Nurses who let NAs Boss them around

Disablednurse · May 30, 2003

One of the problems is lack of support from management whenever they try to reprimand a nurse aide when the nurse aide will not follow orders. A lot of the nurse aides now have authority problems and think that if the nurse above them tries to tell them what to do then they are treating them like children. I have had nurses aides jump down my throat after being told to do something and then myself being reprimanded because I dared to tell them to do it. It is not worth the hassle and once the nurse aide sees you get reprimanded for telling them to do something, they lose respect for you and know that they do not hae to listen to what you say.

altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN · May 30, 2003

I have to totally agree with disablednurse! Management does not back you up with reprimanding the NA's. They can come to work when the want, do what they want, refuse to do things, eat before they "work" even they they're clocked in and still take a "lunch break", change the posted assignments as they see fit!! I really get sick of it...they other part of it though is not all the charge nurses (and staff nurses) will be consisitent and back each other up.

graysonret · May 30, 2003

I agree too. Management seems to be the root of the problem, by not enforcing the policies. As an agency nurse, I've seen great aides and some pretty poor ones. The poor ones work at facilities where they know management and nurses won't do anything. The only time I ever "dressed down" an aide was at one of these places. I let her have it with "both barrels"...being lazy and actually putting patients at risk. She figured it was okay to work half her patients and spent the extra time sleeping in the nurses' lounge. I complained to the supervisor, but coming back, after a couple of months...nothing had changed. Poor management, low morale, ends up with a constant turnover. It's sad that the patient is the one who truly suffers.

ktwlpn, LPN · May 30, 2003

Originally posted by PhePhe
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 see you are in Pa,too....you must work with me......I agree with the above posters.In the LTC our DON tells us to "take charge" but when we attempt to do so and a pet cna goes to her and complains then WE end up getting spanked in her office.I work with decent cna's at this time however a few are burning out and have attitude problems over some recent policy changes and do they have giant chips on their shoulders...I am so tired of hearing them b*tch and moan and am sure the residents and visitors are,too.We also do not have time to babysit them and even the "best" will slack when they know we are swamped at the desk.THis is the thing that may run me back out of LTC and I love working with my dementia residents but being "middle management" is the pits...I feel like the filling in a sh*t sandwich.....

night owl · May 31, 2003

The root cause of these problems is management. You can document 'til you're blue in the fingers, but when management sweeps it under the rug and does not address the problems, they are the root cause. NAs know they can get away with it because management doesn't give a darn. It's like when they get these managerial positions, they suddenly get this hole in their head and their brains are sucked out or something! But let something go terribly wrong, and management is right there asking all the questions..."Where was the NA assigned to this pt???" Reply, "Sleeping, like we've documented several times before and nothing was ever done about it, EVER!" Keep copies of those memos ladies, you never know when you're going to need them for back-up support. No doubt they throw their copies in the garbage.

mopsi · May 31, 2003

Wow..some of these same N/A's must be crossing over the border to Ohio..and Management must attend the same seminars!!....You know N/A stands for..not available!But for shame, because this negative behavior also burns out the great STNA's..It is so unfair..but I caught a glimpse of a tax incentive paper..and the employer is getting extra$$$$ for the new Nasty Nellies..makes them get even porkier with the long time staff..Why pay that vacation pay ect...and the patients do suffer..I can no longer maintain eye contact with administration when they start crying "BUT WE ARE HERE FOR THE RESIDENTS"..The depth of their lies surely will earn them some horrific Karma if not reservations at Satan's Nursing Home..........THE PITS ...The Eternal Long Term Care Facility

ava'smomRN · May 31, 2003

Geesh! where in PA do you work. im a cna i wish we could get away with that kind of stuff

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · May 31, 2003

This is a huge problem at the one hospital I am doing clinicals at-- the nursing assistants basically do not do anything at all and have to be asked to do simple tasks over and over again. I think the reason is because the nursing assistants are union and the registered nurses are not.

sjoe · May 31, 2003

"The root cause of these problems is management."

Let's call a spade a spade. In most cases, "management" is OTHER NURSES who got promoted simply by sticking around long enough.

night owl · May 31, 2003

Well, they ought to know better, but that hole in their head....

We had a nurse who''s been there for over 20 years. worked the night tour for 10 of them. Always said," If I can't sleep, neither can they." Got the supervior position. Came to the unit one night. The other nurse I was working with said to her, "Come on, I'll take you around and show you all the sleeping staff." Super waved her hand and shook her head "no" and got on the elevator and left. Now that's what I call being a supervisor with a hole in her head! They get to sorta the top and they shove it under the rug and just don't want to hear about it. Sad isn't it? Especially when they've been there and know all about it. They just don't want to deal with it and they don't want to make waves. So if you can't handle the job and the problems that it entails, why have it at all? They aren't "making a difference," they're making matters worse by letting these folks get away with it and sweeeeping it under that infamous rug. I give up. So what is a good supervior do then sjoe? Maybe I'll do it.

MandyInMS · May 31, 2003

Guess this is a problem wherever ya live :/ I don't have a problem delegating to a cna personally..mainly, which I point out to them, because I'm not asking anything of them that I wouldn't do myself if time permitted..and most of the cna's KNOW this..yes, I've had poop up to my elbows too...no, it was not fun..but, it has to be done..plain and simple...I've encountered a few attitudes, but not many...I mean come onnnnn we are all adults and we SHOULD know our job descriptions...thank heavens I have a great supervisor that backs me in times of need..she knows I'm a fair person and would never 'abuse' authority in any way.That's sad when nobody has your back...don't think I could work without that support......best of luck PhePhe (((hugzzzzz)))