What do nurses really think of CNAs?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been working as a CNA in a LTC facility for the past four years. I am posting on this forum, because I would like some feedback from nurses.

Recently at work, a survey was handed out to all the CNAs with a variety of different questions on it, to get our opinions on various job-related topics. We were encouraged to do this anonymously, so that Administration could get our true thoughts on these subject matters. After we all completed the survey and turned it in, the results were discussed with us in a meeting. If we chose to participate in a discussion, we could. If we chose to remain silent during the meeting, that was fine too. It was strictly voluntary.

One of the interesting things that I learned was an answer to one of the questions: "Do you think nurses appreciate CNAs?" The answer was an overwhelming "No".

But on the flip-side, the question was posed: "Do CNAs appreciate the nurses?" And the majority answered, "Yes".

I would like to get some nurses' opinions, on how they really feel about nursing assistants. I know that, at times, I have been belittled, spoken down to, been made to feel stupid, and referred to as: "Just a CNA", by some nurses. On the other hand, I have worked with some great nurses. They praised me on a good job done, and even helped me out, a time or two, when things were hectic.

Your TRUE opinion of nursing assistants, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Specializes in Geriatric and now peds!!!!.

I work in LTC on a unit with 46 patients. There are 2 nurses (myself and another lpn) and on 3-11 we have 4 cnas. Those cna's are a vital part of our team. Every night I tell each of them thank you for your hard work. That being said, I have had to have some not so good cna's work on our unit as floaters. These individuals would take vital signs and not notify the nurses of abnormals. Or they would wait until end of shift to let me know that Mr so and so had diarrhea or something else that I needed to know hours ago. There are good and bad in every profession, and for the most part I am fortunate to work with a good crew. My cna's know that I am not above answering call-lights, or changing residents. When time allows I help them feed residents that are unable to feed themselves. Their job is hard and the pay doesnt reflect their hard work and dedication to their job.

Wendy

LPN

Wendy

LPN

Specializes in PICU, Nurse Educator, Clinical Research.

When I worked as a CNA, I was in a hospital ICU. I was a nursing student, and needed the job for the health insurance coverage so I could have surgery. had i not been in a bind, there were MANY days I would've quit because of the way I was treated. I had one nurse who would page me REPEATEDLY while I was in a patient room (usually with at least one more nurse) to come and help her A&O patient to the BSC. I'd be helping these nurses turn and clean a 300 lb head injury pt with a ventricular drain, on a vent, totally unstable- and Miss Impatient would come and stand at the curtain, tapping her foot, until we were finished. Even if it took us 15 minutes. Yep, she could've taken said pt. to the toilet and back several times by that point. she just wanted me to do it because she was a former manager who hated poop. And she wanted to go out to smoke.

Another nurse on the same unit knew I had dachshunds- she did as well- and she gave me a very inexpensive dachshund watch for Christmas. I still tear up when I think about that. she always said thank you to me, and I would've moved mountains for her.

Then, when I worked as a nurse:

had a CNA who said she was too old to run around getting vitals all night. Period. Every other CNA did it, but she was 'too old'. She'd sit all night, talking to her buddies from other units about how old and tired they all were. She was never fired, because she'd been there for 20 years. If you had the misfortune of working with her, you had to assume you'd get no help with anything for the entire shift.

I also was a supervisor for a CNA who got thank-you notes from families every single week- literally. Residents would clap their hands when they found out she was working that shift. She knew every resident, nurse, CNA and housekeeper by name, and treated everyone with absolute respect at all times. She seemed to be able to be in six places at the same time. The mood of the entire facility improved as soon as she walked in the door. If I could, I would clone her.

As a patient:

One CNA came to my room every time she took a break and before she finished each shift to ask if I needed anything. If I needed pain meds and she answered the call light, she'd go look for my nurse- if she didn't find MY nurse, she'd look for another one- and while she was looking, she'd let me know, every few minutes, that she was still looking. I sent the unit manager a note after I left in praise of this wonderful CNA.

After my recent hip surgery, I'd been put in the bedside chair by the PT and fell asleep. A CNA came into my room and, while changing my bed, kicked my leg and stepped on my foot. When I yelped (this was how I woke up), she said, 'oh, is your foot sore?' um...I just had surgery on my hip, and you kicked my leg! YES! She said, 'well, you need to move so I can finish making your bed.' I couldn't move my leg, and asked her to release the foot brake to move the bed over. She said it was too much trouble, then left the room- leaving my call button out of reach, and my bed stripped.

