Just need to put this out there. (venting)

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

For anyone who is deciding on becoming a CNA.. PLEASE do not go into a CNA class with a horrible attitude especially during clinicals. We have a girl in our class right now, she is 8 months pregnant so our instructor takes pity on her and she gets away with literally doing NOTHING in clinicals. Not only that, but she has a HORRIBLE attitude, not with everyone mind you, just with me and this girl I have become close with in class and we're normally very quiet and easy going people.

This all started when we visited a facility to do whirlpools for most of the morning. The pregnant one had to use the bathroom so I figured I would follow her as I had to use it too and didn't know where it was. Immediately she spun around and says "Are you going to follow me in there!?!" I kindly said, "No, I was following because I didn't know where the bathroom was." Then she just rolled her eyes and went in. Then when it was time to give baths, guess what she was doing the ENTIRE time? Sitting in a chair pulling stray hairs out of her head (She does this in class all day too.) then gets mad when our instructor says, "Can you come over here and wash his hair?" She has said other rude comments to me as well and undermines me in class when the instructor isn't around.

It came down to me and my friend having to report her yesterday. She was originally in the Alzheimer unit helping up there because they can do things for themselves they just need to be reminded. Well she got lonely up there so she wanted to be down in the Gardens with us (I don't know why cause she acts like she hates doing ANYTHING). So, she was in the shower room helping my friend and another girl with a patient. The patient was a ceiling lift and needed to be toileted. This patient was totally with it, and she has a specific routine, she will tell you what she needs, how to do it, when to do it, etc.

Anyways, So the pregnant girl was in the room with my friend and another girl from class and continuously rolled her eyes the whole time she was in there IN FRONT OF THE PATIENT mind you. My friend was putting the lift pad on the patient and needed help, she kindly asked the pregnant girl to come help her, and the pregnant one threw her hands on her hips, threw her head back and screams, "I don't know what you're asking me to do!!" then rolls her eyes and sighs and begins acting like a teenager. My friend then said no more, got someone from the hall to come help and (this is the funny part) the patient turns to the pregnant girl and says "Didn't they teach you how to use a lift in class?" Next thing my friend knew the pregnant girl had left the room.

She wasn't going to report her until I talked to her at lunch about having a problem with this certain girl when we were waiting for our instructor to join us in the Lounge for a class session. This Alzheimer patient wandered in, looked at the pregnant girl and said "What's your name?" So she looks at me and says, "He's talking to you." She totally ignored him and I said, "He's looking straight at you, you can't see him?" So the patient walked back out and she says in a smart ass voice "What's the matter, you afraid of the little old man?" Then said something else when I said a comment about something the instructor was talking about during our session but I wont get into that. So we decided the best thing to do was report her actions because it was really getting out of hand. We reported her after lunch and our instructor told her she was in the wrong. So she runs back to the girl who was in there with her and told her she suspected we had reported her cause she saw us talking to our instructor in the hallway. So this girl that was in the room when it all happened (She's all buddy buddy with the pregnant girl) went back to my friend and said "Did you say something to the instructor about what happened?" My friend said "No we were talking about something totally different with her." So the instructor comes back to my friend and tells her, "Well I talked to her, she looked like she was about to cry." So my friend shrugged and said "Well she shouldn't act like that in front of a patient."

After we were done for the day, my instructor went in to talk to the patient who was involved and luckily the patient was on our side, and told my teacher about the whole issue so maybe she'll keep a close eye on this one girl from now on.

Long story short. If you are looking to go into this business, please do not go in with an immature attitude. Not only is it rude to your fellow CNA's but it's demeaning and rude to the patients and you will not get far with a sour face.

Please understand,

It doesn't bother me as much that she was rude with me except for the fact that usually when someone is consistently rude and immature to you on a daily basis, they will act like that toward patients and I DO NOT want a poor image bestowed upon our class because of this one student. That's why I reported her. I didn't report her for my own benefit but for the benefit of the entire class and the patients we are taking care of. I don't care how she treats me, I know it doesn't matter what line of work you work in, there are going to be rude co-workers BUT the patients shouldn't have to suffer being degraded and dealing with immature behavior. They've got enough on their plate.

Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

Oh boy.

Students that get so invovled in what other students are doing....need to be redirected to focus on PATIENT CARE and learning their RCPs (resident care procedures). If another student is bored in the Alzheimer's unit, who are you to care if she explores other areas of the facility?

Your instructor should be the one worried about what was going on with the girl, not you. I will separate students who are unable to stay focused on the residents.

You can only control your behavior. You are responsible for you, your instructor is responsible for all of you. After you tell her, its ultimately up to her. A lot of different backgrounds come into CNA classes, a lot get weeded out. Just try to enjoy your clinicals while you can ok? Pick someone that doesn't get any visitors and visit with them, give great oral care, back rubs and just spoil them with love ok?

