[smores]

[pink dolphin]

I have found that my techs or PCA's where I work have been a blessing from above. I make sure that if I need frequent vitals I remind them every so often, oh by the way did you remember to get the vitals for Mrs. so and so. I believe that if you have a mutual respect that makes a big difference. I have no hesitation if I'm asked to helpout with a boost, etc. And I will usually make it clear that if you need any help, let me know. Also, I will explain certain things, if there's a remrk made about what the big deal is for daily wts, etc. I will take a few seconds to explain the reasoning behind the chore. When someone understands why it is being done, they are more likely to comply with it. Also remember that they are busy also with their work, and maybe consider doing rounds together once a shift. You can go in the room, have an extra hand to turn the pt while you check their sacrum and listen to their lungs. While your in their you change the brief, or whatever, while you're assessing pt, Pca can get vitals, change trash, etc. And then you can move on to the ext pt room. Then when you sit down to chart, all of your pt are repositioned and comfy, and it will be easier for the PCA to answer call lights and keep up with other things.

[AR_RN]

OK, I'm one of those "worst" CNAs (in the words of an early poster) because I'm a tech who is also a nursing student. I started out wanting to be POed and defensive, but really I can't. There's a lot of truth to the things said here. *However*.... I do have some thoughts I must share.

1. I am a #$%# good CNA and will do all in my power to assist you and to make my patients as comfortable, safe and healthy as possible. DO NOT automatically lump me in with that lazy, useless one you had to work with yesterday just because I have the same job title.

2. I will never intentionally or knowingly overstep my bounds as a CNA, in spite of or because of my nursing school knowledge. If I do, please immediately straighten me out in whatever way necessary. And any CNA that does so regularly is dangerous to his/her patients and is in the wrong job.

3. As someone else pointed out, respect must be earned, but if you will treat me with respect and courtesy, I will do the same for you. This does not mean you have to be overbearing or pushy or bossy. And just as there are nurses that simply are mean or rude people, there are CNAs that are that way too. Some people you just can't do anything about. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

4. I'm certain that as a CNA I do not fully understand the scope of your job. If I did, your job wouldn't require all that time in school. That gives me no right to assume you aren't doing it. However, your not seeing me for a few minutes also does not give you the right to assume that I'm not working. Today I spent nearly an hour in one person's room. Trust me, it was necessary...she had it 85 degrees in there, I wasn't there for my health. But I was doing what was necessary to care for her. So please don't assume I was hiding from you or otherwise trying to shirk my other duties.

5. Just as you're busy, I also have a list of things to do that will likely take me all shift. I don't mind being asked to do additional or supplemental tasks that will assist you with caring for the patients, but please don't ask me to spend half and hour tracking down a piece of equipment to test a patient and then act annoyed when I finally find you to give you the result. If it's not important enough for you to know the result, was it really the best use of my time?

I could go on, but I'd better not. I'll just finish by reiterating that there are bad CNAs who see it as a rotten job they're stuck in and doing because they think they have no other option. I get angriest when I'm lumped in with them as useless by nurses (or other medical personnel), who tend not to want to acknowledge that there are also rotten nurses (and other medical personnel) out there. However, I've recently changed to a new job at a hospital and I have to say that I have yet to run into a nurse that treated me poorly, and I'll bust my tail for any one of them. I consider myself lucky.

[Jessgurl723]

I was a CNA before a nurse as well, and through nursing school. The biggest complaint I constantly hear is that "all the nurses are just sitting on there butts staring at the computer screen, while Im busting my butt". I tried to patiently explain to them before I graduated that a huge part of a nurses job is charting!! If you didnt chart it, you didnt do it?!?!?! But thats just it... while many nurses can relate to CNA's they cant relate to nurses because they dont have the same focus/goals. Which is fine... thats why there is a difference of pay, initials ect... But anyway, point being that I find a lot that if you just take a minute to point out to them that Im not just sitting on my butt staring at the computer Im doing a very important aspect of my job but as soon as I finish this patient I will come help "you" if needed. Or give me a second to save this charting and I will be there. I work nights and we frequently have one aide or tech to 22 patients on a med surg floor.. as an old CNA who frequently worked alone with 24 tele patients I can relate to the frustrations. I will never be the nurse who WALKS OUT OF THE PATIENT ROOM TO GO DOWN THE HALL TO FIND THE NA TO ASK THEM TO PUT THEIR PATIENT IN THE ROOM THEY JUST LEFT ON A BEDPAN!!!

[cityhawk]

Seeing some of these postings reaffirms that I love my floor. I work as a PCA while finishing my accelerated BSN nursing program. I've got one semester to go. As such, I have a great deal of knowledge that some long-time PCA's may not have. Still, scope of practice is what it is, and I would never overstep mine. I can, however, use my brain and my assessment skills, which can be of great help to the nurses in addition to my muscles. I also know that I still have a lot to learn. My nurse colleagues are great at showing and explaining stuff to me.

We have 19 beds on our floor, and I frequently work the evening shift and am usually the only PCA on duty when I do. During the day shift, we usually have two.

