How would deal with these type of CNAs?

[Born_2BRN]

I am one among the newest RNs on a busy floor. Every shift I am struggling to help pt's ADLs with minimal CNA assistance. A few CNAs are plain horrible. They won't answer my pager or when they do they would tell me they are with another pt. I told them when they finished with the pt then come help me. Most of the time they don't so I ended up doing it all myself. At other times when they didn't come and help me they complaint that I left dirty linen on the floor. I told them I helped this pt and changed all her linens after she pooped or puke on herself and yes in between I also passing meds while another pt paging for pain medication as well. When they hear that they don't like it.

[Candyn]

Hi BrandonLPN,

I think you did not read my post correctly.

First of all, you think it is right to say "It is not my patient"???? I do not think it is right to say that. Patient is patient no mater if he/she is my patient or not. If another nurse ties up in a room and a patient desat and I am sitting right there, yes I will go and check on that patient. About pain medication, I will not say it is not my patient, I will go check with that nurse, if she is too busy to get it, then I will ask whether the patient can get it yet and the dose. One of the reasons that I prefer not to have to get pain medication for other nurses before I ask is first of all, not all times they chart the medication after they give the pain medication, second of all they may have a specific pain management plan with the patients who are on 3 different pain medications and third of all I do not mess with narcotics especially I am not familiar with what the patient is on.

Also, we have 3 aids on the floor that night and he only had 5 patients to take care of. Like I said, he spent half the shift to talk and fb. I do not see anything wrong with helping out others if I am not busy, stand around to talk and fb even if it is not my patient. That is called team work. If I am busy then it is another story or this is where prioritization comes in place.

Lastly, did you read correctly my complain about it is not my patient story? I normally do not ask the "it is not my patient" CNA for help. I will ask my aid if time permits. However, I was on the phone with doctor, my aid was not there, that aid was standing right in front of my patient room talking, and IMPORTANTLY, my patient was going bad. YOU THINK IT IS OK TO SAY IT IS NOT MY PATIENT WHEN THE PATIENT IS GOING BAD? like bad to the point of coding? REALLY?

[uRNmyway, ASN, RN]

Hi BrandonLPN,

I think you did not read my post correctly.

First of all, you think it is right to say "It is not my patient"???? I do not think it is right to say that. Patient is patient no mater if he/she is my patient or not. If another nurse ties up in a room and a patient desat and I am sitting right there, yes I will go and check on that patient. About pain medication, I will not say it is not my patient, I will go check with that nurse, if she is too busy to get it, then I will ask whether the patient can get it yet and the dose. One of the reasons that I prefer not to have to get pain medication for other nurses before I ask is first of all, not all times they chart the medication after they give the pain medication, second of all they may have a specific pain management plan with the patients who are on 3 different pain medications and third of all I do not mess with narcotics especially I am not familiar with what the patient is on.

Also, we have 3 aids on the floor that night and he only had 5 patients to take care of. Like I said, he spent half the shift to talk and fb. I do not see anything wrong with helping out others if I am not busy, stand around to talk and fb even if it is not my patient. That is called team work. If I am busy then it is another story or this is where prioritization comes in place.

Lastly, did you read correctly my complain about it is not my patient story? I normally do not ask the "it is not my patient" CNA for help. I will ask my aid if time permits. However, I was on the phone with doctor, my aid was not there, that aid was standing right in front of my patient room talking, and IMPORTANTLY, my patient was going bad. YOU THINK IT IS OK TO SAY IT IS NOT MY PATIENT WHEN THE PATIENT IS GOING BAD? like bad to the point of coding? REALLY?

Whoa whoa whoa...Lets not get our panties in a bunch. I get that you would want to be defensive about this because I am sure you did nothing wrong in this particular instance. However, I am sure that BrandonLPN was experiencing some problems with his mind-reading, and possibly his crystal ball was broken at the time he wrote his post. So Im sure he had no idea what your exact situation was when you wrote YOUR initial post. Geez people...

[Candyn]

Hehehe did my post sound angry and defensive? I apologized.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Well, I'm sorry if I offended. I was talking about the nurse/CNA relationship in general, not any experience in particular. I was just trying to show things from the aide's point of view. This tread has been very one sided (not necessarily you, but the thread in general), perhaps that's inevitable considering this is a NURSES message board. But it's a very rare situation where one could say the nurse is a just a victim and the aide is just lazy.