Most of us have had wonderful- and really crappy- CNAs. The wonderful ones can transform the workplace and make EVERYONE happier. The crappy ones can make everything harder, and they can be dangerous. IMHO, I think the ratio of wonderful to cruddy CNAs would change dramatically if CNAs were paid a decent wage and treated with respect by other employees, patients, and families.

The same exact thing could be said for nurses.

So, I have a hard time giving my general opinion of CNAs. Their position is absolutely essential in some settings, and they can (and do) literally save lives. But I feel that you can't make any generalizations because various factors can allow terrible, dangerous employees (CNAs, nurses and docs alike) to keep their jobs, while fantastic ones burn out and leave. Thus, quality of work (and of character) varies wildly.

Specializes in Utilization Management.
:yeah: Boy, Rach, what a great post! So true!
Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.
i have been an stna for almost 9 years. all of the nurses i work with seem to praise me on how good of a job i do. i only have one rough spot in my area. the 2nd shift supervisor seems to like to give me the cold shoulder. i have never done anything to her and it just seems like i do nothing right in her eyes. i am only hopeing when i do become an lpn she will treat me with the same respect as I always treat her. any suggestions?
I really wouldnt worry about what the 2nd shift supervisor thinks of you.There are many people in the world you will come across,some will like you ,some you wont click with.Thats fine too.I feel that by being an stna,you will gain invaluable experience that will make you a wonderful nurse.I was a nurses aid(back in the day we didnt have to be certified)I know that made it easier for me when I became a nurse.You will gain confidence in knowing you are a good nurse.Take in as much knowlege as you can.and you will be fine with some of the people who occassionally give you the cold shoulder
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I respect CNAs. After all, they do the truly backbreaking, grueling work that only special people are capable of. Thank goodness for the CNAs across the nation, since they are the backbone of the healthcare facilities. I wouldn't be able to do my job adequately without CNAs.

Specializes in LTC.

I work in a LTC facility. And my CNA's kick some serious butt!!!!!! I would do just about anything for them. They're so good to the residents and to the families. I couldn't do my job without them. I can't say enough good things about them!!! They always go the extra mile and then some more. They make coming to work more enjoyable. We have a lively crew where I work. And they are truely the best!!!!!!!!!! MY CNA's ROCK!!!!!!

You sound like a great, caring CNA. In order to answer your question, I would like to tell you about a few of the CNAs that I had to supervise:

1. This CNA felt that because she worked overtime a lot, she had the right to pull a geri-chair into a semi-private, occupied patient's room and go to sleep for a couple of hours.

2. CNA #2 would put sunglasses on and "take a break" in the lounge, blanket and all.

3. CNA #3: in order to keep from having to change a big mess, diapered a patient with TWO diapers. The patient had a Foley cath. The diapers were on tightly enough to restrict the flow of the cath.

4. CNA #4: was in nursing school, therefore she thought she knew better than me and was constantly challenging my decisions and "reporting" me when I did not do what she thought I should. Because she spent her time at the desk gabbing or on her break smoking, I cannot count how many times I came in to find her patients soaking wet.

5. CNA #5: started out with a bang--she was awesome as a CNA. Her people were clean, her rooms were shining, she was kind and reported problems appropriately. But she burned out quickly working with CNAs 1, 2, and 3, and became very unreliable in attendance and hypercritical of everyone else.

6. CNA #6: was busy fooling around with another coworker, both of whom were married to different people. The spouses got together one night and there was a rumble--police included--in the parking lot of the facility. Administration fired both employees--and then hired them back 4 weeks later.

7. CNA #7: Came to work smelling of cologne and left work smelling of beer--pink slip in hand. Enough said.

Five of these CNAs worked in the same facility.

Shall I go on?

A better question is, if you were the supervisor of any of these CNAs, and it was your license on the line, and your duty to delegate tasks responsibly, how would you feel about having to work with them?

I've worked with some extremely wonderful CNAs, and I've also worked with the bottom of the heap. I've worked with CNAs who were happy to be a CNA and others who were too busy trying to second-guess and sabotage the nurses to be of much value to the patients they were supposed to serve.

Overall, I respect and like CNAs. I enjoy working with them and when I have a few minutes, I love teaching them new things. I try very hard to teach why nurses have to do things a certain way, and I encourage them to take their breaks and get enough rest. I have written some nice letters of recommendation for CNAs who were doing a good job; a couple of them got bonus checks because of what I wrote.

Could i be called CNA #8? I am a nursing student, and i am gonna reply to what you have written with great expertise...I do not leave patients wet for very long, I answer call bells, unless you are standing right in front of the room, and I accept delegation within reason. And I don't come to work drunk, usually. haha JK. NEVER.

