Our Least Favorite Visitors

We all know the frustration of walking into the facility and finding out State is supposedly coming in. Nobody likes having their work scrutinized, especially by unknown authority figures. It's one thing if the charge nurse or shift supervisor comes in while you're, say, operating a lift or giving a bed bath, but having a State inspector observe you is enough to make you wish you'd called in sick.

I've heard CNAs and nurses alike make statements such as "State is not your friend," "State is after your job," or "State goes out of their way to catch you doing something wrong," and I honestly think those kinds of comments are overreactions. Sure, if a State inspector sees you operating a lift without a partner or carrying a dirty brief with your bare hands, you're probably going to be in some trouble. However, if you're doing your job and sticking to your regulations, State is nothing to be afraid of.

Everyone in the medical field knows that it's impractical to go exactly by the book in every situation. When healthcare regulations are made, the people responsible for them are solely concerned with the resident's safety and dignity. They never account for potential scenarios in which the procedures are next to impossible to follow, for instance when a facility is understaffed or when an emergency takes time away from your normal routine. As long as your residents are safe and you allow them the privacy and dignity you would expect for your own loved ones, you're doing fine. Just take a little extra time to go by the book when you know State is around. Your charge nurse will understand if you're moving a little more slowly than usual.