I do have to agree with Willie. Why were you trying to change hubby now he was in care. I was so glad when Mom went to an AL that I no longer had to toilet her. When she had an accident, I made the CNA aware of it. Mom was paying 5k a month for the highest care.
Really, you should not be doing this. You could get hurt and the facility cannot be held responsible. You need to allow/let staff do their jobs they are paid to do. This is why ur DH has been placed, to give you a rest.
Hubby was not placed to give me rest. He went from fully functional individual working 50 hr work week, 911 call, to three weeks hospital, to four weeks rehab then to second four weeks rehab then finally home. I also knew hubby was never going to recover and this was a major long term life changing event and I knew there is not always help to be had.
what annoyed me was the 2nd rehab waited till the last day to teach me how to transfer hubby. He was a hard two person transfer. One CNA on the sly let me practice transfer on my own. She and one other person was there as back up. She in truth she was not allowed to do this but she understood the reality of the situation. I lived at rehab with hubby and CNA and I got to know each other so she knew this was a job I could do.
I'm curious about why you were changing your DH at all - I never changed mom after she went into care, in fact early on before they knew I had been her caregiver I was even asked to leave the room when she was changed. And in your scenario did the RN not send someone else to assist? If not then that's something I would have a problem with!
My hubby changed my bloody Maxie pad when I had an ablation and tubes tired. I didn’t see what the big deal was changing his diaper when I wanted to be involved in the care of hubby.
When my mother was in a rehab facility, I was visiting her one day and smelled that she needed a diaper change. The RN who was the supervisor of that floor came in when I called and told me that they were short staffed and a couple of CNAs had called in sick. She did not hesitate to change Mom's diaper right then (and it was a messy one!).
Another time, when we had home healthcare after the rehab stint, an RN who came to check on Mom every week or so was there when Mom needed a diaper change. I said I would do it (as usual) but she said she would help and between the two of us we got it done. I think she wanted to get a look at my mom's skin under there as well.
So, I've had a good experience with both RNs and CNAs. They are people I couldn't do without at this time in my life.
I will tell you what my daughter, RN, has told me.
She started out in RN mobility. This means she trained as an LPN and worked into her RN. As an LPN trainer she was tested on how to do blood pressure, make a bed, ect. If she tested 5x and did not pass, she was out of the program. My daughter worked as an LPN about 12 years and worked with RNs trained as just RNs only. They are now trained to be in Administration not to be hands on. Thats why there are CNAs and LPNs to do the dirty work. They work with the patients. My daughter worked in NHs and when short on staff, the RNs did help but my daughter said they didn't know how to make a bed properly because they were really not trained. Pretty much "this is how u make a bed" then on to the next thing. My boss an RN with a BS degree now about 80, when we worked 15 yrs ago, said the RNs coming out of school then were not trained like she was. But then, there were no LPNs and CNAs when she trained.
Their are levels of RNs, my daughter has a 2 yr degree so an associates. Then theres the BS degree that takes 4 to 5 yrs to complete. There are higher degrees like a Nurse practioner.
I do agree with Burnt, would it have hurt that RN to help. My daughter would have and has.
When we were still on speaking terms with hubby daughter (expired CNA) she talked about how current CNAs, RNs etc etc that hold current and updated certificates and degrees in current jobs were being required to get higher degrees to be able to keep respected jobs. They had X amount of time to get requirements or lose job. No grandfathering in. I understand keeping up on current knowledge and recertifications but to lose a job? Sad.
I really don't care for the elitist attitude that so many RN's have. I've known nurses who would leave a person sitting in their own mess rather than lower themselves by actually providing care. I've known nurses who were cool that helped whenever and wherever they could. These were rare though. I remember one time when I was a student we were in the hospital. There was an old lady crying that she needed a bedpan because she really had to go. There were three RN's in the hallway doing nothing that kept telling her to hold on because an aide was coming. One of the doctors on the floor stopped what he was doing, went and got the bed pan and helped the poor old woman out. After he got done and cleaned everything up, he went up to the three nurses. He asked them how many nurses it takes to give someone a bed pan and when they figure out how many to come and tell him. It all depends on the attitude of the person. Either they want to make sure a patient has the best care or they don't. I've known CNA's who thought they were too good to change a diaper or give a bed pan.
