Nurses who let NAs Boss them around

ktwlpn, LPN · Jul 11, 2003

Originally posted by Brita01
It sounds like that whole heap of troublemakers needs to be scrapped. But since that is very unlikely to happen, you might want to start looking at the job ads. There are too many available positions out there for you to continue at a job where you're being stressed out like this. The job is stressful enough without having to constantly fight with the nursing assistants and management. There's only so much you can do before you have to stop beating your head against a brick wall and move on. Good luck to you.

Update! We have several new GPN's and GN's joning our staff so many of the "oldtimers" are being shuffled around abit-tee hee....I am going to another unit soon...We are getting a GN whom worked her way through school there as an aide-one of my "problem children" told her that she is glad I am leaving because " You'll be the kind of nurse that just doesn't care what we do-we'll have a blast" Won't she be in for a surprise...I know the GN feels nervous about the entire situation-it's hard to become the charge nurse over your peers-but she told me that she does care and knows she'll have to nip this in the bud or it will escalate....Hmmm-seems I have the reputation of "caring" Yep-when I ask someone to do something I expect it to be done-and if it not I don't ignore it.....I owe it to the residents-they deserve appropriate care......I am flabbergasted to find that "caring" is not always a good thing.....

g peach · Jul 11, 2003

please keep me posted as to what happens with the charge nurse it will be no means pleasent but it needs to be dealed with pronto!!!! no doubt. heres to a nice weekend :)

carcha · Jul 11, 2003

we've all experienced the lazy na, and yes i know there are loads of great ones around however its not the great ones who'll lose you your licence and thats what all of us should remember, accountability. I once worked in a hospital where I was expected to sign off on the na's work, even though with my own patient case load, I could only find time to look after my own not check all of their load. one day at 0900 I went for coffee, came back in 15 minutes and was told by the na that I could now sign off on her patients. How could anyone give 4 sponge baths, 2 showers in 15 minutes. you can all only imagine what I found when I checked all the patients. Clean top sheets covering urine, faeces stained beds, no sponge baths, unbrushed, unshaven, uncomfortable patients. I went straight to my manager thinking " Well now their going to have to do something". the bottom line given to me was, rectify the problem or sign off and take responsibility. I left nursing for 3 years after that and sadly nothings changed!

TinyNurse, RN · Jul 12, 2003

Interesting this would come up.....

I'm in training before I take NCLEX next week.

This is on an alzhiemers unit that I'll be doing two sundays' a month at.

A CNA tells the nurse she is gonna go on break. Then a light goes on, The nurse says, "oh that light just went on" The cna says,"oh come on, you really want me to get that? i was just in there!!!" The nurse says "well yeah" The cna wanted to argue "ah come on, i was just in there". This went on for a minute or so, ( the time it would have taken the cna to walk down there and check the light)

Being fresh outta nursing school, i could not believe that this cna wanted to "take a break" before answering this call light.

I walked towards the room, the cna saw me, and followed me. needless to say this cna is in her 2nd quarter of LPN school.

At clinicals in school, all of the aides in hospitals seemed to be appropriate, but this situation did not seem appropriate. Scarey to think I'll be the RN on this shift two sundays a month.

Jenni

tattooednursie, LVN · Jul 12, 2003

Grrr today I saw an aide walk right past 3 call lights going, which were hers, while going on her 6th smoke break for the first half of the shift. I was her hall partner, so I had to answer them. It took me a half hour to take care of what was needed. She walked right past me while I was doing her work for her, without saying a word. Trust me CNA's dislike lazy CNa's too.

itsme · Jul 12, 2003

There will always be worthless CNA's, unfortunatly. But, those who are wonderful need to be told how we appreciate there work. I always thank my aides that do a great job. I like to work as a team, I have seen looks of shock when I tell the aides I took a resident to the BR or something like that. I know that in LTC there are also nurses who wouldnt do any personal cares even if they had the time. Personally, I enjoy helping the residents when I can and in turn helping out the aides. I do not let the bad apples slack off on my wing, that just isnt allowed. that makes them not want to work on my wing, so I usually end up with a great crew on my wing!

RNNMD · Jul 12, 2003

In the hospital I work in, we have PCT'S ( patient care tech's) They are trained to do simple treatments, accuchecks, EKG's to name a few. We have the same problem. Just because you are an RN doesn't mean you don't have to empty a bedpan....etc...... I have made more than one enemy by telling them," I can do your job but you can't do my job, so when I'm doing your job, who is doing my job!" Really peeves them off. Doesn't work but I keep trying....hahaha.

TinaT123 · Jul 12, 2003

first of all I was a nurses aid and all I ever heard was cna dont do anything, well I really dont believe that for one bit cna have to get residents up and people are not lite, also they have to wash people, and residents that are older and sit in their own urine and shit does not smell good naturally, cna have to fuss to put on ted hose no its not fun, also they have to give residents showers and believe me when you bring some of these older people in to the shower and take off all their clothing they think they are being raped expecially if they are confused and when they kick the shit out of you and you feel as if you just took a bath with them no its no fun, or when your residents stands up and shit on the floor do you RN's believe that the shit gets cleaned up by its self no way the cna has to do it. So When my cna what to take a little longer break do you think I complain no way. I appreciate my cna, however I dont take no shit from them either and if they dont do their job they dont get longer breaks and they get written up and believe me if management doesnt do anything I would take it to personal because that is their job, and god forbid the supervisor that reprimanded me for saying something about a cna that is not doing their job. A GRIEVANCE WOULD BE FILED.

