experience last week.
A student had a resident who wanted to go to his room. She was trying to distract him because she knew she wasn't allowed to put him in his bed by herself. He was so insistent that she took him to his room and sat with him. He became increasing agitated and wanted to get in bed. She called for help. An aide came in the room and the resident was slapping the aide’s hands. The aide started to yell at him and the resident tried to bite the aide and the aide SLAPPED HIM IN THE HEAD. Seriously.

If someone will do that in front of a student, doesn't it make you wonder what they will do when no one is watching?

The student told the instructor who talked to the nurse. The nurse talked to the Director who called me later in the day. Today I had the student talk to the Director. The student was concerned because the incident is getting reported to the state and she doesn’t want to be the cause of someone losing their certification. I had to remind her that she didn't cause anything and what happens isn't her call it's the states.

I tried this analogy. I shop at Wal-Mart and I price match and use coupons. Sometimes I annoy the crap out of the cashier. Would it ever be OK for the cashier to scream at me, call me names and slap be upside the head? Of course not. She’d get fired and the police would come. Why is it any different for our frail elderly confined to nursing facilities?

To our ccCNA students that advocate for the residents I say YOU ROCK!!!

You're the best.

Carol