What would you have said to this CNA

Nurses Relations

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I was almost done posting this but it went away? Sorry if it comes up twice???

Anyway, I am an RN on a busy day shift med-surg/onc floor. The other day it was crazy. It was about 1400 and I had not eaten or peed. I was starting to feel a bit sick. I told the HUC that I was not feeling well and that I was going to take a quick break to pee and eat something real quick. I told her to tell the CNA I was working with that I was not feeling good, would be back quickly, and to give her this note.

The note said - Take temp in 502 and get water for 507. Thanks

Well when I got back, the CNA working with me was livid. She demanded to talk to me in private. She says (and I quote) "I am not your N-word" (but she says the word if ya know what I mean) "You can't just leave me notes and expect me to do what you say"

I was just so shocked! First that she would use the N word (we are both white) and second, that she seemed to not care that I had to get off the floor for just a few min.

So I end up apologizing to HER, explaining why I left the note, and telling her how bad I had to take a quick break. She really didn't care, didn't even give the water or take the temp, and just talked trash about me for the rest of the shift. I heard her later telling the other cna's that 'she put me in my place"

this type of behavior is so dishearting for me, We should ALL be there to support eachother and the patients. What would you guys have done?

my first reaction is what in the holy heck is wrong with this cna-she's a nursing assistant--her job is to assist you. i adore lists, i make a running one all day long as i do my "job" as a student nurse. this summer it's more of patient tech work with a few extra duties and no med passing.

i've even had to write on my list a reminder to go drink something and use the restroom. i don't want to leave the floor myself, but found out the day the ac went out, that staying was detrimental to my health when i sweated too much and ended up losing too much k+ and the result was severe leg cramps all night long. now i keep some individual crystal light packets or something similar in my pocket-the ones that are like gatorade without sugar so i can grab some water mix it up quickly and chug it down at the ice/water machine in the patient nutrition room.

So it shall be written. So it shall be done.

Specializes in OR.
I have to appeal to both sides you should have taken a break on time so it didn't get to the point of desperation that automatically puts you in a bad situation. The CNA should have reacted in a professional manner and voice her vaild concerns , both were in the wrong in this situation.

you have to appeal to both sides? why?? because you're a CNA?

there should have been NO circumstance where the CNA should have reacted like that. NEVER. EVER.

first of all, the RN is responsbile for the tasks that the CNA does for the patients. to ask for vitals and a pitcher of water... whether in note form, telephone, insertmodeofcommunication here is completely legitimate. ultimately, it falls on the RN. we are the team leaders and we have the responsibility to see too it that patient care gets implemented... even if it is delegated.

i was an extern for a year before graduationg, but basically i had the role of a tech. i would have loved to get a note. i know from working that if a nurse actually writes something down for a tech to do, you know that either the RN is really, really swamped, or something needs to be done asap. otherwise they could walk to you and find you. i would have loved to have taken this opportunity to help the RN out in a time of need, because if you scratch someone's back in your group of peers, people notice. you get talked about. you are MUCH more likely to get helped out when YOU need help if you help out others.

why is this person even a CNA if they dont want to do something thats ultimately helping the patient?

Two words. Insubordination and write-up.

I agree. Hopefully your manager will do the write up and support you. Keep us informed, please.

This CNA sounds like a racist bully, and needs to learn about what zero tolerance for that behavior means.

She just needs to go on home for that language, IMHO.

The write up is totally up to management, is it not? :rolleyes:

I would have to talk to management after letting her know privately and immediately that I did not appreciate her behavior nor language, and that it is totally unacceptable.

Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.

Did I miss something? Since when does it matter WHY the OP left the floor for a few minutes on a break? The POINT is that she left instructions for the CNA to perform a couple very simple tasks well within her job description. And, not only did the CNA not perform the tasks which were legally delegated to her by an RN, but she was verbally threatening and disrespectful.

This would be the equivalent of me telling my boss (or ANY of my co-workers, for that matter) that I am not her "n-word" and I`ll do WHAT I want WHEN I feel like it. This woman needs to go work in a junk yard, not a health care facility.

It was completely inappropriate.

It`s easy in hindsight to say "Oh, I would have said this or that." It doesn`t matter what you should have said or done. Just realize that you did NOTHING wrong, but she did. My advice is to arrange a meeting with your supervisor and this (I don`t think I can use the term I would like). Don`t say "I felt sick" " I hadn`t had a break" - because that isn`t relevant. Just state that you requested in writing that the CNA perform certain duties, and she failed to do them. And that she was disrespectful of you not only by what she said to you, but by the way she discussed the incident with other employees.

Or, you could talk directly to this "person" and tell her that you expect her to perform her job, and you expect to be treated with the respect you deserve. If she cannot do this, you will have no choice but to file a complaint.

Or, you can go directly to your supervisor and talk it over with her\him.