[Candyn]

Well the rest of CNA on my floor are awesome. My days are so much better except with one. If I know he is working on the floor, I know I am better off doing stuffs myself than getting the not-happy-yet-I-have-to-do-it face. So yes, not all CNA are lazy. Some of them are deserved to have more respect from me than I should be from others:)

[annlewis]

Nope, if a patient needs pain med I address it, even if not mine, I would step in and find the nurse assigned to the pt to make the request or give it if the nurse if off the unit after checking....it's never an issue....always help out unless you are dealing with an emergency

[AshleyO77]

Well, I'm sorry if I offended. I was talking about the nurse/CNA relationship in general, not any experience in particular. I was just trying to show things from the aide's point of view. This tread has been very one sided (not necessarily you, but the thread in general), perhaps that's inevitable considering this is a NURSES message board. But it's a very rare situation where one could say the nurse is a just a victim and the aide is just lazy.

I think your reading this wrong. This nurse was talking about specific problems with a few CNAs. No one is saying all CNAs are horrible, we are just addressing her issue. And when I was a nursing assistant, there were plenty of times the other NA was busy and the nurse asked me to do something for her. I don't see why anyone should have issues with that, that is part of your job. And it is not "a very rare situation" to have a lazy CNA and the nurse falls victim. Just like there are lazy nurses, there are lazy CNAs. I used to work with some. There are nurses who toliet patients, feed patients, and even give bed baths. And sometimes when a lazy CNA is paired with a nurse like that, they take full advantage. Maybe when you were a CNA all the CNAs were awesome and the nurses treated them bad, but that isn't always the case.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

As I read the posts here from

nurses complaining how the aides don't respond fast enough, I can't help but think it's their own bossy, prissy attitude that's rubbing the aides the wrong way.

"Prissy?" LMAO

Know what? My boss rubs me the wrong way. Know what I do about it? I deal with it or get another job. Because she has been designated as the person who reminds me of my job responsibilities.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

"Prissy?" LMAOKnow what? My boss rubs me the wrong way. Know what I do about it? I deal with it or get another job. Because she has been designated as the person who reminds me of my job responsibilities.

Its been my experience that sort of

approach backfires. I creates tension.

I regret quoting Candyn in my earlier post. I didn't mean to single anyone out. I'm sure many nurses DO work with lazy aides, and sometimes the law DOES need to be laid done. But I find these threads tend to take a tone that paints the nurse always as the beleaguered, overworked victim in the healthcare team. Every coin has two sides and everyone has their own story. If a nurse is having trouble working with a group of CNAs maybe it's because the CNAs are lazy and rude. But it could ALSO be perhaps that the nurse is bossy and uptight. If one approaches conflict with a "it's their fault" attitude they are bound to just make things worse. Being punitive towards those under you should be a LAST resort. WHY are the aides acting this way? Maybe the nurse needs to change his approach. That's all I'm saying. We had plenty of posts here advising "write them up". I just enjoy going against the tide sometimes. :)

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

As for the whole "it's not my patient" thing, I wasn't trying to say that's on okay thing to say. I was just trying to present the aide's point of view. When I was an aide in the hospital, I'd be assigned to three nurses with 5 patients each. If a fourth nurse came up to me and asked me to do something I might have been overwhelmed, too. No one knows team work better than me. I'm well know as being a team player. But when you have more than one nurse all asking you to different things it is stressful. I think a lot of nurses forget that. Again, just trying to present the aide's POV.

[Candyn]

Hi BrandonLPN,We are all cool. No need for anyone here to feel defensive or regret:) and team work is awesome. No one can do this job alone.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

Many of us nurses were CNA's for many years before becoming nurses. I do understand that a pt can urinate a great amount just after checking on the pt but unfortunately, that was not the case in my particular situation. I was a CNA for 12 yrs before finally having the chance to go to nursing school. So I guess I've been there for so many years that I know when someone is slacking off. I let a lot of things go and yes, leaving a pt soaked in urine is neglect as evidenced by the puddle of urine in the chair when the pt had been in bed for two hours and the chair was parked across the room.

See, I have to answer for that and then my CNA does. Dealing with CNA's like this is why I checked out this thread. Advice is always welcome when dealing with tough situations. For me, it wasn't about getting anything in a bunch or making up excuses. It was to learn how other nurses deal with it.