why are cna's treated like they are stupid and replaceable?

Sgt_Chunk_Spelunker · Apr 4, 2005

And the CNAs who work with me in both settings are worth their weight in gold! Without them, I couldn't do my job! I always help them if/when they need it. We are all part of the same job and we all have one goal in mind...effective and supportive resident care!

lpnadmin · Apr 4, 2005

I know exactly what you're talking about. I've seen plenty of nurses who feel they are above helping a CNA even when there is nothing else (charting, medpass, etc.) going on.

It's too bad that these employers and nurse supervisors don't realize that without the CNA's, the licensed person's work would dramatically increase. This has already happened at a local LTC facility. For the longest CNA's in this facility were treated not as valuable partners in care but as a pain in the butt. Eventually, these CNA's got the message and went to other places such as McDonalds (!) to get better pay and work conditions. (it says something when you move UP to a McJob!)

Now, as a result, CNA's are now being asked to work 12 hour shifts at this facility to cover shortages. Why? I'd bet word had gotten out that this LTC facility was a place to stay away from. Who can blame them? Why put up with nurses who treat you like crap for $6-7/hr when you can go to another facility, get treated with respect and earn more money?

On the flipside, there were/are quite a few CNA's employed there whom I would NOT want working under me. Why they were hired in the first place is beyond me. The ratio of good CNA's who left vs. bad ones who stay is 2:1

Now I feel better.

LPNadmin

"...now fighting TWO kinds of virii"

LPN1974, LPN · Apr 4, 2005

I know exactly what you're talking about. I've seen plenty of nurses who feel they are above helping a CNA even when there is nothing else (charting, medpass, etc.) going on.
It's too bad that these employers and nurse supervisors don't realize that without the CNA's, the licensed person's work would dramatically increase. This has already happened at a local LTC facility. For the longest CNA's in this facility were treated not as valuable partners in care but as a pain in the butt. Eventually, these CNA's got the message and went to other places such as McDonalds (!) to get better pay and work conditions. (it says something when you move UP to a McJob!)
Now, as a result, CNA's are now being asked to work 12 hour shifts at this facility to cover shortages. Why? I'd bet word had gotten out that this LTC facility was a place to stay away from. Who can blame them? Why put up with nurses who treat you like crap for $6-7/hr when you can go to another facility, get treated with respect and earn more money?
On the flipside, there were/are quite a few CNA's employed there whom I would NOT want working under me. Why they were hired in the first place is beyond me. The ratio of good CNA's who left vs. bad ones who stay is 2:1
Now I feel better.
LPNadmin
"...now fighting TWO kinds of virii"

That's true here where I live, too. They can go flip burgers at McDonalds for more money that at the LTC.

Really discouraging.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Apr 4, 2005

Again....Zowie!!! 6-7$/hour??? We start our aides off at 10.50 day shift with more for off shifts, weekends, and experience. We have a few CNA's who have been there so long they are making almost as much as an LPN.

When I was a staff developer, I would tell the aides what was expected...then I told them what I expected from the nurses. One of the most important things I told them was to tell their nurse if the patient had a skin problem or anything out of the ordinary. I told them if they told the nurse and she did nothing, they could come to me.

Maxs · Apr 4, 2005

speechless ! ! ! How do you think admins will fill the facilities pockets up?

Maxs

Ginyer · Apr 4, 2005

The CNA's at the hospital where I'm doing my clinicals start out at $7.50 an hour until they've been there for at least a year. I've never heard of a hospital starting CNA's out at more than $7.50/hr. They also have 15 pt's each on my floor (telemetry) which seems like way too many...but I have no idea what's a normal amount. I really can't understand why they get paid so little.