First of all, as a CNA, we get paid next to nothing, usually. So how can you expect what you expect? I have worked with RN's who expect so much that it is impossible to get done what is expected...ya know, the type who have "meds to pass" but they run around the halls looking for those beneath them to wipe a butt...or fill a water pitcher...it's like, didn't they teach you time management in nursing school? Or common sense? You could have had that butt wiped or that pitcher filled TWICE in the time it took you to find me.

And then i've worked with RN's who say, "hey, when you get time, could you HELP me clean up Mr. Blah Blah? I know you are very busy, but I need to get these meds passed...When you are free, we can clean him up together." These usually are the RN's who have been CNA's in the past.

So my point is this: CNA's put up with a lot of crap, usually the majority of things that have a tendency to piss ppl off. For example, answering repetitive call bells of a client that is confused or demanding. "Sorry, meds need passed" is not an excuse. In conclusion, I do not feel that patient abuse (such as leaving a patient wet, leaving a call bell ring, etc.) is acceptable, but I DO feel that every RN should be a CNA first. Point made.

Delegation is often abused, and especially in a long term care environment.

Sorry but I left Med Surg to do ICU/CCU primary care due to CNA's with bad attitudes. They would berate you if you did not speak spanish or understand their accent the first time they spoke. I was told I should speak Spanish because I live in California....what?:chuckle

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
Could i be called CNA #8? I am a nursing student, and i am gonna reply to what you have written with great expertise...I do not leave patients wet for very long, I answer call bells, unless you are standing right in front of the room, and I accept delegation within reason. And I don't come to work drunk, usually. haha JK. NEVER.

First of all, as a CNA, we get paid next to nothing, usually. So how can you expect what you expect? I have worked with RN's who expect so much that it is impossible to get done what is expected...ya know, the type who have "meds to pass" but they run around the halls looking for those beneath them to wipe a butt...or fill a water pitcher...it's like, didn't they teach you time management in nursing school? Or common sense? You could have had that butt wiped or that pitcher filled TWICE in the time it took you to find me.

And then i've worked with RN's who say, "hey, when you get time, could you HELP me clean up Mr. Blah Blah? I know you are very busy, but I need to get these meds passed...When you are free, we can clean him up together." These usually are the RN's who have been CNA's in the past.

So my point is this: CNA's put up with a lot of crap, usually the majority of things that have a tendency to piss ppl off. For example, answering repetitive call bells of a client that is confused or demanding. "Sorry, meds need passed" is not an excuse. In conclusion, I do not feel that patient abuse (such as leaving a patient wet, leaving a call bell ring, etc.) is acceptable, but I DO feel that every RN should be a CNA first. Point made.

Delegation is often abused, and especially in a long term care environment.

I work with aides (usually not certified, which is why I'm not using "CNA") who are underpaid, and also with some who shouldn't be paid at all. I have a great deal of respect for those who respect themselves and their duties, but not much for those who don't. I do believe that when you accept a position, you are told at the time what the pay will be, and if you accept the pay, you ought to do the job.

I agree that passing meds is no excuse. I don't NEED an excuse! Passing meds is a time-sensitive task that only a nurse can do, and if it looks easy, just wait until it's your turn. Every night, from 2130 to 2230, I have a boatload of meds to pass, and often water pitchers to fill so people can take their meds, and sometimes an extra blanket or pillow to fetch, or a patient not doing well, or a scheduled dressing change.

I have interrupted my med passes to change a soiled patient because the aide was too busy totalling Is&Os. When I can, I try to arrange it so the ABTs and other "serious" meds get done timely, and if I have to let colace and pepsid slide a little late, that's okay, sort of. I've had several lols tell me they were uncomfortable, at first, having a male put them on and off a bedpan, but it was a lot better than waiting half-an-hour for the aide. I have had nights I didn't even know who my aide was, since I never saw him/her.

And I've had aides who have made a bad night bearable, or a good night fun. I've been really proud when an aide I like to work with said she was glad I was her nurse. I've asked aides (who used to do our blood draws, but are no longer allowed to, per admin) to help me find a vein when I had a difficult stick. I've seen aides I've badgered to get their butts into nursing school because they're too talented to work for $8/hr, and I've seen aides (including a couple of nursing students) who had no business anywhere near healthcare, because they just didn't give a crap.

As Rach observed, you just can't generalize.

