Major venting about some CNA's

Nurses General Nursing

Published

First, let me say that I am not venting against all CNA's or even most...I've been one myself. I know how hard they work. I applaude the good ones.

My problem is the majority of the ones at where I work. They talk back, they leave people in messes...it's really making me mad. Just this morning, I told a CNA that was going to get my blood sugars at 5:30, to wait until at least 6:00 because I didn't feel comfortable giving insulin at 7:00 on a 5:30 accucheck. I had originally told her 6:30, but, after she explained to me that she couldn't at that time, I told her I would compromise and make it 6:00. (Sometimes our patients don't get their breakfast trays until almost 8:00 and 11-7 is responsible for the insulin at 7:00) She flat out refused. She told me that the boss said it was ok. I told her, she's not here right now, is she? You're working on MY license, not her's.

She told me no and went and got them at quarter of 6 in defiance.

I told the 'boss' when she came in, but, this is the same boss that let another CNA get away with telling me to 'shut the hell up', as well as, telling a patient to shut up. (Which is why the CNA told me to shut up...I was getting on to her for doing that)

I am so SICK of not being backed up when I tell a CNA to do something. I know I am just a little 'ole LPN at this time, but, I still expect the CNA's to do what I tell them.

I try to be fair. Like I said, I was a CNA, I know how hard the work can be....but, I didn't talk to my nurses any old way I feel, much less, tell them no when they told me to do something.

If the big bosses won't do anything, what am I to do? Go over their heads?

This is my last night tonight. I've done decided that the next place I work, I am not going to be so nice. I've got an interview tomorrow and I am going to explain to the administrator that I DEMAND back up. If I tell someone to do it, and, they snap off, I EXPECT there to be repercussions.

I hate to be so down and dirty, but, I had an spiritual experience a couple of weeks ago that made me see that every patient I come in contact with, is someone's loved one. I don't expect to see them laying in pee or dried food for hours. That is soooo undignified. :o If I don't take up for them, who will?

Any advice? Should I go to the ombudsman if the bosses won't do anything about these CNA's with an attitude?

I hope any CNA's that read this don't take offense. If you do your job honorable, I am not talking about you.

Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

Excuse my naivete, but what exactly IS an LVN?

the RN's where i work are spineless too. they let our cna's get away with everything from taking three or four cigarette breaks (i rarely even get one), to talking on the phone while their lights are going off and having someone else answer them. I spend most days driving home wondering if i signed off all my meds, treatments,ect. because i spent 3/4ths of my day answering lights while the cna's were off gossiping about another staff member or resident. We have had Charge RN's refuse to come to our unit, because they have no control over what is going on and aren't allowed to say anything to them. If one of us LPN's say anything to the CNA's, we are told that it isn't our place to tell them what their job is. but if it isn't done, we are the first to get our butts chewed out.

All i can say is if your heart isn't in it, then get out of it!!!

Specializes in LTC/Peds/ICU/PACU/CDI.
originally posted by gromit

excuse my naivete, but what exactly is an lvn?

lvn is licensed vocational nurse which is the same as lpn or licensed practical nurse. i believe lvn is used in ca & tx. some other states may also use lvn. i hope this helps - ciao moe.

LVN=Licensed Vocational Nurse

Same as LPN in my state.

Originally posted by rebelwaclause

"make-peace-not-war" nevertheless "spineless" :(

What we don't need in healthcare are war-time thinking people, please. Perhaps the RN's realize the waring nature of the CNA's and circumvent hostily by doing everything themselves, not to mention protecting their license. It sounds complex, but at no time is there a cause for war-like gestures amongst healthcare workers, C'mon! I know some people who think they are warriors and they ain't got no spine neither!:kiss

Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

Ok, thanks for the info (re: LVN). Evidently we don't use that particular level in FL. I'm a very detail-oriented person, and hate not knowing (grin).

Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

There is a lot of hostility here, in many posts concerning nurses and aids.

I was never formally trained as a CNA. I became an "NT" (described to me as 'Nurse Tech' or meaning someone at a CNA level but with extra training or 'priviledges' (we can start or pull IVs at the nurses' discretion, as well as Foley and straight caths, do NG care, and so forth), after getting through the Nursing FUNdamentals and GI portions of my RN program. Personally, I love the extra level of work -its a nice break from the routine (grin).)

I just wanted to speak of one point from my own experience:

I worked at a hospital on a medical floor (we got a bit of it all, but our primary was diabetics) where the nurse manager had a policy of only 1 cna for a load of 22pts, but once the shift began, (especially at night) if you went to capacity (24), you still had only 1. If you had several pts getting enemas, and had (what I used to call 'sequential $hiter$ because just as sure as you finished cleaning one, another would finish delivering a load). It goes w/o saying here, that it was (of course) my job to clean 'em, and keep 'em that way. I was also expected to do my 3 rounds of VS, accuchecks, and bathe at least 2 pts (yeah, wake 'em up and wash 'em), and get the I/Os done by the end of my shift.

3 nights in a row, I was the only CNA with 23pts, many of which were either total, or near total care. The last straw was when I was paged (repeatedly, even though I pressed the call button and informed the miscreant on the other end that I was 'elbow deep' in it and would need some time to finish first) that a patient had lost one of the monitor leads, and I had to go fix it.

