Advice on mentoring inexperienced CNA

Candwloc, LVN, RN · Sep 18, 2012

Ive been in her shoes now im in yours..the best advice I would give is encourge her to become a nurse..then let her see for herself ,as a nurse, how it really is..experience is the best education/ eye opener.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2012

We have young NA's who are studying nursing on my unit. Aside from teaching them CNA duties, I take the time to educate them about nursing, and allow them to ask questions. Also, when I'm taking vitals, doing dressing changes, or giving meds, I will explain the rationales. This is my approach with all the NA's, not just the ones in nursing school. I find this approach helps them to understand why their roles are important, which builds a team, rather than the tired us vs them mentality.

boltzfan · Sep 18, 2012

I'm a CNA, and I understand your frustration, believe me we feel the same way about fellow CNA's that are "underproductive". My suggestion is that you have one (or more) of the other CNA's talk with her, ask them how they do things, make her feel more like a team player.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Sep 18, 2012

Is there any other profession ,but nursing ...that feels a slacker needs "motivation and mentoring"?

Slackers need to be disciplined according to policy.... PERIOD. She has already figured out how to get OUT of working, so she must be able to realize that doing so compromises patient care.

joshsmother · Sep 18, 2012

I would not have another CNA talk to her! I am dealing with this crap now and I would much prefer criticism from a nurse! Make her feel like part of the team and make her understand. What she does is important and why. This can go along way

shix · Sep 18, 2012

I think it doesn't matter which profession one is in, a lazy person is a lazy person. Personally I jump when a bed alarm goes off (I work the night shift on a psych ward as a "Mental Health Worker" ie CNA lol), and for good reason. I would hate for any of the patients to end up on the floor (the paper work is immense esp. for the nurses), and I enjoy getting positive feedback on how well our shift works. However, I do realize that I tend to pull my weight and that of my fellow workers alot. Most of the Nurses help with the call lights and every other small thing - getting a glass of water, toileting..it makes me feel like part of a team. They don't "belittle" us (CNAs). On the flip side, there are some nurses I've worked with who sat in front of the computer screen on fb or watching some video while the call lights were almost deafening. I had to ask one if he felt it was too much to ask if he could please answer the call lights if he notices we're held up helping other patients? :). I guess my point is, people are different. Some people like to help, some just don't care. I personally like to make sure I did my job to the best of my ability at the end of the shift. If am feeling tired, I verbalize it. I too, am working on my "pre requisites" haha but at this point am torn on whether to go with nursing or respiratory care. Am sure I'll figure it out by the end of my school year. Good luck with the CNA.

SENSUALBLISSINFL, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2012

Some CNAs tended to diasappear once they knew nursing students were in the floor doing rotations. On my second to the last rotation, some were in the lounge having their break complaining that our group was not doing enough bed changing and baths. One of us had to tell them that we were on our second to last semester of graduation so we needed to step it up and really do nursing duties...wound care, getting to know vents, IV pumps, foleys, administering medication, learning to chart, etc...things that nurses do since our last semester was our Leadership, they were very upset that we were not helping them all the time. We did tell them that we would answer the call lights from them...still were not happy. We did some bed changing and some baths...but at that stage of our program when we were almost finishing we knew we had to learn more nursing duties. At the beginning of our program our professors wanted us to learn what the job on the CNA entailed so complete patient care was encouraged. So yes, unfortunately some have come across as being lazy, but more often than not, the CNAs were awesome with us....I learned so much from some of them.

As one poster said, a lazy person is one no matter what position, which is unfortunate because the whole team suffers, the other CNAs and the nurses. You need to speak to this CNA. Your idea of mentoring is great, she still young and getting her feet wet.

FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN · Sep 18, 2012

She's very young (19 or 20) and this is her 1st CNA job (it may also be her 1st job period!). I've personally seen that she shows little initiative and is difficult to find on the floor... if you know what I mean. Other/more experienced CNAs/nurses relate to me similar observations. She has told me she's interested in becoming a nurse and is "taking some prerequisites". Sometimes I get the vibe from her that she thinks nurses have it easy just passing meds while the CNAs answer all the call lights etc... which as we nurses know is not the case. I'd like some feedback on how to motivate or mentor her. Any input would be appreciated!

Perhaps you could take her on a "Ride Along." If she isn't doing anything to begin with, her absence shouldn't be terribly missed for a shift. Since she works under your license it shouldn't cause that many waves to have her work along side you as you go about the course of your duties. Obviously, I'm not saying she should be starting IV's or hanging blood, but she should be right there beside you as you do everything you go through in the shift, and don't let her skip a beat. Every call light, every complaint, issue you deal with, she's right there beside you. Next to you as you check charts for your MARs, calling Doctors for orders, wolfing down your food so you can get back to the floor, everything, she needs to get the complete picture so maybe she will begin to appreciate just what it means to be an RN, then when she's back to work doing her own job, she'll be a little more understanding what it's like.

Duztyroze · Aug 30, 2016

Something that has worked well for me is to provide the CNA's I'm working with a to-do list with fill-in-the-blanks...then ask to see it as often as needed (mid-morning, just before lunch, mid-afternoon) and then collect it 1/2 hour before end of shift.

Similar to this:

room 101: T__ P__ R__BP__ O2__Liters_

Intake__Output__ Amb distance__ BM__ Bed alarm__ BG__/__ pain score__/__/__/__ behaviors__ etc, etc.

with reminders when appropriate, to notify me of any abnormal values & that tasks need to be completed before clocking-out í ½í¹‚

pebblebeach, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2016

I am a new CNA taking prerequisites before nursing school also. I've been on the hospital floor about 2 months. No experience before that except 2 years nannying and about a month in home health care. Just to be clear -- has this CNA truly exhibited lazy behavior? I am biased, but she could just be terrified and/or unsure of what to do without making a mistake. That's how I've felt.

The other day I was in rooms changing soiled beds with immobile patients. This took me about 30 minutes per room, because I was alone (asked for help but the other CNAs were slammed) and I'm new and being overly careful, but I'm trying as hard as I can and going as fast as I can - sometimes as "fast as I can" means 30 minutes per soiled bed. I WILL get faster. However, one particularly nasty nurse told me later that shift, alone in a room with a sedated patient, to "work faster or work somewhere else."

It has taken a lot of self-motivating talk for me to get over this comment and know that I WILL improve and that I do want to be in this profession and that there are other nurses who will encourage me and help me. I will listen to them because they give me constructive criticism and direct advice.

This is what IS helpful to me as an inexperienced CNA: nurses giving me SPECIFIC instructions without any personal pandering (i.e. no eyerolling, no condescending tone -- I'm a human being! Treat me with respect. Not saying you do this - but for anyone reading this thread in the future...) Using lists, abbreviations, shortcuts -- all have been extremely helpful to me. The nurses I have good relationships with communicate well and tell me immediately when something I've done has been done incorrectly and tell me why it's incorrect and how to do it next time. The times I have problems are when nurses just assume I know what I did wrong. Each shift I do find myself improving & getting a little bit more efficient. AND my (alert, oriented) patients are happy.

How long is orientation for CNAs on your floor? You could also ask her if she wants more time following before she's on her own. I asked for another week and manager was happy to give me that.

If she is truly a lazy worker then she won't last. I just want to make sure she's given a chance and fear isn't being mistaken for laziness.

EDIT: Just noticed this was originally posted in 2012 - whoops! Advice stands nonetheless. Very curious where this CNA is now and if she pursued nursing after all!

LynnSoltys · Nov 7, 2016

I was mentored in this way. Learned more than in that role than in the classroom!