PCT/CNA not doing her job.

strengthcouragewisdm · Jun 17, 2009

I can relate to your woes in dealing with CNA's who don't do their job. On the unit where I work, when my shifts aren't cancelled, the CNA's will come in at 6:45am, and directly tell the nurses what tasks they will and won't do. The CNA's are very disrespectful to the nurses and the patients as well. I have complained to the unit manager, but she won't do anything and further asknowledges that there is a problem with them. On the weekends, the CNA's (all 4 of them) sit in the breakroom, eating their breakfast from about 7am-9am, while vital signs, accuchecks, weights, patients requiring assistance with meals or adl's go undone or delayed. One of my patients had been given golytely during the night shift, so you know how my morning/day went, all without the CNA's helping. I complained to the manager, and I was told well you gotta do what you gotta do to take care of your patients. Well since then, I don't say anything else, I just keep a record of events for future reference.

I am very attentive to all 6 of my patients, but when I have to stop and perfom the CNA's job then this makes it very difficult. On top of this, when the CNA's do accuchecks, and the values are critical, they don't inform the nurses immediately. However they make copies of their vital sign sheets and after they are finished with all of their vitals (which usually takes them 1 hour), then they place the copies on a table, which is already overloaded with with paper, etc. and expect you to know which are current. I have asked the CNA's to personally inform me of critical vital signs and accuchecks so that I may take appropitae actions, and they still won't. I have given up as the unit manager won't take action and most of the CNA's have been employees for years, and have gotton away with their behaviors for a long time.

Good luck!

branbran77 · Jun 26, 2009

I can relate to your woes in dealing with CNA's who don't do their job. On the unit where I work, when my shifts aren't cancelled, the CNA's will come in at 6:45am, and directly tell the nurses what tasks they will and won't do. The CNA's are very disrespectful to the nurses and the patients as well. I have complained to the unit manager, but she won't do anything and further asknowledges that there is a problem with them. On the weekends, the CNA's (all 4 of them) sit in the breakroom, eating their breakfast from about 7am-9am, while vital signs, accuchecks, weights, patients requiring assistance with meals or adl's go undone or delayed. One of my patients had been given golytely during the night shift, so you know how my morning/day went, all without the CNA's helping. I complained to the manager, and I was told well you gotta do what you gotta do to take care of your patients. Well since then, I don't say anything else, I just keep a record of events for future reference.
I am very attentive to all 6 of my patients, but when I have to stop and perfom the CNA's job then this makes it very difficult. On top of this, when the CNA's do accuchecks, and the values are critical, they don't inform the nurses immediately. However they make copies of their vital sign sheets and after they are finished with all of their vitals (which usually takes them 1 hour), then they place the copies on a table, which is already overloaded with with paper, etc. and expect you to know which are current. I have asked the CNA's to personally inform me of critical vital signs and accuchecks so that I may take appropitae actions, and they still won't. I have given up as the unit manager won't take action and most of the CNA's have been employees for years, and have gotton away with their behaviors for a long time.
Good luck!

As a CNA i know that im required to report ASAP to the nurse if i take vitals and they are abnormal..........tell them if they keep it up u will turn them into state for pt negelt......

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · Jun 26, 2009

I am a CNA and find that unacceptable. I don't care if you are a nurse for 10 minutes. Vital signs are vital signs -- if you, the nurse, tell me you need them, then I et my happy a$$ to the patient and get them.

I will say that next time don't let it go 1hr and 45mins. I know you are busy. Just say "hey got those vitals for me? If they say something like "they haven't get to them yet" just state matter of fact that "this is your priority".

No need to be awful about it just be clear and up front.

Frankly I would kick the CNAs booty.

We too must report vital signs out of normal range. We have been given specifics about this in writing.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 26, 2009

i'm a new nurse, been on the job for a little over two months now. i'm having an issue with one of the techs i work with. she is not doing her job. most recent incident ; she was supposed to get vital signs on our more critical pt's at a certain time.. and did not get them by one hour and 45 minutes past that time. one of the other nurses had to go in and get them herself... and yes, we were busy at the time. this tech also has a horrible attitude and work ethic. being a new nurse, i've bit my tongue.. but am not going to for long. would love advice on how other nurses would deal with this issue.
p.s. i've been a tech for nearly 20 years myself... so i do know how hard it is on that end as well.
thanks!

what, you work on my floor?? wait you said one tech is not doing her job... hmm.... maybe it is not my floor.. my floor has about four techs on nights that do not work... the bad shifts to work are the ones when most of them are working at the same time (for example, two of the four lazy ones are there for the entire shift and one lazy one comes in and floats). thus, we know what you mean.