The real blessing to rotating through clinicals is less of a work load and responsiblity all the while getting to enjoy caring for people that need you.

Just tell your instructor and let her handle it ok? Who really cares about the petty comments she makes? Ignore them.

As far as talking to the Alzheimer's patient, either one of you two could have said hello.

Don't worry too much....this pregnant girl with the bad attitude will be lucky to pass her final exam. And if she is lucky enough to that she will need to find a job. I'm guessing her interview skills wont be that great, and if she is lucky to land a job it wont last long when she realizes what she is expected to be doing. Being a care giver is NOT for everyone.[/quote']

The trick with people who have bad attitudes is that they can be charming to those in positions of power, while being a monster to others on the same level as them. They will endear themselves to the higher ups and that will make management less likely to believe what people have to say against them.

The trick with people who have bad attitudes is that they can be charming to those in positions of power, while being a monster to others on the same level as them. They will endear themselves to the higher ups and that will make management less likely to believe what people have to say against them.

This is so true. I work with someone lime this but I would also add that eventually people like this get caught just like serial killers eventually get caught. They become arrogant in their belief that no one will catch them in their poor behavior and they slip up. Thankfully, the person who does this at my job just put in her two weeks notice. It shorts our staff but it definitely makes it a more bearable place to work. I don't try to out these people as they do a good job of doing themselves.

The trick with people who have bad attitudes is that they can be charming to those in positions of power, while being a monster to others on the same level as them. They will endear themselves to the higher ups and that will make management less likely to believe what people have to say against them.

And that is an example of more like sociopathic behavior more so than other posts on AN. I kid, of course, but that's what I thought when I read it.

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

what about the kid?

the poor child is subjected to this

before being born

Wow what a brat!!! I don't know why young girls get into cna work if they are doing it for anything other than to really make a difference in these elderly lives!! You have to think it must be embarassing and frustrating as it is for these older people to actually need help! Some of these people at one time I'm sure took care of their whole family! And now have some snooty snot faced young girl making them feel worse ? makes me sad

what about the kid?

the poor child is subjected to this

before being born

That's what i'm afraid of... we were talking about neonates in class the week before vacation and our instructor asked this girl if she ever talked to her baby. And the girl said "No." I was thinking to myself... "You don't talk to your baby...? Wow..." I didn't say anything out loud though. Makes me think of what kind of mother she's going to become. No father in the picture and she'll be moving to California to live with a friend who has three kids of her own after she graduates. Oh well, not my problem. I do feel sorry for the kid though.

That's what i'm afraid of... we were talking about neonates in class the week before vacation and our instructor asked this girl if she ever talked to her baby. And the girl said "No." I was thinking to myself... "You don't talk to your baby...? Wow..." I didn't say anything out loud though. Makes me think of what kind of mother she's going to become. No father in the picture and she'll be moving to California to live with a friend who has three kids of her own after she graduates. Oh well not my problem. I do feel sorry for the kid though.[/quote']

.....you are upset that your classmate is not talking to her unborn child??????

I'm sure you must have better things to think about.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

That's what i'm afraid of... we were talking about neonates in class the week before vacation and our instructor asked this girl if she ever talked to her baby. And the girl said "No." I was thinking to myself... "You don't talk to your baby...? Wow..." I didn't say anything out loud though. Makes me think of what kind of mother she's going to become. No father in the picture and she'll be moving to California to live with a friend who has three kids of her own after she graduates. Oh well, not my problem. I do feel sorry for the kid though.

Oh geez. Way to be judgmental. Some women have a difficult time connecting with their child until it is born and in their arms. Some also don't really connect for days after birth. Doesn't make them bad mothers, especially in the long run.

It's the fact that she acts like a total B AND has an awful attitude ALL THE TIME that makes me question her motherly abilities. Plus, I thought expecting mothers talked to their stomachs at least a little bit. I wouldn't know I don't have any kids. I didn't mean to upset anyone. If I did I apologize.

It's the fact that she acts like a total B AND has an awful attitude ALL THE TIME that makes me question her motherly abilities. Plus I thought expecting mothers talked to their stomachs at least a little bit. I wouldn't know I don't have any kids. I didn't mean to upset anyone. If I did I apologize.[/quote']

Just seems like if she is in a CNA class then she probably doesn't have a career making her very much money so I'm sure that's completely stressing her out. Then she has to stand on her feet to learn skills in class, stand on her feet in clinical and carry an extra 30 pounds of fluid and baby around with her. She probably gets home to enormous feet. Meanwhile, someone is asking her if she's talking to her belly....I think I would be a ***** too :(

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