I have always been treated with respect by the nurses on my unit, and usually am thanked profusely at the end of the shift by at least one nurse. I am also sure to thank the nurses for helping me out with patients whose care may have been assigned to me, but I was detained in another patient's room for an extended period or whatever. I can't speak for the feelings of the other PCA's on the unit, but I feel like I'm treated with respect and appreciation by the nurses (and most of the patients).

[RobinCNA]

This is for Weird RN, I received my CNA certification in Oct 07, and I am currently working for Extra Care which is a part of Hospice, and I would like to tell you that my focus when I'm caring for a patient is NOT a paycheck and putting food on the table. I really care about these people and I'm eager to learn more . Besides in case you didn't know CNA's aren't exactly on the top of the pay scale.
I hope to be working in a hospital some day, and I only hope that all the nurses are not like you. I am also planning on going on to get my nursing degree and I will remember where I started.
Try saying Thank You once in awhile and show a little appreciation it will go a long way.
Also don't just assume that your aides know how to do something, you may have to take a minute and explain, I know I have tons to learn.

[bubbles64]

We have a similar problem here in Australia. We have Division one nurses and Division two nurses both are registered by Nurses Board however different education.
Division One nurse attends University and has a degree, Division Two nurse attends a course through a college (usually twelve months)
The Division Two nurse where I work is not able to give medications as we are not a medication endorsed hospital.
I'm a Charge Nurse and quite often have to do the meds for the Div two nurse, not a problem I like to do it and if i'm really busy the other Div one nurses chip in and help, however we have a few (and growing) Div 2 nurses who you can never find extend breaks instead of 10 mins for afternoon tea it is half an hour, when you are really busy and would like their help they have disappeared or we have the ones who think they can do what a Div one does and taks out I.V cannual's without checking, administering some meds and with attitude when you question them they become defensive however it is my job and my registration on the line as I'm the charge nurse.
I do have a couple of Div 2 nurse's I work with and look forward to it as they are great with patient care and help with other things when I'm trying to do their meds and to those girls thanks to the others get off your butt and help.

[mummyof3]

ok I think I should of spoken sooner in this thread but I didnt. I was a CNA for awhile and now am a nurse. One question I had as a CNA was...... If a nurse just called you into a patients room to change a diaper, which your doing then why in the midst of doing so would they call you into a room they just left for vitals. How hard would it have been to gran a machine and do them yourself it doesn't take now more than 3 minutes if that. I help the CNA's out because i was there before and i worked with some real slave drivers. And to be honest i get up ti 8 patients at night and still am able to assist them. When I worked as a CNA I did it for the care of the patients not the check list as someone previously said. I enjoyed helping people so much that is the only reason why I stayed.

[k1968mm]

I really appreciate those of you who have a positive atitude towards your CNAs, Techs, and NAs. I can't thank you enough for your input. I wish there were more like you.
As I've stated before I am very lucky to work with a team like mine. Of course it isn't always great because no one is perfect, but for the most part my nurses are really good with getting along with us.
We deal with a lot of stroke victims at my unit (Neurovascular) and I couldn't imagine trying to help a patient to the comode whose left or right side is pretty much dead weight, alone. We also admit a lot of med/surg patients when the hospital is full, and our nurses are very aware that we need help from time to time to get the job done. I do my best to help my nurses too in whatever they need. Sometimes it is the little things that count. For example, when we draw all the blood for lab we are supposed to turn the master labels in for the nurses. After awhile I noticed that the nurses had to hunt for these labels, scattered all over the station, in order to stick them on the patient's care notes. I then asked one of them if she would like for me to place the label on the notes myself. Her response was "You bet! you'd be saving me precious time".
The point is, we help each other so the job can be done and everyone can go home on time. When we work as a team things flow a whole lot better. Many times my coworkers (regardless of rank) call me mother hen, because I often ask them "Have you eaten anything tonight?" Like I said, I will do everything in my power to work well with my nurses. We all work in a very stressful environment and we have to look out for each other. When I train newbies I tell them right away "Get along with your nurses well and try to learn how each and everyone of them likes to have things done".
Again, much love to those of you who appreciate us for what we do :-)

[Warpster]

Yeah, I've seen this sort of misunderstanding and friction. However, I've been in both sets of shoes and I handled it quite differently.

I always assumed the aides I worked with were there because they wanted to help people. They certainly could have made better wages working in banks or answering phones in corporate offices. If there was any confusion about duplicated vitals, I'd explain that I needed to do a set myself before some drugs were given, not that I didn't trust theirs. It was part of my job to confirm them.

As for leaving the floor, this was rarely an issue at night because there was noplace to go to, except out to the smoking area. Yes, I asked them to tell me when they'd be off the floor and yes, they did.

Aides can make or break a floor. Good aides deserved and got my full support and respect for their abilities and opinions. There were times during emergencies that I had to brush them off, but I always tried to answer their questions once the emergency was over.

A lot of those aides over the years went through school and reappeared as LVNs or RNs. I was always glad to see the good ones return in whatever capacity.

However, the idiot who D/Cd the INTs would have found herself off the unit propelled by the front third of my right shoe the first time she did it without an order to. I'd rather run a floor with no aide than with a bad aide.