LAZY CNA's!!

[RNBeauty23]

Hi everyone! I come here to vent! I'm so sick and tired of lazy cna's that have an attitude anytime u ask them to do something. I work nights on a med surg floor. Generally throughout the night we can get pretty busy. But there's one cna that feels once she has taken vitals her job is done!! God forbid you have a patient that has on diapers and uses the bathroom in it cause if you ask her to change him here comes ms. Attitude. At first I ignored but now it's really starting to **** me off! Like if you don't like your job quit! Go back to school!! Do whatever you have to to find joy in Wat you do! I know some people are just miserable people to begin with but most CNA's I've worked with are the worst. I worked as a nurse tech and I basically did everything a cna does except without the attitude! I don't mind cleaning a patients butt because that's not out of my scope of practice but is it wrong of me to expect the cna to do it if asked if all she's doing is sitting on her butt?! O well comes with the job I guess!

Fed Up Nurse!

[TheMediaLies]

I'm a CNA, I have worked at the same facility for 13 years. I can't believe how disrespectful aides have become! When I first became a nurses aide, the nurses had the upper hand. You did what you were told to do or you were written up and sent to the supervisors office. There was no talking back or refusing to do your job. I don't know what happened over the years but it isn't like that now. The Nurses and MGT don't pay attention to what is going on around them. I know they are very busy with charting, taking off orders, passing medication....ect. But part of their job is supervising the aides and making sure the residents get proper care. The Nurses and MGT want to be all buddy buddy with the aides which is fine. But then,they don't want to reprimand the aides because they are "friends"? And when one aide gets away without doing their job it kind of has a snow ball effect. This is the famous phrase I hear all the time..."Well that aide isn't doing their job so why should I bust my butt." The aides that work their butt off to cover for those aides that slack off... get tired of having to pick up their slack!!!! It is MGT fault that they let this behavior continue!!!

I feel ya. When I was a CNA back in the 1990s, I did (95% of the times anyway) what I was told by the RNs , managers, MDs, and when I was in the military, by anyone out ranking me. You don't come to work THINKING YOUR SPECIAL lol. You're there to work. &%#$ these idio.! They'll be dropping out of healthcare pretty soon with their massive student loans (suckers) and I'll be retiring soon to even worry about these people.

[Angelkat27]

Hi you all I have been a cna since I was 20. I worked at a nursing home/ short term rehab since my cna graduation. I go to school part time at the community college for nursing prerequisites. I live on my own as well I work 40+ hrs at my job my cna job is tough gross but also rewarding because I take great care of my patients. I'm happy to help them. I've met many great patients thru my years as a cna, they're like family to me, some nurses and cans I work with r rude neglectful lazy bums, they have no business being in healthcare, bad apples in my job can be stressful, but I focus on my patient are and do my job right no drama for me, well I hope y'all have a good holiday, peace out:)

[abbaking]

Always makes me laugh when i hear the CNA vs. RN Lazy complaint. I had a old co-worker (an RN) who used to nag and complain about everything under the sun the CNA did or didnt do. This co-worker eventually transfered to a different unit with a primary care nursing model. Now she misses the CNA staff dearly and is burnt out beyond belief doing "CNA Dutues".

Having been a CNA for many years, I can attest that 90% of all the CNAs i worked with were the hardest workers in the hospital. Its not to say that there were boring days or slow days, but overall we as RNs tend to forget the demands placed on the CNA. Often they have downright ILLEGAL workloads. As an RN i rarely have more than 6 patients. When I was a CNA, I rarely had less than 16 patients!

Its all a matter of perspective. If you are going to hunt the CNA high and low just to tell them to empty a urinal or do a set of vital signs, that to me says more about your priorities and tact

[canned_bread]

I have come across a lot of great AINs (It's what we call them here, assistant in nursing), and a lot of really bad AINs. Sometimes, if I identify something that needs to be doing (such as assisting a patient to a toilet) and I am mid-medication round, and they are not doing anything, I ask if they will please do it. It feels awkward if they are older and I am often younger, but essentially we are meant to be a team, and since my scope is larger than theirs (ie I'm doing my meds), it just makes sense! But I have received attitude back. I ask politely, it's not a demand, it's a "you are sitting there reading a magazine, please help!"

[JennabeanRN]

Always makes me laugh when i hear the CNA vs. RN Lazy complaint. I had a old co-worker (an RN) who used to nag and complain about everything under the sun the CNA did or didnt do. This co-worker eventually transfered to a different unit with a primary care nursing model. Now she misses the CNA staff dearly and is burnt out beyond belief doing "CNA Dutues".

Its all a matter of perspective. If you are going to hunt the CNA high and low just to tell them to empty a urinal or do a set of vital signs, that to me says more about your priorities and tact

When I was a NA' it killed when the nurse hunted me high and low to empty a urinal while she was in the room. I vowed never to do that. I felt by the time it took her 10 mins for me to finish what i was doing in another room, she could have done it. If I call the CNA, I am busy and really can't do it. Now we had one CNA that sat around on the phone all day. I got tired of busting my butt and back hurting every night while she sat around. I did call her a lot. Working as a nurse and NA, I have come across an equal share of lazy NAs and nurses.