Did I miss something? Since when does it matter WHY the OP left the floor for a few minutes on a break? The POINT is that she left instructions for the CNA to perform a couple very simple tasks well within her job description. And, not only did the CNA not perform the tasks which were legally delegated to her by an RN, but she was verbally threatening and disrespectful.

IMO - It doesn't matter why the OP left the floor in regards to the behavior of the CNA. I don't think anyone here is trying to combine the two problems together into one problem besides you. The point most of us are making is that it's important for all RN's to take care of their health and to find a way to take a break. As you can see in the case of the OP not finding a way to take a break caused her to become ill. That's doesn't matter to you? Take care.

Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.
Hello. I'm not trying to be mean, but you asked our opinion. So here it goes. You were so busy that you couldn't take a pee break? You couldn't take a 2 minute break to eat a cracker? But you did have time to write down the 2 tasks, explain your condition to the HUC and ask her to pass along a note to your CNA? You did have time to step away from your work in private to argue with your CNA about this stupid note you left her?:selfbonk:

No, the point is that the CNA behaved inappropriately. And that the OP did nothing to bring it on herself by "being too busy to take a pee break." I take exception to the tone of the bolded portion of you post.

Of course it matters to me that the OP "not finding a way to take a break caused her to become ill." I've been there myself, so have many others. Patients actually come first. When there are things to take care of, crises to deal with, eating a cracker doesn't score high on the priority list. I'm glad that you apparently have not run up against this kind shift in you career as a nurse. Can I have a job where you work?

I would NEVER, EVER talk to my RN that way. As a CNA, it's my job to do as my nurse asks, not to give her a bunch of backtalk. She needs to be written up and to get the chip off her shoulder. That's just down right rude.:madface:

I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Thank goodness you will not have to work with her again. I've always tried my best to do everything that has been asked of me and I respected the nurses I have worked with. I've never even considered disrespecting any nurse I have worked with. I'm glad you told the NM. If she speaks to you in this manner, who knows how she speaks to the pts!

I was almost done posting this but it went away? Sorry if it comes up twice???

Anyway, I am an RN on a busy day shift med-surg/onc floor. The other day it was crazy. It was about 1400 and I had not eaten or peed. I was starting to feel a bit sick. I told the HUC that I was not feeling well and that I was going to take a quick break to pee and eat something real quick. I told her to tell the CNA I was working with that I was not feeling good, would be back quickly, and to give her this note.

The note said - Take temp in 502 and get water for 507. Thanks

Well when I got back, the CNA working with me was livid. She demanded to talk to me in private. She says (and I quote) "I am not your N-word" (but she says the word if ya know what I mean) "You can't just leave me notes and expect me to do what you say"

I was just so shocked! First that she would use the N word (we are both white) and second, that she seemed to not care that I had to get off the floor for just a few min.

So I end up apologizing to HER, explaining why I left the note, and telling her how bad I had to take a quick break. She really didn't care, didn't even give the water or take the temp, and just talked trash about me for the rest of the shift. I heard her later telling the other cna's that 'she put me in my place"

this type of behavior is so dishearting for me, We should ALL be there to support eachother and the patients. What would you guys have done?

Why did you apologize to her? You didn't do anything wrong. You wrote her a note communicating what needed to be done (which was within the scope of her job), and wrote it in a professional manner. She can't call you that. She can't call ANYONE that she works with.

No, the point is that the CNA behaved inappropriately. And that the OP did nothing to bring it on herself by "being too busy to take a pee break." I take exception to the tone of the bolded portion of you post.

Of course it matters to me that the OP "not finding a way to take a break caused her to become ill." I've been there myself, so have many others. Patients actually come first. When there are things to take care of, crises to deal with, eating a cracker doesn't score high on the priority list. I'm glad that you apparently have not run up against this kind shift in you career as a nurse. Can I have a job where you work?

I'd suggest going back and re-reading (or possibly reading for the first time) what I wrote. How are you interrelating the CNA's behavior with taking a pee break? That was never stated. :(

Please get off your high horse by thinking you're the only RN who is overloaded. Please... Save your breath... Take care.

Specializes in LTC.

I'm having trouble understanding what was so offensive about the note. If I got one like that I wouldn't think twice about it. And using the n-word is completely unacceptable. I would have been pisssssed!!

I also don't see why people are blaming the nurse for putting off her break. I'm a CNA and I usually get caught up in my work and realize, 2 hours after I intended to take a pee break, that I REALLY have to go. I also never get to drink enough water and I'm usually hungry by the time I leave. It just... happens.

Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Without reading any of the other responses, I would have written her up and contacted our supervisor for disciplinary action. The language she used is hostile and offensive, considered hate speech. The fact tht you are both white is irrelevent. Second, she was insubordinate. You gave her specific tasks within the scope of practice for a CNA, and she flat out refused.

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