difficult co-workers

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Does anyone else have a problem with .subordinates who do not follow instructions and/or give misleading information.I am not confrontational by nature and desire a peaceful harmonious workplaceThere is 1 cna who has suddenly donned the mantel of rn and is disinclined to listen to instructins and is becoming quite vocal about it.Others also decide what orders they will follow.I am not the only one to have this difficulty.What do others do if they have found themselves in this position.Rns who have worked at this facility longer than I have say that they have the same problem.We have new management so am hoping the culture of the place may change.Any suggestions would be much appreciated.Thanks.

Specializes in geriatrics-LTC/clinics/med surg/psych.

:monkeydance: I've seen so many poor examples of cna's, It's insane!!!:madface: I worked as an aide(home health/group homes) prior to getting my lvn license. I never thought of ignoring the nurses or patients. I got tired of heavy lifting and diaper changes, but I knew that it was part of the job description. Now that I'm a nurse some aides think that they don't have to take vital signs, answer call lights, give showers, etc... I've seen aides sit around talking while the call lights buzz for 10 minutes. I gave an aide a list of pt.'s who need vital signs taken and when I came back 30 min. later she was talking with the other aide about her weekend/next smoking break:nono: and the list was "moved" to the side where I do my charting. She then said "Do you need me to take the vital signs?" I should have told her " I need you to get off your lazy butt and get to work!!":lol2: I don't have any expectations when it comes to aides. The other night I was working a night shift at a rural ltc facility(agency assignment), and the aides (1 m/1 f )were giving each other back massages instead of checking in on the patients:uhoh3: Another time a male aide decided he didnt want to answer a certain pt.'s call light anymore, so he walked by me and stated " I'm thru with her" and preceded to sit down in the break room. The other aides didn't answer her call light either( EXCUSE- It ain't my hall!!!) I had to stop charting/ giving meds to answer her calls for asst. the rest of the shift. I'm sorry if the cna's on this site may feel offended(I appreciate aides that give excellent pt. care), but there's too many horrible aides out there, and they're contributing to the poor quality of care. If ya don't like what ya do---QUIT!! Stop comparing yourselves to nurses--you're not!!!

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Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..

Good post,niteshiftlvn07! I am so fed up with carers who moan about some aspects of the job they think they shouldn't be doing:banghead: They seem to think they are there to sit and hold the residents hand. They sit and chat amongst themselves for ages grudgingly doing their hourly checks and,if you check behind them you find that call bells are not plugged in or alarm mats put out.:angryfire You tell them again and again but sometimes it's easier training a dog!When I am on with a really good team of carers I just feel the tension slip away as I know that the work load will be done and that my work load will be my work and not everyone else's.Management are informed but hey,it's just the night shift so nothing much gets done about it.If they have to dismiss carers then ,of course ,they have the hassle of finding more staff so we get left with incompetant staff long after they would have been dismissed if they worked days. Any guesses as to how long before burnout(mine)!

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I have very little problem with the staff I work with - I consider us to be a team - we each just have different positions on that team.

My problem is with the CNA's on the shift following - the day CNA's. They come in every morning, and there is a certain group of them that hang at the desk for 10 to 15 minutes complaining about everything, instead of getting to work. Since our shifts overlap, I have to listen to this garbage - and I've grown very weary with it.

Another thing they aren't supposed to do is be IN the nurses station - they have NO reason to be - the books they chart in are available to them elsewhere. But it seems like every morning I have to move around that certain bunch of them as they're IN the station, doing whatever.

The other morning I had my charts spread out to chart - and got up for a minute to go to the med room - and came back to find 3 of them sitting at my desk, they had papers spread around, and were going to 'rewrite' their assignments.

Now, keep in mind - I seldom raise my voice, or swear, or rant and rave - I simply said "Girls, out of the nurses station, now." Well, I heard one of them telling the other how RUDE that was as they were going off down the hall - which is where they should have been going in the first place. If they thought they hurt my feelings they were dead wrong - I'd love to show them what RUDE really is - but that's not professional.

A couple of mornings after that, one of the same group was standing there complaining (she's pregnant) that the facility won't let her be on 'light duty'. They've told her if she is unable to do the job, that she'll have to take a leave. I told her that 'light duty' is generally reserved for people that have gotten hurt on the job and it's a Workman's comp thing. The facility already has two CNA's on light duty.

She doesn't care, she says - it's not FAAIIIR! It's discrimination, she says. I told her "So, sue the facility!" :uhoh3: She walked down the hall and told one of my CNA's that I was the meanest person!!:rotfl: The thing is, this chick is married, her husband has a job - no one forced her to get pregnant - a lot of us have dealt with the same situation.

This morning, I went around to every day CNA that comes in, gets their assignment, and goes directly to work - and told them that I thought that was an admirable quality & to keep it up.

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Wow!How disrespesctful!Where I work if the STNA refuses to do as told,they are automatically wrote up for refusing.As for cell phones,they are not aloud to be on at all.

