Consumer Complaints about Nursing Assistants

Most Nursing Assistants work diligently to protect patients as well as provide them with great care. However, consumer complaints are frequent, resulting in the profession not getting a fair assessment. Too often the focus is on the negative interactions with Nursing Assistants rather than the good staff being complimented to the proper people.

One of the most common complaints about Nursing Assistants by consumers is that they are too hurried. They often have to rush through bathing and dressing because they have too many tasks for the amount of time in a given shift. Although the patients are getting cared for, it is often very rapidly and robotically. The personal attention is often lost because of the effort to get it all done.

For patients, the ability to make simple requests is one of the few bonuses they have when in a medical facility. It also allows the patient to still be independent in some of their decisions. This is essential to someone who no longer to be in their own home or do everyday tasks for themselves without help. These wishes can be as simple as helping them from the bed to a chair or bringing them a pen and paper to write a letter. It is easy for Nursing Assistants to get caught up in other things or forget. However, since these simple requests are so valuable to the patient, it is very critical that Nursing Assistants carry them out. Keeping a pen and notepad to jot down these requests is a great way to remember them.

Some patients may forget they are not the only patient, and they don't like to be kept waiting. It is very hard for them to adapt to. Nursing Assistants make it a point to try and stay on schedule. However, working short staffed and medical emergencies make it very easy to put them behind schedule. Nursing Assistants have to prioritize their tasks, meaning that helping someone who has fallen is more pressing than giving the patient a shower on time. The Nursing Assistant can't tell the patient why they are running late, since confidentiality is so important.

Respect the patient by never discussing them with another staff member or family member in a way that makes the patient feel as if they are not in the room. Keep them in your best interest when speaking. It is important to choose your words carefully, even when you think they are not listening. Many patients have filed complaints because of conversations they overheard while Nursing Assistants thought they were sleeping or unresponsive.

Many consumers are not comfortable with how quickly a Nursing Assistant can obtain a license, making it an area of controversy. These consumers do not feel there is sufficient training time to do an successful job. A minimum of 75 hours of training is required by Federal guidelines for a Nursing Assistant program. The actual amount is based on the program coordinator and the state requirements for a specific program. However, it is often challenged that to be certified as a manicurist, it takes over 1000 hours of training, much more than a Nursing Assistant.

Medical facilities and program developers support the hours required to earn a certificate as a Nursing Assistant. They believe the training adds to an individual's basic concepts of feeding, bathing, and dressing other people, all of which are very routine tasks we have all done at some point in our lives. They also point out that the clinical hours are hands on training in a medical facility with close supervision, making the training more effective than just classroom curriculums of other programs. In addition, Nursing Assistants are observed closely by Nursing staff regularly.

Nursing Assistants strive to successfully meet the needs of consumers. As Nursing Assistants continue to maintain such high workloads, complaints will continue to be filed. With the increased need for Nursing Assistants ongoing, the workloads will continue to increase as well.