I interviewed Mrs. Robin, a nurse at The Oaks. She is a registered nurse, and has worked in multiple healthcare settings.
1. What is the biggest problem in healthcare?
- There are not enough people to work.
I agree because I see a lot of conflict between nurses and most of that is due to the fact that one thinks they work harder than the other so on and so on. Also, without enough nurses, patients do not get the proper care they need, which is a huge problem in healthcare.
2. What is one way that we could improve our assisted living facilities?
- Assisted living facilities need better staffing and better pay, especially for CNAs.
I agree. Even if a facility has enough people to work, those individuals are extremely overworked. Also, Robin pointed out that CNAs have the most physically demanding job, but they are paid the least amount of money. That seems unfair. If the CNAs (and other nurses as well) get paid better, there will be more nurses in the nursing field; both problems would be solved.
3. Would you put your parents or a loved one in an assisted living facility?
- Yes, I would put my loved one into an assisted living facility because someone like me would be there to take care of them. I would want a skilled person to take care of me.
I disagree. Although nursing homes are a great resource, I desire to keep my loved ones out of a nursing home as much as I possibly can. I am here to love and respect them. If they took care of me while I could do nothing for them in return, then I should at least do the same.
4. Would you prefer to put your loved one in an assisted living facility or have hospice care come to your loved ones home?
- I would rather have my loved one put into an assisted living facility.
I would rather have hospice come to my loved one’s house.
5. Do the nurses in assisted living facilities respect the CNAs? Could they do better?
- Generally, most nurses do not respect the CNAs.
I agree. CNAs have a difficult job too, and nurses do not need to boss them around all the time.
6. Are the assisted living facilities underhanded or are the nurses just lazy?
- The assisted living facilities are underhanded.
I do believe that assisted living facilities are underhanded, but at the same time, I see many nurses who seem lazy. Part of that, I believe, has to do with teamwork (“if she won’t do this than neither will I…”)
7. Is there good enough communication between the nursing staff? (Especially when shifts change.)
- In the system, everyone must work as a team. If everyone works as a team, rather than pointing fingers the communication will be evident and beneficial.
I am not normally around when shifts change, but as far as I have noticed, communication seems to be good.
8. Do most nurses actually care for the residents or are they just interested in earning money?
- They do care for the residents. If they did not care for the residents, they would not be in the healthcare field.
I agree. Some definitely care more than others. Some have different ways of caring. (eg. one person may give them their pills, chart and call it a day. Others may go the extra mile and may pause from giving pills to dance with a patient.) Overall, nurses care for the residents.
9. For the benefit of the resident, is it okay to break the rules? (ex: leaving medicine in their room or letting the CNA give them their medicine.)
- It is never okay to break the rules.
I agree. The rules are there for a reason, so do not break them.
10. What is the biggest problem in assisted living?
- More workers are needed.
I believe many problems are present in assisted living, but I do believe that the underlying cause is understaffing.
- There are not enough people to work.
I agree because I see a lot of conflict between nurses and most of that is due to the fact that one thinks they work harder than the other so on and so on. Also, without enough nurses, patients do not get the proper care they need, which is a huge problem in healthcare.
2. What is one way that we could improve our assisted living facilities?
- Assisted living facilities need better staffing and better pay, especially for CNAs.
I agree. Even if a facility has enough people to work, those individuals are extremely overworked. Also, Robin pointed out that CNAs have the most physically demanding job, but they are paid the least amount of money. That seems unfair. If the CNAs (and other nurses as well) get paid better, there will be more nurses in the nursing field; both problems would be solved.
3. Would you put your parents or a loved one in an assisted living facility?
- Yes, I would put my loved one into an assisted living facility because someone like me would be there to take care of them. I would want a skilled person to take care of me.
I disagree. Although nursing homes are a great resource, I desire to keep my loved ones out of a nursing home as much as I possibly can. I am here to love and respect them. If they took care of me while I could do nothing for them in return, then I should at least do the same.
4. Would you prefer to put your loved one in an assisted living facility or have hospice care come to your loved ones home?
- I would rather have my loved one put into an assisted living facility.
I would rather have hospice come to my loved one’s house.
5. Do the nurses in assisted living facilities respect the CNAs? Could they do better?
- Generally, most nurses do not respect the CNAs.
I agree. CNAs have a difficult job too, and nurses do not need to boss them around all the time.
6. Are the assisted living facilities underhanded or are the nurses just lazy?
- The assisted living facilities are underhanded.
I do believe that assisted living facilities are underhanded, but at the same time, I see many nurses who seem lazy. Part of that, I believe, has to do with teamwork (“if she won’t do this than neither will I…”)
7. Is there good enough communication between the nursing staff? (Especially when shifts change.)
- In the system, everyone must work as a team. If everyone works as a team, rather than pointing fingers the communication will be evident and beneficial.
I am not normally around when shifts change, but as far as I have noticed, communication seems to be good.
8. Do most nurses actually care for the residents or are they just interested in earning money?
- They do care for the residents. If they did not care for the residents, they would not be in the healthcare field.
I agree. Some definitely care more than others. Some have different ways of caring. (eg. one person may give them their pills, chart and call it a day. Others may go the extra mile and may pause from giving pills to dance with a patient.) Overall, nurses care for the residents.
9. For the benefit of the resident, is it okay to break the rules? (ex: leaving medicine in their room or letting the CNA give them their medicine.)
- It is never okay to break the rules.
I agree. The rules are there for a reason, so do not break them.
10. What is the biggest problem in assisted living?
- More workers are needed.
I believe many problems are present in assisted living, but I do believe that the underlying cause is understaffing.