CNA's eating their young too!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

I just got a job at LTC as a CNA. Right now I'm doing orientation and I've been working on the same floor for the past couple of days. I'm the youngest CNA there (I'm 19). On my first day everyone thought I was a student and treated me fairly nice but once they found out I was actually going to be working there as a CNA they started being mean to me. I'm a nice a person and I try to get along with people but their attitudes are starting to make me hate the job. I try not to get mad and be rude to them like they are to me because I know if I ever need help with something I would have to ask them for help. I finished my clinical in 2012 and this is my first job since getting my certificate so I don't remember everything 100% but I remember the basics and some other things as well. I wanted to use my orientation time to re-learn things I forgot and the way they do things at the facility so that when I do start I could do my job well. For orientation I follow one of the CNAs and help them as well as watching to see how things are done. The CNA I worked with the past couple of days is nice and helpful but she floats so she will not be there all the time for me to work with her. The other CNAs are rude to me so I think I wont be able to learn everything and it gets frustrating having to deal with their attitudes (I hear them talking about me and laughing). Any advice?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Welcome to being a CNA. I cant deal with ****** girls so I have always worked overnight. Don't let them get to you and kill them with kindness. Don't overwhelm yourself and focus on your tasks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in home health, developmental disabilities.

Yup nursing home drama. High school petty bs. You can ignore it and do your work or find a new plae. I ou lasted two months at a place because of this stuff. It happens a many places but I found a assisted living facility where all the staff I work with is so nice. Much happier now, good luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Even if you had finished your cert recently, it would still be overwhelming. Just do the best you can, and find buddies on every shift to help each other out. I wish I could say there was a simple solution. ((hugs))

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Long term care.

Think of it this way:

You have a ton of stuff to do and not nearly enough time to do it. Now you have a new, inexperienced co-worker who doesn't know the routine, and needs to learn how to do a few things....and you, as the "senior" aide, have to teach them....and you just don't have the TIME for it. It's frustrating because you don't have enough time to do your own stuff and now you have to help the new girl.

It doesn't make it right, but that is likely the reason for the rude behavior. It's tough working in LTC!

Try to do what you can, as best as you can.

When you need help with a transfer, have everything ready (have resident changed, sling under them and hoyer in the room, etc)

before asking for help.

If you have 5 minutes, go help a coworker instead of hanging out in the hallway..

Ignore rude behavior and refuse to participate in it.

Eventually you will no longer be the new girl and will fit right in...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Im praying for you! Hopefully your Co-Workers will have a change of heart!;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Uggggg, cna bs. I hated that. My only advice is to remember to be professional at all times, and to help out other newbies. Never take shortcuts if it is about safety of your residents. And drink plenty of water!!!!! Those hot rooms dry you out!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Memory Care, Med-Surg.

I'm sorry you have to deal with this- it is definitely frustrating but like others have said, unfortunately, it seems to exist at many facilities. I have had 3 cna jobs (just started most recent a couple months ago) and have faced co-workers like this at all 3 jobs. Being the new person in a job can be brutal. At all of my jobs, there have been times where I have wanted to quit on the spot during the beginning, but I remind myself that I am there because I truly love caring for the residents/patients and I am not going to let other people scare me away from working in my dream career field. Honestly there have been days where I have just told myself to get through this one shift and then I can quit if I really need to, but by the end of the night, a positive interaction with a patient/resident has always helped me feel better. The best advice I can give is to be extremely nice to your co-workers. Believe me, I know how hard that can be. However, there is a high level of turnover at many health care facilities, especially in LTC and I believe some staff just get burned out and don't want to become friends with new staff until they "prove" that they can handle the job. It definitely makes it difficult for the new staff though. Being new, I tried to work hard, ask questions, "prove" that I am a good team-player by offering to do some of the more unpleasant tasks. If I am unsure of how to do something and nervous about asking the staff, I would try to compliment something I noticed they do well, for example: "You work so well with x resident when she becomes agitated, can you give me some advice?" When I felt comfortable with the residents routines and cares, I would make sure I did all of my tasks and then ask the other Cnas what I can help them with or clean/stock supplies. Basically just being super friendly even when people were not friendly to me and putting 100 percent effort into my job to show how committed I was helped me make friends at work when I started out feeling less than welcome. There have been a couple times where just being nice hasn't worked and I have literally said to the other cna "look I get it that working with a new person isn't fun. I'm doing my best to learn the routine here; please let me know if I should be doing something differently or if you need help." Surpringly simply saying this to a cna I had been warned "hated new staff" totally turned her attitude towards me around. Anyway, I hope your situation improves. It sucks that Cnas "eat their young" but if you can at least try to get through the first couple months then it might get better. If not, then maybe try another nursing home, assisted living, or hospital in your area. If nothing else, at least experiences like this will remind us to treat future new co-workers how we wish we had been treated. Good luck!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment