Re: How to get your CNA's respect
I treat the techs with respect. I don't talk down to them or treat them as inferiors. I use the words "please" and "thank you" often. I don't dictate to them how to do their jobs and I don't micromanage, but I do keep track of things.
I'm upfront about what I need from them every shift, and I ask them what they need from me. If one's doing something wrong or not doing something, I'll tell them quietly, not shriek it at them. I tell them to steer me right if I'm the one doing something wrong/not doing it. If there's a problem, we try to work it out without resorting to write-ups or reporting to the supervisor, and we almost always do.
I don't automatically dump every single grunt-work task on the them (I can easily go get a patient a towel if I happen to be going that way), and if they're swamped and I'm not (yes, that does happpen), I'll pitch in and help out with a task or three. After all, as the nurse I'm the one ultimately responsible for everything getting done
Also, I won't hesitate to listen to the advice a tech who's been around a lot longer than I am (meaning most of them), instead of automatically pulling the "I'm a nurse and you're not!" card and tuning them out.
It didn't happen overnight--it took several weeks of consistency on my part, but now most of the techs like to see me when I come onto their floor to work, because they know how I am and how I treat them. And I think that because of how I am, most of the techs have been nothing short of fantastic to me when I need them the most
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