[uRNmyway, ASN, RN]

Well something I have observed where I work is that most of the CNAs dont even have a high school diploma. They got the CNA job because it was a 3 week training program with more job stability than most. Some of them obviously dont like what they do, and most of them are improperly trained. I work in a home health agency, and the CNAs are usually alone with catastrophic patients and patients with dementia. When I have to go do supervisory visits I am just shocked with the quality of staff we have to hire. Then again, there are some of them that leave me wanting to grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and insist they go on to nursing school! As Ive mentioned in another post, CNA, LPN, RN, or even MD...sometimes they are just letters after a name...there are dumb, lazy, insolent, insert any other adjective you want, in all professions.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Well something I have observed where I work is that most of the CNAs dont even have a high school diploma. They got the CNA job because it was a 3 week training program with more job stability than most. Some of them obviously dont like what they do, and most of them are improperly trained. I work in a home health agency, and the CNAs are usually alone with catastrophic patients and patients with dementia. When I have to go do supervisory visits I am just shocked with the quality of staff we have to hire. Then again, there are some of them that leave me wanting to grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and insist they go on to nursing school! As Ive mentioned in another post, CNA, LPN, RN, or even MD...sometimes they are just letters after a name...there are dumb, lazy, insolent, insert any other adjective you want, in all professions.

As one has often stated, the main problem with attracting and retaining quality assistant personnel are directly related to the low wages. There are enough studies out there to back this and the other direct result of low pay, the job usually only attracts those with few other employment options.

Home health in particular is harsh because often aides are on duty for 12 or 24 hour shifts but are only paid for a portion of the shift and aren't given overtime. This despite the vast difference between what an agency is paid say from the family, insurance company or Medicare/Medicaid.

HHAs in NYC tried to get overtime but IIRC where shot down by the agencies who claimed having to pay would drive up costs.

The well respected and known Manhattan NYC nursing home down the street from us pays aides somewhere around $8 to $10 per hour or some such. Barely above minimum wage and certainly no where near a living wage for this area. Nearly all of the aides are Indian or from other countries.

As the push towards aging in place and or discharging patients home with "skilled nursing service" increases someone better start thinking about where quality aides are going to come from, otherwise there is going to be a problem vastly worse than a "nursing shortage".

[Salisburysteak, BSN, RN]

Well something I have observed where I work is that most of the CNAs dont even have a high school diploma. They got the CNA job because it was a 3 week training program with more job stability than most. Some of them obviously dont like what they do, and most of them are improperly trained. I work in a home health agency, and the CNAs are usually alone with catastrophic patients and patients with dementia. When I have to go do supervisory visits I am just shocked with the quality of staff we have to hire. Then again, there are some of them that leave me wanting to grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and insist they go on to nursing school! As Ive mentioned in another post, CNA, LPN, RN, or even MD...sometimes they are just letters after a name...there are dumb, lazy, insolent, insert any other adjective you want, in all professions.

I agree with you there.

The last facility I worked at I seriously wondered about some of the CNA's. An example, we were having an issue with the CNAs not documenting BMs or not doing it correctly. I suggested we have a clip board with a spreadsheet of all the residents names with date and shift across the top with all the types of BMs and code to put in the right spot. I was told by my DON that the CNAs were not smart enough to do that. I thought to myself that is crazy. I suggested an inservice on proper documentation and the importance of telling the nurse about a BM. I was then told again that the CNAs are not smart enough to handle that.

I live in the SE US, and I wonder what do they teach in CNA classes now. I was taught that 20 years ago about BMs, and the importance of vital signs, changing a resident, and doing ADL care. Has the CNA program been "dumbed down"?

I also want to add that not all CNAs bad. I have worked and been in charge of some excellent CNAs who do go above and beyond on their shift. it is just the other ones that don't. The ones that do just enough to get by whether it is good care or not. The same goes with nurses too.

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

Home health in particular is harsh because often aides are on duty for 12 or 24 hour shifts but are only paid for a portion of the shift and aren't given overtime. This despite the vast difference between what an agency is paid say from the family, insurance company or Medicare/Medicaid.

This always upsets me because the families pay $$$ and expect $$$ level service but the CNA is only being paid $ so is it any wonder they feel bitter. The family wants their money's worth and the CNA's feel exploited by their agencies and the family.

If I had the choice of being a CNA for minimum wage or driving a forklift I'd choose the forklift.

[SweetPEI]

Not to mention the whole time I am trying to explain that to her she is getting huffy in some foreign language and won't let me get a word in edgewise.

I have just been reading all the comments on here, and like it has been said, there are bad apples in all professions. In this respect, it is a complaint regarding CNA's. However, I lose interest and respect in comments where posters add irrelevant comments. I don't quite understand your mentioning of a foreign language - twice at that. If your employee speaks a foreign language, they clearly were competent enough to be hired. If they decide to halfway do their job that becomes the problem, not their native language

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

I think the point of that comment that the CNA was getting huffy at her in a language she didn't understand and wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise. I've had that happen before when someone doesn't realize that they have switched into another language.

At least thats how I read it.

[SweetPEI]

Yes, I compeltely understand. We had sooooo many LAZY/ WORTHLESS aides. with big time attitudes, they were sometimes friends with some of the lazy nurses who all stuck up for each other, you know the type who does not care if pts are changed or not, vitals not done, i/os made up probably , who knows. . well eventually some people kept complaining and complaining to the manger and a lot of the rude/lazy ones are gone. good ridance. some are great, some are not. I would keep expressing concerns to your manager. I understood your post completely . in some places it really is THAT BAD esp if it has gone on and is expected for years. I do not care if they like me or not, the job has to get done, I am not going to be written up or fired because of them. I had aides who refused to help when asked politely... .

This is another example where I can see your frustration, but it boggles my mind to really and fully only accept your one side of your complaint simply because that word "WORTHLESS" stands out to me. Perhaps the CNA's you work with are like that because they know you feel like they aren't worth anything. If that is not the case, that is how it came across to me as I read your post