RN's forced to do CNA work

Nurses New Nurse

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I am a new nurse and was wondering if this is a standard practice. When my floor needs to use a CNA to sit with a patient, they often have an RN take on the CNA's job for that shift. The RN no longer does any RN work for that shift, they only do what the CNA would do. Their pay stays the same but their duties change for that shift.

I have great respect for CNA's. They have an essential and very hard job, but I don't want to be one. That's not what I went to school for. Is this a normal practice?

Specializes in Neuro ICU/Trauma/Emergency.

Well, you should have the more critical eye in comparison to the CNA. The only thing that sets you apart from a CNA is your Nurse Practice Acts gives you more leverage in patient care. So, there is no such thing as "CNA work". You are simply following the CNA's flow sheet.

I'm sorry, but to hear new grads say "CNA work" or older nurses, it urks me.!

Some nurses don't want anything to do with hands on care such as taking a resident to the toilet or giving a bed bath. I enjoy helping with these things as it gives me more time with the patients. Not only can I use this time to assess them, but to get to know them better as a person. I work in LTC, and I will say that I no longer could take an entire assignment as a CNA, especially on the busier halls. I physically just can't do it anymore. Good CNAs are worth their weight in gold, and I never let them forget that!

Not usually but in times of emergency, it does happen. I've worked as the LVN, the tech, and the sitter: it depends on what the needs of the unit are and what the priority is. Patient safety always come first.

It's also better to keep the RN free and tie the CNA to sitting...because should there be a crisis, the RN who is "CNA for a day" can act as a RN if needed; though the CNA is capable of doing a lot, they are unable to assume all RN duties. Also, a sitter is a 1:1 job, so should there be a code/incident on the floor, in most facilities the sitter will be unable to leave their post to help.

Thank you for explaining the rationals behind the duty switches!

This explains the OP's question really well and provides insight beyond the "it's ok, that happens sometimes" line.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

When I was a supervisor for a union facility there was no mandatory cancel when census dropped....So.....to adapt to census we would cancel the CNA's , unit secretaries and the RN's performed those duties. If the RN wanted to be canceled she could stay home if they all refused we started canceling UAP's and the RN worked/

So, Yes it happens. It's not the best use of resources but if it is necessary for the needs of the a patient and unit....absolutely.

As a preemptive, reminder....we can all agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

1 Votes
Specializes in ICU.

Again, some people are only reading a portion of what the OP is saying and taking it out of context.I completely get it. She has no problems wiping a butt or answering a call bell as an RN. But she would rather not have the duties of her professional title stripped of her. I personally wouldn't mind sitting a 1:1 and not have to worry about my RN duties for one night, but I get it. Plus, it is a horrible use of resources. But that isn't even the point. The Misreading of intent on this site has gotten awful.

1 Votes
Again, some people are only reading a portion of what the OP is saying and taking it out of context.I completely get it. She has no problems wiping a butt or answering a call bell as an RN. But she would rather not have the duties of her professional title stripped of her. I personally wouldn't mind sitting a 1:1 and not have to worry about my RN duties for one night, but I get it. Plus, it is a horrible use of resources. But that isn't even the point. The Misreading of intent on this site has gotten awful.

"They would do what a CNA would do" is a pretty broad statement. What does that mean? Answer call bells? Personal care? Getting someone up? Sounds to me like the RN just doesn't have an assignment. If a patient calls and says "I am in pain" an RN could assess, speak to the primary nurse, then medicate if indicated. If the RN truly is only doing "CNA duties" then it would entail saying, OK, let me get your nurse, finding said nurse and saying "room 334 is in pain" and letting the primary nurse take it from there--which is not the wisest choice, as regardless of assignment, an RN is held at a higher standard of care than a CNA, therefore, could be available to a number of patients, for a number of tasks. I get that it is hard work tending to the personal care needs of patients--it takes a special kind of person to be a CNA and to be a good CNA. But I was a bit taken aback by "I didn't go to school to do this" kind of statements. What will happen when this person works in a hospital that doesn't have CNA's? No one is stripping her of her professional title. But they are asking her to not take an assignment and float to help and be an extra set of hands. Because there's no CNA on the floor, that could entail some personal care and call bell answering.

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
Seems like a foolish waste of resources.