When we first got home from second rehab our speech therapist was alarmed by hubby lung noise. Yes, he has noise but X-rays show clear. This wasn’t a new issue. The therapist didn’t know us or hubby so she reported to her boss who in turned called hubby doc office then I get a call from doc office rescheduling the up and coming apt to be sooner only by a matter of days. All this done without my knowledge. I brought doc office up to speed and told them we would not be changing apt. I understand it was therapist job and was grateful she was looking out for her patient but to leave me out of the loop? I am hubby caregiver, POA, wife. Later I get a call from doc himself asking if he could stop by on his way home. Shocked speechless. I told him well of course you are welcome to come. Doc came, checked out hubby, help me reposition hubby in bed. I was so sad when doc retired.
It is everyone's job if a person is in need. If there isn't an aide available, then there no law saying a nurse can't put on a pair of gloves and get to it.
Usually it is a CNA but nurses are trained. Is this home care or facility care? Nurses will be present as part of the team but will also be assessing skin care.
It was a transition rehab. Mostly people who had hip replacement for PT before going home. It was one of the few places that would take us. He was considered a two person anything such as transfers and diaper care etc etc. we were fresh from hospital and I was still wrapping my head around the stroke, sleep deprived and learning the so called rules in the medical world. I didn’t understand because the RNs had no problem changing diaper in the hospital. This was in Washington state. (Side note at rehab. There was a retired farmer wife who was CNA and I secretly labeled her one of those Nurse Ratchets. I felt soooo totally lost in the care of hubby. I asked her to teach me diaper change, body rotation, bathing in bed etc etc. she taught me and I felt more in control in a chaotic situation. She cried and hugged hubby when we left. Loved her.)
years later in Kansas hubby back in hospital I had a nurse come in to our room to do something I felt a CNA could do, don’t remember what, he made a point to say if we needed anything let him know and gave us his card. I asked him if was charged nurse? He said no that he was boss over ALL nurses. And I remember never seeing a “CNA” ever at that time, all RNs. This was during Covid. Awesome care.
I think an RN has worked toward a degree in nursing and a CNA has not, that's why there's a difference in their roles. The RN on the floor often also acts as the shift supervisor, and although you might ask management to step in to help in an emergency you would not normally expect it when it's not.
cwillie, Yes, RN licensure for practice requires a great deal of schooling and clinical training; it's a degree of 2-8 yrs. A CNA is 8 weeks of basic training. RN requires a working knowledge in anatomy/physiology, cardiology, pharmacology, urology, psychology, and developmental psychology, neonatology, gerontology, pain mgt, obstetrics, technical aspects of nursing: IVs, pumps, central veinous pressure monitoring, telemetry, etc., etc., to name several. The more critical technical units like CCU, ER, ICU, etc., require more advanced training to that specific area. RNs also learn to make beds that you can bounce a dime on!
While it may have been annoying at the moment, I can see why she wouldn't want to do it. It's not medical in nature. Most places are under staffed. Nurses are busy doling out meds and dealing with IVs, etc. Things the CNAs can NOT do.
I've got news for you, againx100. Nobody wants to do it. So if there isn't a CNA around and you're a nurse standing there "supervising" put on a pair of gloves and change a diaper. Maybe try making a bed too, you know just to keep a person grounded and humble.
Side note: I had a pediatrician doc feed hubby via PEG tube. He was working as a nurse because he didn’t want to forget what is like to work with a patient up close.
