I [23F] am a nursing assistant at a nursing home and I can no longer handle one of the residents [70sF]

This resident is abusive.
Next time she is abusive if you can safely leave her in the room then do so. Do you have any control over the order of patients you care for? If you do I would say "MrsX you're being abusive so I'll come back when you're ready to be kind." and skip to the next patient and come back to her. If she refuses to cooperate for the lift say "MrsX the only way you're getting out is with this lift. I'll come back when you're ready to cooperate" and then move onto the next patient and then come back. And if the nurses give you any hassle for wasting time leaving and coming back to her just remind them how much time you waste fluffing her pillows and you're trying to train her to be cooperative in a safe, controlled manner without neglecting her needs. And if she's like this to you she's likely the same way with other people to start until she realizes that they won't take her abuse. Don't offer to send someone else because that's maybe what she wants - she wants to control and to "win". You just have to endure and hopefully like a wild horse, you can cut down on the number of outbursts.
If she's still being abusive find the nurse in charge and say "MrsX is being abusive and I need another team member to assist" It's not that you couldn't get her out of bed - it's that she refuses to cooperate.

And then - IGNORE her. As best you can. Give yourself a running commentary on how much this lady is hating everything you're doing for her in the third person even - "Ohhh MrsX just HATES it when YourName comes to get her out of bed. Oh MrsX is just feeling real nasty todays towards YourName about the pillows. Oh YourName can never get these dang pillows right for MrsX. MrsX is just so miserable today my goodness." Validate her feelings, and her feelings might soften. How would you deal with an ornery toddler? Whatever that would be try it on MrsX.

This is not about your value or abilities or skill - MrsX feels small and helpless and vulnerable and is taking that out on you by being abusive. The nurses are not going to go out of their way to provide care for this women - their job is to be sure she receives her medication and is breathing. It is your job to provide comfort, but it's the patients job to accept your comfort. You are providing the comfort, she's just refusing to take it. That's not about you, that's about her. You are doing the best you can for this patient so please do not be upset with yourself.

/r/relationships Thread