Was I at fault? the nurse embarrassed me in front of others.

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allnurses Guide

NurseCard, ADN

2,847 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

To be honest, I don't like to answer call lights when I'm in the middle

of my med pass... I work LTC and am constantly super busy. However,

if I have to, I have to, and I often have to. =) I would never think

of berating my aides because they didn't get to a call light fast

enough. It's usually because they are busy doing something else!

I only concur with everyone else; that nurse is a jerk and a bully.

mystra37

1 Post

I agree that it is everyone's responsibility to answer bells, but unfortunitly I see it every day. Nurses, not just RN's sit at the desk and yell down the hall for someone to come get a call bell going off across from the nurses desk. I do not think this nurse was acting in a professional manner. You should have reported this to the charge nurse as this is belittling you in front of others and also, it is a patient dignity issue. Would she have wanted someone to take her to the bathroom if it was her ringing the bell? You bet and if no one answered I am sure she would be the first to file a complaint. As a nurse patients need to be treated with dignity. I hope this does not happen to you again, but in the future please do not allow this person to traet you in such a manner. We all get busy and things and become hectic, but bottom line. If there was no patients, she would not have a job. Patient satisfaction determines if that patient will seek service in that particular hospital.

allnurses Guide

nursel56

7,078 Posts

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

You shouldn't be embarrassed, she should.

Liddle Noodnik

3,789 Posts

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..

ps, even if she WAS angry, she should have taken you aside instead of embarrassing you in front of everyone. The good news is that very few people would have sided with HER

To be honest, I don't like to answer call lights when I'm in the middle

of my med pass... I work LTC and am constantly super busy. However,

if I have to, I have to, and I often have to. =) I would never think

of berating my aides because they didn't get to a call light fast

enough. It's usually because they are busy doing something else!

I only concur with everyone else; that nurse is a jerk and a bully.

that's a very good point! and I do hate it when my nurses' aides walk out at 7:30 when I'm still charting til 10 - but - the patient comes first, and - she could have handled this much better :)

tami101481rn

10 Posts

I didnt know that getting a bed pan for a patient or answering a call light was below my abilities as a nurse. I will have to keep that in mind. What she did was completely uncalled for. Can you go to the floor manager for something like this? She was neglitful in not answering the call light, and as stated in a prior post what if it wasnt just a bed pan, what if the patient had fallen, or worse, was having a heart attack.

Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Clearly SHE heard the call light if she was able to "time" it for 10 minutes, yet she did nothing about it. Don't let her prima donna attitude get you down!

I am a nursing assistant in the float pool. I got floated to a med-surg floor. It was going okay, and then it got very busy when there were 3 new admits. I was in the room with the new admit and the nurse for that new patient. I was changing sheets, getting the patient situated, and getting vitals. When I come out, I check on each patient. One patient tells me he's in pain. I tell his nurse. Then that nurse asks me in a attitude in front of other nurses, if I heard the call bell going off for 1 patient for like 10 minutes. That patient needed a bed pan but ended up pooping on the sheets etc. I told her I didn't know because I was in the room with the new admit. Then she gives me an attitude in front of others saying that she cleaned him up. I was so embarrassed. I didn't know the patient had his call bell going off. I was in the room with another patient. Was I so at fault that she embarrassed me????

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B

9 Articles; 4,800 Posts

OP, you are one person and can't be everywhere at once. "I was already tasked with RN so and so and her new admit".

It is not your fault nor problem that the nurse nor anyone else can get a call bell when you are doing something else for another nurse.

There is no reason to feel embarrased.

"How awful for the patient!! I will go in now and clean the patient up" ( "ohhhh you took care of it already? REALLY???????")

In any event, if you are floated there in the future, I would ask the charge nurse what she wants you to do. Answer call lights? Have the RN's direct your tasks? But as a former CNA myself, sometimes those lines are blurry. Don't sweat the small stuff, just go in and be sure the patient is clean, comfortable, and in a clean bed, and move on.....

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B

9 Articles; 4,800 Posts

And I am sorry, but I have to add:

"Did you hear the call light going off for 1 patient for like, 10 minutes"

"No, but apparently, neither did you....."

BroomQueen

17 Posts

Specializes in Geriatrics.

Are you a new CNA? I would think you'd be used to redicule from high and mighty nurses by now LOL. I'm an LPN now but I was a CNA for 14 years prior. When I was a CNA I've come across the same thing by a nurse who thought he was too good to answer call lights and give bedpans. No you shouldn't have been embarassed, it is the nurses responsibility as well to answer call lights, we are not above that or putting bedpans. I frequently do for my CNA's when I see they are busy doing rounds, helping pt's ect. In actualality it's the nurses fault the patient was incontinent and she was just stressed about the admits and the fact that she had to do something she probably deems beneath her. Don't stress out about it. If it does happen again though don't hesitate to try and talk to her in private or go even above her if necessary. Everyone is there for patient care and the nurse has to be able to do her job as well as yours if need be. Don't let her see it bother's you, some of them get off on that crap and will do it purposely again. Just do what you can, you can't be everywhere at once. If you ever get your nurses license, rember this moment so you never do that to another CNA, I have and it's kept me humble, I never have problems with my CNA's :)

KBICU

243 Posts

Specializes in Intensive Care Unit.

News flash: RN doesnt give us the right to never wipe a butt again. Nursing is nursing, its not always glamorous and if a patient tells me they need the bedpan i dont put them on hold to get someone else to do it to avoid it. If she heard it going off for that amount of time its called get off ur lazy you know what and answer it. This annoys me so much because I was an LNA for a long time and some nurses are just plain lazy and mean.

FLArn

503 Posts

Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Rehab, Home Health.

I was not a CNA before getting my RN, however, I also will toilet patients or put them on a bedpan and let my CNA know they are on the bedpan (or go back myself to get them off if I need to). I also pad the beds prior to working with gtubes or starting IVs. I also wipe up my own spills, etc. So I have few if any issues with my CNAs in fact other nurses have asked me how I get the aides to go "above and beyond for me". I share my "secret" with nurses who try to help everyone and just shrug and smile at those who can't be bothered to help.

squirtcatt

25 Posts

Specializes in Tele/med surg/step-down, Cardiology.

Wow! Teamwork is the key to nursing and that means "WE" answer call lights and get patients bedpans or blankets or whatever they need. That is not just a CNA's job. I have worked with some wonderful hard working CNA's and a few lazy ones. I have heard of nurses running after CNA's with bedpan in hand to give it to them to take it to a patient. Not my style if I can not handle the job alone I find someone else to help me, be it a CNA or a Nurse. Once again Teamwork makes the shift go smoother!! Oh and FYI while I was in nursing school and working as an orderly, I ran into one of those chew your head of nurses, I only had one word for her!

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