When "my CNAs are my eyes and ears. That is why I love them" can be used as an excuse

allnurses Guide · Sep 30, 2016

You're title says "used as an excuse". I'm not sure what you mean, but I interpret that as a nurse missing something important with a patient, and then blaming the aide for it because the nurse 100% expected the aide to be their "eyes and ears". Is that correct?

While there are aides I do trust, I wouldn't rely on them to take the place of my own eyes and ears. When I think of aides as being "the eyes and ears of the nurse", I take that to mean they'll let me know if something's off in between the times I'm able to see my patient myself. They are not a replacement for my own assessment or responsibility.

Not sure if this answers your question, but I'm not entirely sure what you mean? Do you have an example?

Edit: I reread your post. Okay, maybe not about blaming the aides for lack of a nurse's own assessment, but rather being lazy (?) about it because they rely on the aides too much? Not good either.

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 30, 2016

The nurse has ultimate responsibility regardless of what the CNA reported or not. This is why it is sometimes hard to be dependent on CNAs to tell you certain things or fulfill tasks because they might forget, or neglect to do something, or not do it for hours.

Sour Lemon · Sep 30, 2016

When should a CNA not be a RNs eyes and ears? Can a RN depend on cnas to be their eyes and ears too much?

I absolutely keep track of my own patients and do my own assessments. I do believe that CNAs have a duty to report anything grossly abnormal to me, though ...like a sky-high blood pressure that they've taken and I won't know about until they tell me (or I see it in the charting sometime later, which can take hours).

DesiDani · Sep 30, 2016

That's right Hygiene Queen.

(Gelling in)

Some RN do in fact only look at the patient when the CNA tells them there is a problem.

(Gelling out)

AJJKRN · Sep 30, 2016

When I worked as a float CNA at an ECF for three years while in nursing school, I was the nurses "eyes and ears".

Mainly because there were either way too damn many pts for not enough staff or the nurses and other CNAs were too damn lazy to notice pt changes and my personal work ethic and values did not allow me the same entitlements...this is why I don't believe I will ever work in an ECF during my nursing career ever!