This person even went to the point of walking up to me (in the pt. room) to tell me that I needed to hurry. When I finished, I went to the pt in question (which was literally 2 doors up from the nursing station). I have no doubt of the level of paperwork a nurse must do, but staffing is not MY job (nor do I have the power to affect it to a positive degree). It should be noted that this hospital had a fairly large attrition rate when it came to CNAs.

I also voted with my feet, and quit.

Much happier at my new facility :)

Originally posted by Gromit

sequential $hiter$

:rotfl: BWAAAHAAHAAHAHA!!! goood one!! :rotfl:

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by Gromit

I just wanted to speak of one point from my own experience:

I worked at a hospital on a medical floor (we got a bit of it all, but our primary was diabetics) where the nurse manager had a policy of only 1 cna for a load of 22pts, but once the shift began, (especially at night) if you went to capacity (24), you still had only 1. If you had several pts getting enemas, and had (what I used to call 'sequential $hiter$ because just as sure as you finished cleaning one, another would finish delivering a load). It goes w/o saying here, that it was (of course) my job to clean 'em, and keep 'em that way. I was also expected to do my 3 rounds of VS, accuchecks, and bathe at least 2 pts (yeah, wake 'em up and wash 'em), and get the I/Os done by the end of my shift.

3 nights in a row, I was the only CNA with 23pts, many of which were either total, or near total care. The last straw was when I was paged (repeatedly, even though I pressed the call button and informed the miscreant on the other end that I was 'elbow deep' in it and would need some time to finish first) that a patient had lost one of the monitor leads, and I had to go fix it.

This person even went to the point of walking up to me (in the pt. room) to tell me that I needed to hurry. When I finished, I went to the pt in question (which was literally 2 doors up from the nursing station). I have no doubt of the level of paperwork a nurse must do, but staffing is not MY job (nor do I have the power to affect it to a positive degree). It should be noted that this hospital had a fairly large attrition rate when it came to CNAs.

I also voted with my feet, and quit.

Much happier at my new facility :)

I think that a major contributing factor in most facilities is the patient load-some of the cnas that post here (Mandy and Flo for example) are given impossible assignments...It is difficult to compare acute to long term care-the cna's on my secure LTC unit have from 5 to 8 pts regularly on day shift and we often have resource aides to make beds and fill water pitchers and we have someone to transport our residents to pt.....Last ltc I left the day shift regularly had from 12 to 16 residents on days...Ridiculous....No way can everyone get even the minumum care in a timely fashion-so I left.....My complaint window is usually not open these days because I have seen the other side of the fence and I know that the grass there is brown and dead....In acute care we often had 2 aides for 40 beds with teams of RN's and LPN's-we divided up the assignments-the aides usually did most of the total care baths while we got the vitals and a.m. assessments and during this time could set up the folks that could bathe themselves...when breakfast came we went back and straightened up the area and served the meal.....Of course something always happened to throw us offcourse-like a darn code...Bottom line-all of us were out there on the floor seeing to the needs of the patients....as a team...I had one nurse in all of my career call me from the nurses station to tell me to give someone at the other end of the hall a bedpan while I was busy cleaning up a total care incontinent pt -when I told her that I was busy and could she do it she said " Do you want me to demean you?-I did not got to 4 yrs of college to wipe azz" whatever....That is really the only person I have worked with that had that kind of attitude-the rest of us worked together as agreat team...She did not stick around long....Sheesh-it's tough all over-we all are given a list of impossible things to accomplish every day...
Originally posted by mario_ragucci

What we don't need in healthcare are war-time thinking people, please. It sounds complex, but at no time is there a cause for war-like gestures amongst healthcare workers, C'mon! I know some people who think they are warriors and they ain't got no spine neither!:kiss

You'll have to elaborate on this...I have no idea what you're getting at with my quote.

Bottom line once again. Contact your local legislators to discuss staffing ratios. LTC is outdated from the 70's where most were ambulatory; now they live longer, are taking more medications and there is an increased dementia issue, which takes alot more time for care, passing meds, safety and dignity.

Blessings,

FYI re general info about CNA certificate in my State.

NO TRAINING IS NEEDED TO BECOME A CNA, No schooling, No in house training, No, Nothing, Nada. The requirements are that you must apply to take a test. It's 50 questions multiple choice. To take the test you need the money, the application, a statement of good moral character and that's it. NO TRAINING! Anyone with common sense can pass the test. So, in my State, it is totally possible that a CNA could be new, just took the test, and goes to work with absolutly ZERO experience in caring fo people. All the while that person is working under my license.

This does not make me feel safe, does it you? I'll take my own sugars, vitals, and I&O's, atleast until I have personally trained and tested the CNA re the procedure and I feel confident that the CNA knows what they're doing and why. Otherwise, I only let them do basic care and even then, I'm watching until I know this person is competent to do the tasks assigned. It is my professional license at stake and I refuse to let someone else put it a risk. I realize that this thread is about a different matter re CNA's but it is all I kept thinking about while reading the posts.

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