Frankly, if this is how they're going to divvy up staff, I'D offer to sit with the 1:1 patient and have the CNA do her job as normal. Seems you should get your preference, if you're not going to be functioning as an RN that shift, what YOU'D like to do: sit with patient or be floor CNA.

There were times as a floor nurse I would've KILLED to sit with a 1:1 patient instead of running a full patient assignment!

NO doubt!!

It's not as bad as taking an agency RN on the night shift making 60+ bucks an hour and having them sit on monitors for the shift. Now that is a waste of resources.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
It's not as bad as taking an agency RN on the night shift making 60+ bucks an hour and having them sit on monitors for the shift. Now that is a waste of resources.

If your facility has signed a no cancel contract with the agency they get paid whether or not they work.....might as well have them doing something.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Rehabilitation.

I agree with the nurses who say that this is ok to do, by having a nurse on the floor as a nursing assistant instead of nurse when there is needed staff and no NA or CNA whatever you want to call it. They are right, you have to start with the basics. In nursing school the first thing we learned was basics that a nursing assistant would do such as vitals, bathing, feeding, dressing, hygiene etc. This is just as big a part of care as all the big stuff that only nurses get to do.

I was what was called a nurse technician and worked in trauma SICU. I learned the basics of being both a nurse tech(nursing assistant) and what it takes to be a good nurse, know why? Because in trauma we all worked together. Nurses would help us and we would help them. Changing a patient who had voided or had a bm could be a 3 or 4 person job because of the condition of the patient. Bathing was also done with both nurses and nurse techs. Point being? We all worked together. When I was sent to MICU they were excited to have a tech because they never had one, I actually felt the floor was a little boring to be at because every time I asked a nurse if they needed help they would say they didn't because they were used to working without a tech. They were even better at team work then the floor I was on.

Furthermore here in my state LPN's are desperate in seeking jobs. No one will hire without experience. So I did the only thing I could. I worked in a Acute Rehab hospital where I worked with LPN's who were there before they stopped hiring them and I worked with nurses who were new graduates that had less experience then me. I had to work as a nursing assistant for 9 months. I was kept from performing any nursing duties, though some nurses would let me do what I was licensed to do, but that was once in a blue moon. The work was fine, there were still things I learned that I did not know. I was able to work with kids which is my passion. I just hated not being able use my skills, though that didn't keep me from not using my knowledge, nor my compassion for working with people. My patient's loved me, and you can bet they knew I was a licensed nurse even if I couldn't be their nurse. I did bathing, feeding, and all that good stuff you are complaining about and I did it well without complaining even if I was a trained nurse I never looked down upon my fellow CNA's, nor did I ever think I was too good. I needed to work and I needed to work in the field I loved and at the time this was my only option with the economy and the way no one is hiring LPN's.

Now I am a 1:1 nurse with the school system. I take care of children with special needs and do diabetic monitoring. Guess what I am responsible for? Everything. I help the student with feeding, oral care, hygiene, changing the child who is incontinent. All this plus what you call actual nursing care.

Nursing is tough and I admit it is not fair when there isn't enough staff and nurses are taken off the floor to things that are what they call below them, but get over it, roll with the punches, or find another career because I was taught right from my school. I was taught that you are never too good to change a patient, help feed a patient, give a patient a bath or any other ADL's you might be responsible for.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Hospice and Dialysis.

I only asked people if what I was seeing was normal. All the negative and hateful remarks surprised me. I know I am trained to do the "CNA work". Yes, I called it "CNA work". I took a job on a unit that has CNA's. I was never told I would need to do "CNA work" for an entire shift several times a month. I don't mind doing everything they do during the course of my day doing "RN work". I understand that's part of the RN's job. I don't want to do "CNA work" all day long. I don't consider myself better than the CNA. CNA's have a very hard job and are not paid enough to do it. I have a great deal of respect for them, but I don't want to do their job. I am also qualified to sweep the floor and do maintenance work. I don't want that job either. As a second career nurse, I am qualified to do a great many things. I chose to be an RN. I want to do what RN's do on a daily basis. That's what I went to school to learn. If I wanted to do the CNA's job, I would have saved a lot of money and time and gotten a CNA job instead of going to college.

For those of you who answered my inquiry without harsh remarks, thank you. Your input is appreciated.

1 Votes
Specializes in ICU.
Even though we have aids,our charge nurse will still answer bells, toilet and shower patients and clean up code browns.

All of the above, plus put the rubbish out and clean the floor (itu sister)

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