to the nurses: nursing assistant who is lazy

[citygirl22]

I'm not a nurse yet. I'm a nursing assistant in the float pool. Today, I got floated to a med-surg floor. There was 1 nursing assistant who is already the staff on that floor. Then another nursing assistant came from the float pool. There was 3 of us on the floor which is very rare. I was grateful because that floor is crazy busy even though there are 2 nursing assistants. I've only said hello before to the other float NA, don't know her well.

We all split the floor, 8 patients each. I thought to myself this is going to be a great day. Boy, was I wrong.

The staff NA did her thing because it's her floor and she knows the routine. But I got so frustrated with the other float NA. She comes 10 minutes late to the floor. She then follows me to each patient I was doing blood sugars on because she needed the glucometer. The other NA had the other one. I told her I would give it to her once I was done. But she follows me to each patient and asks, are you done? are you done?

her call bells were going off for her patients which i answered, no problem. but i don't know where she is, obviously not in the patients room because i didnt find her. time flies because it's so busy and it's morning vital time. I'm putting the vitals I did for my patients and a few nurses ask me to do a couple of things. I let them know I will do it as soon as I put the vitals in. Then the float NA comes to me with her paper with her vitals she wrote down next to the computer and asks me to me them in since I'm on the computer anyway. I'm all for teamwork, but one thing I learned is not to put in anything in the computer that I didn't do even though they're vitals. I let her know nicely that I need to help a few nurses out. She then gives me an attitude and takes the paper, saying "ugh, i'll put them in..geez"

Come to find out, she didn't put in 2 vitals for her patients and the nurses ask if she put them in. I just didn't trust her. She then angers the other staff NA by saying rudely she's going to lunch first, blah blah blah. I'm busy answering her call bells because she's somewhere just lazy. Shift ends at 3:30 but she leaves the floor at 3 saying she needs to go back to the office. I'm like..right now?? she doesn't tell any of the nurses, even the charge nurse, she just tells me while she's already walking.

Is she new? No...it's been 3 years...

I don't understand how no one calls on her..and she's still working....it makes me angry because I put in 110%..

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

The best time to call someone on their behavior is in the moment. When she was following you from room to room waiting for you to be done with the glucometer, simply stating "I'll bring it to you when I'm finished, you should go check on your patients/answer call lights/take vitals" would be perfectly appropriate.

Since that didn't happen, I think it would be fair to go to your manager, and with as little emotion as possible, recount the problem behaviors that you observed using objective language. Don't let your frustration color things and leave a bad taste in your manager's mouth.

[suanna]

Welcome to Nursing! I have seen far more NAs or Nurse Techs (senior student nurses working the floor) that have one gear- bullbog low, and they are not going to do anything that is not absolutely required of them and that they haven't been specificly told to do right then. Honestly, I would rather work without support staff most of the time. It makes me too crazy to see tham sitting at the desk- playing games on thier smartphone while call lights are ringing, patients are yelling, and nurses are flying up and down the hall like The Flash. I always get the same sad puppy dog eyes when I ask them if they would mind putting forth just a little effort. I get " you never asked me to do ....." I just want to say "I didn't ask you to inhale and exhale over and over- Why are you still alive???!!!"

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

It's true, as suanna says above, that some people need more direction than others. Some people don't do anything they're not specifically asked/told to do. I've worked with quite a few of those. This person could be one of those. Next time you work with her, try directing her instead of expecting her to "just know" what she should be doing.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

There are particular CNAs on my unit who "rule" the unit, meaning if they don't want to answer call bells or help clean patients, you are completely out of luck. When I first started on the unit, this was information given to me by other CNAs as well as nurses. I saw what the talk was about when they were assigned to my patients. After a year there, I still cringed every time I look on the assignment board and see one of them assigned to me.

We aren't union and despite the many complaints regarding their performance, their jobs are pretty secure. I can only assume because my unit is a fast-past critical care unit with many heavy patient assignments. They are in need of CNAs and a few of the new hires are looking to transfer somewhere else after getting a taste of our unit. I too will be transferring to a much coveted unit in less than 2 weeks where I hear the CNAs are amazing.

You can speak to management about it, but if she's been there for 3 years and she continues to be floated to other floors, don't be surprised nothing gets done.

As a nurse, we really appreciate CNAs like yourself. Especially when the unit is crazy busy, we appreciate you even more. I know your hard work and dedication will translate to you being a wonderful nurse.