Really, you should not be doing this. You could get hurt and the facility cannot be held responsible. You need to allow/let staff do their jobs they are paid to do. This is why ur DH has been placed, to give you a rest.
what annoyed me was the 2nd rehab waited till the last day to teach me how to transfer hubby. He was a hard two person transfer. One CNA on the sly let me practice transfer on my own. She and one other person was there as back up. She in truth she was not allowed to do this but she understood the reality of the situation. I lived at rehab with hubby and CNA and I got to know each other so she knew this was a job I could do.
And in your scenario did the RN not send someone else to assist? If not then that's something I would have a problem with!
My hubby changed my bloody Maxie pad when I had an ablation and tubes tired. I didn’t see what the big deal was changing his diaper when I wanted to be involved in the care of hubby.
Another time, when we had home healthcare after the rehab stint, an RN who came to check on Mom every week or so was there when Mom needed a diaper change. I said I would do it (as usual) but she said she would help and between the two of us we got it done. I think she wanted to get a look at my mom's skin under there as well.
So, I've had a good experience with both RNs and CNAs. They are people I couldn't do without at this time in my life.
She started out in RN mobility. This means she trained as an LPN and worked into her RN. As an LPN trainer she was tested on how to do blood pressure, make a bed, ect. If she tested 5x and did not pass, she was out of the program. My daughter worked as an LPN about 12 years and worked with RNs trained as just RNs only. They are now trained to be in Administration not to be hands on. Thats why there are CNAs and LPNs to do the dirty work. They work with the patients. My daughter worked in NHs and when short on staff, the RNs did help but my daughter said they didn't know how to make a bed properly because they were really not trained. Pretty much "this is how u make a bed" then on to the next thing. My boss an RN with a BS degree now about 80, when we worked 15 yrs ago, said the RNs coming out of school then were not trained like she was. But then, there were no LPNs and CNAs when she trained.
Their are levels of RNs, my daughter has a 2 yr degree so an associates. Then theres the BS degree that takes 4 to 5 yrs to complete. There are higher degrees like a Nurse practioner.
I do agree with Burnt, would it have hurt that RN to help. My daughter would have and has.
I remember one time when I was a student we were in the hospital. There was an old lady crying that she needed a bedpan because she really had to go. There were three RN's in the hallway doing nothing that kept telling her to hold on because an aide was coming.
One of the doctors on the floor stopped what he was doing, went and got the bed pan and helped the poor old woman out. After he got done and cleaned everything up, he went up to the three nurses. He asked them how many nurses it takes to give someone a bed pan and when they figure out how many to come and tell him. It all depends on the attitude of the person. Either they want to make sure a patient has the best care or they don't. I've known CNA's who thought they were too good to change a diaper or give a bed pan.
Later I get a call from doc himself asking if he could stop by on his way home. Shocked speechless. I told him well of course you are welcome to come. Doc came, checked out hubby, help me reposition hubby in bed. I was so sad when doc retired.
Can you give more info to the circumstance?
years later in Kansas hubby back in hospital I had a nurse come in to our room to do something I felt a CNA could do, don’t remember what, he made a point to say if we needed anything let him know and gave us his card. I asked him if was charged nurse? He said no that he was boss over ALL nurses. And I remember never seeing a “CNA” ever at that time, all RNs. This was during Covid. Awesome care.
Yes, RN licensure for practice requires a great deal of schooling and clinical training; it's a degree of 2-8 yrs. A CNA is 8 weeks of basic training.
RN requires a working knowledge in anatomy/physiology, cardiology, pharmacology, urology, psychology, and developmental psychology, neonatology, gerontology, pain mgt, obstetrics, technical aspects of nursing: IVs, pumps, central veinous pressure monitoring, telemetry, etc., etc., to name several. The more critical technical units like CCU, ER, ICU, etc., require more advanced training to that specific area.
RNs also learn to make beds that you can bounce a dime on!
I'm very glad that you're not a nurse or working in the healthcare field!
I had a pediatrician doc feed hubby via PEG tube. He was working as a nurse because he didn’t want to forget what is like to work with a patient up close.