just remember nurses should stick together and they dont, it appears to be every dog for them self, and their are also some nurses that try to play I your boss and you do as I say, well in these time nobody gives a dam if you are a RN or God, everyone wants to be treated with respect and if you dont treat them with respect they will not respect you no matter what you do. I been a nurse for a short time and was a cna at the same place I am working as a RN, and their is not a CNA in the place that does not treat me with respect, I work as a team and will help them if I can an I believe that is why they do their best for me, I do not act like their boss, I act like their team leader, so screw management all they think about is how to save a buck their main focus is business RN's you are team leaders take charge and be kind and for god sake smile!!!!!!!!!

g peach · Jul 13, 2003

well said kitten 42

Neicee · Sep 2, 2004

When will nurses ever learn to delegate? When will nurses ever collectively stand up and get some backbone--Fight for higher wages, and better benefits like a company matching 401K plan?
I get sick when I work at institutions (I am an agency nurse) and I see the Nurses aides doing whatever they want when they want--unlimited breaks, breaks all at once together leaving the floor uncovered, flat out refusing to answer lights or doing a task.
Its no wonder nurses are leaving the profession in droves. Management appears to be scared to approach the NAs too, but have no trouble when it comes to chastizing an RN. Whenever I ask an RN why they tolerate a situation, the response is always the same--management lets them get away with it. I have returned to Nursing after 13 years of working in a business setting. Not much has changed. PT, Pharmacists, and OT have all manged to get substancial financial increases while many nurses are still making $21 bucks an hour. I don't allow NAs to get the best of me, and all I get for my trouble is even more resentment. Not all NAs are like this but I will go out on a limb and say the lack of RN delegation and management skills are detrimental to the professionof nurses.
Phe Phe, RN, BSN, MBA

I must agree with you Phe Phe. I have left bedside nursing to a Nursing Coordinator's position for the very reason you have listed. I even considered leaving nursing after many long shifts and no help. I have worked for some military hospitals that will not even staff NA's or PCT's. There rationale is the nurse can do it all! I hope more nurses will stand up and not tolerate this type of treatment.

Neicee, RN, BSN

virmm1, LPN · Oct 19, 2004

What I want to know is : Are most of the DONs in these facilities former NAs? or Is it just management in general that lets CNAs run the place. One of the LTC facilities I worked in the RN supervisor was a CNA before becoming an RN and we, the LPN's had to help the aides make two rounds in addition to doing our own work. The aides were actually doing 2 rounds on their own. It was a small facility and there was 1 aid for 8 residents. This was on 11-7. Its not like the rounds were killer rounds or anything.

Another small facility where I worked the DON ws a former CNA. Most of the CNAs there on 11-7 were sorry too. Forget about diciplining one of them, the DON wouldn't do anything to them if they were written up. The majority of the aides had the authority problem. Many of them would remind you that they're grown but yet they didn't want to have to work. I don't think any of the nurses could ask an aide to do something and not get attitude. Also at this facility if an aide didn't want to work on her assigned unit she would think nothing of calling the DON at 11:30, 12:00 AM to get her to change the assignment. RIDICULOUS!

I am now back in LTC after a 7 yr break. While most of the CNAs do their jobs there are still ones who think they should be paid for just showing up. I have heard from other nurses that nothing is done when the aides are written up at this facility either. The recently former DON ws a former CNA also. We have just gotten a new DON, just started last Monday.I am waiting to see how she is. I heard one of our aides telling some of the others that she worked w/ this RN before and she is a B****. I'm hoping thats a good thing. I too am tired of call lights not being answered and rsds not being taken to the bathroom after meals when the rsd requests to go. Because" I just took them" before whatever mealtime it happens to be. When I can I help the aides by toileting rsds and answering call lights but the skilled hall I work has heavy med passes and short of an emergency I will not interupt the med pass.

If caring about rsds and pts make me a B****then so be it.

Town & Country · Oct 19, 2004

You know, I have heard nurses aides say that the nurse HAS to help, and just because they are an RN doesn't mean they don't have to do patient care anymore. Yes, nurses are supposed to help, but they have other duties that the nurses aides do not. The nurses aides do not have to pass meds, check charts, do treatments, accuchecks, IV /IV meds etc. So why is a nurse supposed to do half the nurses aide job plus all the other professional duties? The acuity is so much higher now than it used to be, whether hospital or LTC facility. This logic doen't make sense.
Why can't the nurses aide get another nurses aide to help, when the other one is not busy? Why do they have to "wait" for the nurse? In my opinion this is done on purpose, as I have heard many NAs talk about the "nurse who thinks she's too good for patient care".

Preach it, sister!

This is done deliberately, and for spite, plain and simple.

The good CNAs are the salt of the earth, and wonderful to work with. They're out there.

But I have worked a couple of LTC facilities where the CNAs LITERALLY ran the place.

THEIR concerns always merited a "meeting".

If they had to do their jobs, they were being "picked on." If you didn't do at least half of their work (not to mention your own), you "weren't helping," and "you're not a team player!"

Nevermind that they take ten smoke breaks per night while you are running up and down the hall, giving meds and doing treatments.

Just another reason I will NEVER work LTC again.