in fact, the last rn meeting for my floor was regarding lazy techs.. it took up the agenda. some of them have worked here for so long they have dug in like ticks and will be hard to fire! the irony is that the laziest ones are the most vocal about trying to take pre-reqs to get into nursing school! i was a tech so i too am appalled by how some people are just out right lazy when i worked very very very hard and did not give attitude when i needed to do my job.

i have gotten a little more proactive to solve this problem. i have gotten back into the routine of doing stuff for myself now that my time management and skill set as a new grad has improved a great deal. however, i plan to document every time i am busy and a tech is not found or they are found in clusters gossiping rather then providing patient care. i noticed that other nurses are doing this so my list of grievances will add to the pile.

my last shift i waited for 15 minutes to perform a blood draw because a tech told me she needed blood from a picc line and would meet me in the room. not only did she never come by but when i tried to call her and the other lazy ones no one answered their phones or the call lights... nothing! so i did the blood draw my self.... 15 minutes in rn world translates to a big waste of time that could have been occupied doing something else that needs to be done. i rarely get a chance to sit down during a shift unless it is to look up something, call a doc, or do charting or chart checks so i am angered by these people picking and choosing tasks that she will perform or giving attitude because i broke them away from conversation!

my advice to you is if others on your floor seem to feel the same way about this aid or any others... be sure to start documenting behaviors and events so you can file a complaint or take it to your supervisor (whatever the protocol is on your floor). trust me, i am taking my own advice! :twocents:

southernbelle08 · Jun 27, 2009

First off, I would be firm in my requests. If you notice something isn't done, just give a firm reminder that you need XYZ. If that doesn't work, I would document times and events that happen and take them to your manager (or whoever). That type of behavior is unacceptable.

I am so very thankful that I work with WONDERFUL CNA's who honestly go above and beyond. We've only had one incident where a CNA didn't want to do her job, and that was resolved very quickly. It takes a team to run a floor, and if one person isn't in it, it throws everyone off. There are some battles I know I would want to pick, but VS on a critical patient isn't one of them. There is no question about that one.

Best of luck to you!!

AZMOMO2 · Jun 27, 2009

Someone needs to have an In-service meeting for the CNA's with a refresher on CNA responsibilities, include in that in-service the list from the BON of CNA's who's certification was revoked, denied and even suspended for neglect. In my list their were pages and pages of them.

No one wants to be the bad guy, but PT CARE comes first. CNA's like that seem to forget they aren't just "working" on your licence... they have their own certification to think about too... they can't get another job without it.

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2009

Someone needs to have an In-service meeting for the CNA's with a refresher on CNA responsibilities, include in that in-service the list from the BON of CNA's who's certification was revoked, denied and even suspended for neglect. In my list their were pages and pages of them.
No one wants to be the bad guy, but PT CARE comes first. CNA's like that seem to forget they aren't just "working" on your licence... they have their own certification to think about too... they can't get another job without it.

Your BON revoke CNA certifications??? Ours are managed by the state.

Godslady777 · Feb 12, 2012

I have been a nurse for almost 17 yrs and this yr I just moved to a small town and got a job at a small hospital. I have been there now for about 6 months. I have a problem with the CNA expecting the RN to do the turning and repositioning, and feeding patients. I have talked to the charge nurse about her the other day and in the CNAs defense the charge nurse told me that it is my job to do all cares of the patient not just meds and paperwork. I do help out with these cares when I have time but, usually it is so extremely busy that I barely have time to do the medications admissions, documentation and discharges as it is. If I said things about this at the hospital and now rumors are flying that I don't like to help the aides. The manager also supports that the nurse needs to be the one doing everything and it is her responsibility. It is like playing all areas on a baseball field by myself and if I pitch a ball and miss catching the pop fly in the outfield, I am the one looked at as in the wrong. All the other hospitals I have worked at I have been well liked by the staff and management and the CNA's did the work without me needing to do it or tell them to do it. I am so tired of this job already that I am looking for another job. They are not so readily available so I am nervous that I could lose my job and end up living in poverty.

I'm a new nurse, been on the job for a little over two months now. I'm having an issue with one of the techs I work with. She is NOT doing her job. Most recent incident ; she was supposed to get vital signs on our more critical pt's at a certain time.. and did not get them by one hour and 45 minutes past that time. One of the other nurses had to go in and get them herself... and YES, we were busy at the time. This tech also has a horrible attitude and work ethic. Being a new nurse, I've bit my tongue.. but am not going to for long. Would love advice on how other nurses would deal with this issue.

p.s. I've been a tech for nearly 20 years myself... so I DO know how hard it is on that end as well.

Thanks!