Could i be called CNA #8? I am a nursing student, and i am gonna reply to what you have written with great expertise...I do not leave patients wet for very long, I answer call bells, unless you are standing right in front of the room, and I accept delegation within reason. And I don't come to work drunk, usually. haha JK. NEVER.

First of all, as a CNA, we get paid next to nothing, usually. So how can you expect what you expect? I have worked with RN's who expect so much that it is impossible to get done what is expected...ya know, the type who have "meds to pass" but they run around the halls looking for those beneath them to wipe a butt...or fill a water pitcher...it's like, didn't they teach you time management in nursing school? Or common sense? You could have had that butt wiped or that pitcher filled TWICE in the time it took you to find me.

And then i've worked with RN's who say, "hey, when you get time, could you HELP me clean up Mr. Blah Blah? I know you are very busy, but I need to get these meds passed...When you are free, we can clean him up together." These usually are the RN's who have been CNA's in the past.

So my point is this: CNA's put up with a lot of crap, usually the majority of things that have a tendency to piss ppl off. For example, answering repetitive call bells of a client that is confused or demanding. "Sorry, meds need passed" is not an excuse. In conclusion, I do not feel that patient abuse (such as leaving a patient wet, leaving a call bell ring, etc.) is acceptable, but I DO feel that every RN should be a CNA first. Point made.

Delegation is often abused, and especially in a long term care environment.

Sorry, Brad, but 'meds need passed' IS a valid reason. At the LTCF that I just left (yippee) I got 1 CNA at nite - the two I worked with most of the time were saints, but there was one guy that was a dud. I had major issues with him from the beginning, so the answer, instead of getting rid of him, was to schedule him so that I never had to work with him.

He would whine that the nurses never helped him - well, when I worked with him, he had no idea how much I did - when he was on rounds, I answered all the other lites, and on my med pass when I first started, it was taking me FOREVER because I would stop and take people to the BR, get them this and that. But you can be sure that he got HIS breaks. Then I was told to STOP doing so much of this, and get the meds done.

Medications are timed, and need to be passed within a certain time frame. Another thing I see is that 'nurses don't do anything, just sit on their butts' all nite. Nope - we have unbelievable charting to do. Sometimes it seems never-ending. There have been a few times lately that I've wanted to throw it all on the floor, get up, and be a CNA for awhile.

And while CNA's do a lot of physical things, nurses have to be involved in a lot of mental things that you may not know about.

I can't believe you've gone very far into your training or done much clinical time or you would have known all these things.

The two CNA's that I worked with that were great, I treated as contemporaries, because they understood HOW it went, and we worked as a team. And I knew if they came to get me during a med pass, it was important!!

I have been working as a CNA in a LTC facility for the past four years. I am posting on this forum, because I would like some feedback from nurses.

Recently at work, a survey was handed out to all the CNAs with a variety of different questions on it, to get our opinions on various job-related topics. We were encouraged to do this anonymously, so that Administration could get our true thoughts on these subject matters. After we all completed the survey and turned it in, the results were discussed with us in a meeting. If we chose to participate in a discussion, we could. If we chose to remain silent during the meeting, that was fine too. It was strictly voluntary.

One of the interesting things that I learned was an answer to one of the questions: "Do you think nurses appreciate CNAs?" The answer was an overwhelming "No".

But on the flip-side, the question was posed: "Do CNAs appreciate the nurses?" And the majority answered, "Yes".

I would like to get some nurses' opinions, on how they really feel about nursing assistants. I know that, at times, I have been belittled, spoken down to, been made to feel stupid, and referred to as: "Just a CNA", by some nurses. On the other hand, I have worked with some great nurses. They praised me on a good job done, and even helped me out, a time or two, when things were hectic.

Your TRUE opinion of nursing assistants, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

could not do my job without them!! i get along with most of my cna's ( there are a few who dont do thier job and hence i have to get on them and they dont like that) i help them when i can and they help me a lot. they are my eyes and ears for people who may be getting sick - i do feel that they are underutilized in some aspects - they love to help and put the ointments on and help me out but management says they are not good enough - i train them on how to put them on and they do fine!! i do see a lot of nurses who dont appreciate them - dont even say thank you at the end of the shift and that is unfortuanate. any nurse who belittles the cna's should just have to work an hour without one- theyd see things sin a whole differnet light. thanks for being a cna - in my opinion you are the most important part of teh facility when it comes to caring fo rthe residents.

I will be starting in 2 days as a CNA and I am looking very much forward to it. I have waited a long time to do this and love the thought of helping out other people who need assistance. I was afraid of how nurses would view me and am glad to hear if i do good I will probably be accepted by them thank you.

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