[night owl]

Well, they ought to know better, but that hole in their head....
We had a nurse who''s been there for over 20 years. worked the night tour for 10 of them. Always said," If I can't sleep, neither can they." Got the supervior position. Came to the unit one night. The other nurse I was working with said to her, "Come on, I'll take you around and show you all the sleeping staff." Super waved her hand and shook her head "no" and got on the elevator and left. Now that's what I call being a supervisor with a hole in her head! They get to sorta the top and they shove it under the rug and just don't want to hear about it. Sad isn't it? Especially when they've been there and know all about it. They just don't want to deal with it and they don't want to make waves. So if you can't handle the job and the problems that it entails, why have it at all? They aren't "making a difference," they're making matters worse by letting these folks get away with it and sweeeeping it under that infamous rug. I give up. So what is a good supervior do then sjoe? Maybe I'll do it.

[MandyInMS]

Guess this is a problem wherever ya live :/ I don't have a problem delegating to a cna personally..mainly, which I point out to them, because I'm not asking anything of them that I wouldn't do myself if time permitted..and most of the cna's KNOW this..yes, I've had poop up to my elbows too...no, it was not fun..but, it has to be done..plain and simple...I've encountered a few attitudes, but not many...I mean come onnnnn we are all adults and we SHOULD know our job descriptions...thank heavens I have a great supervisor that backs me in times of need..she knows I'm a fair person and would never 'abuse' authority in any way.That's sad when nobody has your back...don't think I could work without that support......best of luck PhePhe (((hugzzzzz)))

[PhePhe]

You know, I have heard nurses aides say that the nurse HAS to help, and just because they are an RN doesn't mean they don't have to do patient care anymore. Yes, nurses are supposed to help, but they have other duties that the nurses aides do not. The nurses aides do not have to pass meds, check charts, do treatments, accuchecks, IV /IV meds etc. So why is a nurse supposed to do half the nurses aide job plus all the other professional duties? The acuity is so much higher now than it used to be, whether hospital or LTC facility. This logic doen't make sense.
Why can't the nurses aide get another nurses aide to help, when the other one is not busy? Why do they have to "wait" for the nurse? In my opinion this is done on purpose, as I have heard many NAs talk about the "nurse who thinks she's too good for patient care".
I used to be an NA, and I worked with the other NAs to get the job done, when the RN was busy. We wouldn't dare be insubordinant to the RN, by saying "no" to requests that are within the NA job description.

[Gator,SN]

These Nursing assistants should have my old boss......

My Job description was outlined very clearly in a list of duties to be performed daily. #'s 1-35 addressed these issues.

#36 stated: Any other duties requested/assigned to the nursing asistant by the nursing staff that he/she is able to perform.

There was no mistake about what I was expected to do at work...ever!

Gator

[MandyInMS]

There is no reason the cna's can't work together...and "NO" is not an option in my book...do the job or go home...that is just unreal!!! I mean, could I just come to work and only pass the meds on the pts I 'felt' like doing? only deal with the 'good' pts and neglect the more pesty ones? not call a MD because I wasn't in the mood?not chart on a more critical pt/check their charts for new orders cuz' I didn't have my supper yet?I think not.

[Disablednurse]

The thing about it that makes me so mad is that they are told upon being hired what their job duties will be. If they do not want to do that, then don't take the job. I know they gave me a detailed job description and I have read theirs. If you don't like the job description go to McDonalds and sell hamburgers.

[ktwlpn]

I think that the field draws the type of people that it does simply because of the pay and the relative lack of training need ...Around here if you have no other skills working as a cna can earn you a living wage.I have worked with people totally lacking any couth or social skills-don't get me wrong-I know some awesome nursing assistants..and many others with no respect for themselves or others and low self esteem.Some hardly know how to have a polite conversation with a co-worker and they do NOT want to get along.They like to call attention to themselves and do that by causing friction on the unit It is scary that some of these people are entrusted with caring for helpless patients-often unable to speak for themselves or defend themselves.We have to really monitor their activities very closely-as well we should because ultimately we are responsible for the resident's well-being...I walked into the lounge today to eat my lunch at 2 pm-long after the aide's breaks were over-and the whole staff of 6 were sitting in there-we have a 44 bed secure unit....I really felt like throwing a FIT but I restrained myself...This crew b*tches and moans every day-they think they need more help...They have plenty of time to sit around IMHO...When they start tomorrow AM I will remind them of what happened this afternoon....It is SOOO frustrating....Everyone is so darned worried that they will have to do a little bit more work then the next person.....

[sweetbaby]

Leadership training would help a lot. I used to float at the LTC facility and was "bossed" around by the NA. Well guess what now I am the perm nurse on that unit and with the same NA who remember me green. The first few weeks were dificult, now we work very well together as a team to care for our Alzheimers residents. The facility has had many changes in managment, our DON has worked hard with the nursing staff to sort out the rif raf, including some nurses who let the NA get away with "everything"
With a lot of restructering of the nursing dept. the power to the nurses has been returned. Now our title of Charge Nurse really means we are in charge.

[allscrubs]

I do not know where to even start with this subject. I can start by saying I am a NA right know and start my core classes this fall for my BSN. It sounds as though you are putting a lot of blame on NA's and management. aren't you written these NA's up? Its not always the NA for turnover for nurses that is a pathetic excuse. Being that I will be able to see both views, I have seen some really terriable nurses and terriable NA's. You all know what are job duties are upon hiring. If your heart is not in it, get out. And I agree the patients are the ones that suffer from this. Nurses complain about all the work they have to do and there pay, well look at the NA's salary? Up their training and their pay, we might find good people to become an NA. But that is not the reason Nurses have such a high turnover! Its also how you approach people and make them feel a part of the team, you lead by example. Anyone in nursing should get payed more then what we do, because we do, do a lot. But take that up with your state legislation.

[moonshadeau]

I can't say that I find this to be too much of a problem for me. But I have witnessed it once with another nurse.

I was standing outside the patient's room charting a PICC dressing change. The nurse was inside, tending the patient. The nurse aide was outside the door when the doc came along. The doc started asking how the patient was, how is B/P was, etc... The aide was actually answering and the doc was listening. I have nothing against aides interacting with docs, but in this particular situation the aide really stepped outside of the bounds. I said to the doc, "the nurse is in there, she can tell you how the patient is doing." The nurse was very easygoing in nature, and I don't think she would have said anything.