punnit_square · Apr 4, 2005

it seems to me that CNA's, esp. in long term care, get treated as if they don't know how to do anything, are overworked, unappreciated, and underpaid. This one nurse about drives me up the wall. You come to her with a patient related concern and she'll look at me like I'm busy you take care of it. No I cannot hang another feeding, do a dressing change, or insert a catheter though I've been taught how. ( previous nurses training). She walks like a waddling duck. A lady accidently slipped and I was taking her to the toilet. It was an accident and I wish I fell, I felt that bad. My partner was busy at the moment and this nurse was RIGHT there! I asked her if she would mind helping me stand this lady up, she goes oh I thought so, so was going to help you!!! This is the type of nurse that would actually make a mess in the process of giving a pt their meds and say gosh that's the aides job to clean it up. I never ever expect the nurse to do my job for me but if they are in the same room and can't even help their own patients, there is something wrong with that. She doesn't like lifting either, I wonder how she passed her physical for nursing school. No other aide in sight, asked her one day to help transfer someone( would have either injured myself badly or dropped him) nurse sitting on her butt and " oh I guess so" with a sigh! The nurses are suppose to help!!! maybe as a cna I am biased and only see one side of it. Other nurses assist at times but she thinks she is too good to do anything else, but now I'm in nursing school and once I get out I hope I don't ever treat my help this way. Maybe I'm expecting to be treated with respect because I work very hard to care for my patients in skilled care, but we are always short staffed, and the fact that I have a college degree in nursing/ general studies, while I'm not a nurse in the eyes of the law I am a caregiver that continually nurtures each and every one of my patients, in a way when a patient hollers for the nurse they don't decipher between me and the LPN or RN. we are all nurses to them providing patient care.

From my personal experience, I am soon to be an RN (one semester left), I work in LTC, the LPNs that I work with have a complex in general against RN students (we even have a med student who will be MD in about 4 more years working there and they have the same complex against her). From what is being taught to me in school in regards to LPN and CNA 1. LPN is just a step above CNA 2. Make the LPN and especially the CNA your best working buddy . . . they can make you or break you 3. definitely in the LTC setting, listen to the CNA, they deal with the patient more than you do and see more than you see. It is a shame that there is the "inferiority/superiority complexes". We all need each other to do our job effectively. And for the nurses who don't like to help and are too good for it; they better watch out because a former CNA will be their supervisor one day :rotfl:

webblarsk · Apr 4, 2005

So sorry you feel that way. I will have you know I love my HHA's and CNA's when I worked in LTC. Like someone else said. I couldn't do it without them. They have a really hard job and very important job.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2005

CNA'a are no where near paid enough. I love my CNA's and when they need help, Im on the floor. They are my eyes and ears for my patients and they are irreplaceable. Several years ago when my CNA's were getting a 2 % raise every year; I fought with admin and eventually got them a 6% raise. They never knew I was the one that was their advocate. Point is , there are nurses out there that value and respect the work that CNA's do. I work hand in hand with my CNA's and it is a team effort on my floor.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Apr 4, 2005

A nursing home i worked at had regular ratios of 1 CNA for every 18 pts. Housekeepers got paid 25 cents less than CNAs. I took a housekeeping job there. A quater more on the hour just wasn't worth it.

anniesong · Apr 4, 2005

The CNA's at the hospital where I'm doing my clinicals start out at $7.50 an hour until they've been there for at least a year. I've never heard of a hospital starting CNA's out at more than $7.50/hr. They also have 15 pt's each on my floor (telemetry) which seems like way too many...but I have no idea what's a normal amount. I really can't understand why they get paid so little.

The Nurse Techs (aka Aides) at the hospital where I work start at $12.00/hr and increase to $12.50/hr after 6 mos. Our typical ratios for the medical telemetry floor tend to be 5-8 pts/nurse and 6-8 pts/tech on day/evening shift, 10/nurse/tech on nights... unless we have major callouts, which happens often enough Even with the decent pay for new hires there are days when it's never enough...

As for treatment of techs... It all depends on who's on shift at the time. Some people treat the techs like valuable, hardworking parts of the healthcare team, others dismiss them as necessary annoyances. It can be very frustrating, and I do realize that not all techs (just as with any job) do the work they are expected to do, but it just makes it harder for the great ones to get the respect they deserve.