I couldn't imagine speaking to my nurse that way!I am an STNA and I have the utmost respect for my nurses and I hope to be one some day.

Good Luck to all of you and remember not all STNA's are disrespectful.:icon_hug:

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Specializes in Women's Health, L&D,hi risk OB.
Nightcrawler, we must have the same co-workers. We have a serious problems at my wo Lastly, some of these techs happen to be a minority so you know what that means. That management is afraid of a discrimination suit and that this person has to have 10X as many complaints and incidents in order to actually get fired. So much for "equal opportunity".

Really?!! Wow, I had no idea that's how things worked. Whew. This emphasizes the need to be fair, firm and consistent....and rational.

B/C it seems that all of these techs need to go...the non-minority techs are having an equal opportunity "get outta jail free" card too! This is not the way it should be!

BTW when is the last time you've seen ANY tech fired? Are non-minorities being fired at higher/faster rate:o or something ? I am thinking about accepting a RN supervisor position in LTC....

fmwf

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Hi all,

Are these CNA's working in a hospital or long term care? I can not imagine this behavior anywhere, especially in a hospital where people are critical. I work on a cardiac unit in a hospital and this would not be tolerated at all. I know a lot of the LNA's (I am in NH) think the nurses are not doing anything when in reality they are charting. They also may think nursing is easier than being an aide.

I think these aides should be forced to hold their own urine for hours and wait for someone to come help them. Maybe this way they would be more responsive to people who are more or less at their mercy. This is terrible beyond belief and very sad. These types of personalities should not be working in the field of nursing. IMHO

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ATTENTION ALL CNA'S! YOU KNOW WHICH CNA'S I AM TALKING TO !The ones who think that they are smarter than the local doctor and definitely love to be the head nurse. Why don't you follow the Licensed Nurses instructions. I know that some RNS and LPNs treat some of you like you are beneath them but that is neither here nor there the fact remains that if you want to be in charge GO TO SCHOOL! This is an issue that I have yet to understand I am a CNA and if I dont feel that the nurses decision is the best one I will ask her to explain her reasons to me and I have found that 99% of licensed nurses appreciate when you ask questions about resident care etc. Try it and see ! you might be pleasantly surprised at the response.

I just had to say my peace. Thanks pumpkin92356

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Specializes in ALS, LTC, Home Health.

First off I am not a CNA YET. Start classed later this month. I don't know diddly. But from what I have read on other threads and on this thread about being a CNA I am appalled at the behavior of the CNA's reported here. It may just be me and my military experience and my work ethic. But I could never even imagine myself acting like that. I look at it like this way you have a job to do just do it, period! If you don't like the job requirements theres the door don't let it hit on the behind on the way out. I have been a supervisor and if anyone of my mechanics act like this they are first counseled and if they don't shape up, C-ya. Yea it hurts when you are short but truth be told with a lazy CNA you are short as well seeing that they won't do the job they are hired for. The job is not about the pay check. It is about the residents. That should and with me will be the top priority. Their health and welfare must come first. If they were fully able bodied they would not be there. The CNA is the first line of defense. They have the most interaction with the resident. Sorry but lazy people just get to me to no end.

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"Funny last I heard pregnancy is not considered a disability"!]I have very little problem with the staff I work with - I consider us to be a team - we each just have different positions on that team.

My problem is with the CNA's on the shift following - the day CNA's. They come in every morning, and there is a certain group of them that hang at the desk for 10 to 15 minutes complaining about everything, instead of getting to work. Since our shifts overlap, I have to listen to this garbage - and I've grown very weary with it.

Another thing they aren't supposed to do is be IN the nurses station - they have NO reason to be - the books they chart in are available to them elsewhere. But it seems like every morning I have to move around that certain bunch of them as they're IN the station, doing whatever.

The other morning I had my charts spread out to chart - and got up for a minute to go to the med room - and came back to find 3 of them sitting at my desk, they had papers spread around, and were going to 'rewrite' their assignments.

Now, keep in mind - I seldom raise my voice, or swear, or rant and rave - I simply said "Girls, out of the nurses station, now." Well, I heard one of them telling the other how RUDE that was as they were going off down the hall - which is where they should have been going in the first place. If they thought they hurt my feelings they were dead wrong - I'd love to show them what RUDE really is - but that's not professional.

A couple of mornings after that, one of the same group was standing there complaining (she's pregnant) that the facility won't let her be on 'light duty'. They've told her if she is unable to do the job, that she'll have to take a leave. I told her that 'light duty' is generally reserved for people that have gotten hurt on the job and it's a Workman's comp thing. The facility already has two CNA's on light duty.

She doesn't care, she says - it's not FAAIIIR! It's discrimination, she says. I told her "So, sue the facility!" :uhoh3: She walked down the hall and told one of my CNA's that I was the meanest person!!:rotfl: The thing is, this chick is married, her husband has a job - no one forced her to get pregnant - a lot of us have dealt with the same situation.

This morning, I went around to every day CNA that comes in, gets their assignment, and goes directly to work - and told them that I thought that was an admirable quality & to keep it up.

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