Hi everyone,
I'm a nursing student and have finished 1st year. I've been doing work over the last couple years, in PCA work both in nursing homes and more recently home and community care. I was hoping someone might be able to offer me some reassurance. I had a bad experience working as a PCA about 12months ago for an agency in high level care at a nursing home. I was spoken to very rudely by other staff, and yelled at for asking assistance to put a lady from a shower chair to an arm chair using a standing machine. I've always been taught in my studies that when using lifting machines, two staff members are required, they even have signs in the bathroom's at this workplace stating that, yet i was abused for asking for assistance. It put me in the sort of position where i felt as if i was darned if i did and darned if i didn't. If i didn't ask for assistance and something had happened, that would potentially be my nursing career down the drain, yet i don't feel i should have to put up with this treatment for asking. I also felt going to a high level care place like where i was at, it was my first shift doing agency work, and i was thrown completely into the deep end. Asked to shower residents that i'd never even seen before. So when i asked other staff qn's such as if these residents can walk and talk (as other nurses would know, important to know if you're goign to be showering theml, especially with dementia patients, like these were) i was again abused for asking and no one really told me anything. It was truely the worst shift i've had to do, and put me off doing agency work again.
However, a year later i've found myself in a situation of needing more work, and agency work being really the only casual work that i can come accross over the summer that's flexible. But i've got to admit, i'm a little scared to go back. Is anyone able to offer me some reassurance on this or has anyone had a similar situation? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I think agency work has the potential to be very good, I just have to get over the bad experience!
I look foward to hearing from whomever wants to add something. Thanks in advance for the help!
Rach.
