The majority of CNA’s and nursing staff work hard to provide quality care to their patients. However, as with any profession there is always a bad apple in the bunch. As a result of the bad apples, the whole CNA profession sometimes suffers a bad rap from consumer complaints, and the focus stays on the negative rather then giving credit where it is due and recognizing good staff and professionals for their performance.

In addition to bad apples, often CNA’s work a very busy schedule; have many patients to care for, and little time to do it. This results in care being done quickly and the loss of the personal touch that is often the persona of most Certified Nursing Assistants. High demands on these aide’s causes them to have to hurry through the bathing and dressing of patients which is often a complaint by consumers.

Sometimes effective care is simply listening to the most basic request given by residence who often have lost the majority of their independence. The freedom to simply walk to the bathroom, make a phone call or write a letter is often challenging to the long term resident and requires some assistance. It is easy for CNA’s to get side tracked or forget if there work load is too heavy and they are forced to rush through the day to complete shift demands. However, since these simply requests are important to the patient, it is very important that Nursing Assistants follow through with them.

Like most people, residents don't like to be kept waiting. They sometimes forget they are not the only patient. Certified nursing assistants can quickly get behind schedule if there is a medical emergency, a shortage in staff, or their service is requested by nursing staff for an urgent project. Assisting a disoriented patient is more important then helping another make a phone call.

Sometimes patients have filed complaints against CNA’s regarding their conversations that patients overheard while thought to be asleep. Nursing assistants should never discuss a patient with a staff member or family member in a manner that makes the patient feel they are not in the room. Health care providers must carefully choose their words even when they think a patient is incoherent or asleep.

Certified Nursing Assistants work hard to do an effective job of meeting the needs of residents and their families as well as nursing staff. As long as CNA’s have heavy work loads consumer complaints will continue to be filed.