Annoying CNA

paramedic90 · Dec 15, 2015

Personally I think it's great that you are very attentive. We are actually taught at the facility that I work at to keep asking the nurses (nicely of course) to fix or check on a problem and if after asking 2 times and they still don't get the task done, we are supposed to then go to the charge nurse. It's not being rude, but simply making sure the patient gets proper care. Now I can understand her getting annoyed with you saying something in front of the husband. She probably felt as though the husband saw her as incompetent or something, though k am sure that was not your intention.

hookyarnandblanket · Dec 15, 2015

I am going to go the opposite direction: You tried to pull rank on a nurse, who has more training and experience than you. Big no-no, especially in front of a patient and her family. Whether or not you have a better way of doing it doesn't matter. She ranks above you and you undermined her in public.

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 15, 2015

I don't know why you thought it was a good idea to address that in front of the patient's family, to be honest.

mindofmidwifery, ADN · Dec 15, 2015

I would have waited until the nurse was finished in the patient's room before addressing anything. I made a habit of only telling nurses things if they are at their medcart or at the nurse's station, you should try and get into this habit.

heron, ASN, RN · Dec 15, 2015

OP, you mentioned that the nurse was finishing her med pass. Personally, I won't interrupt my med pass for much of anything short of an immediate safety concern or an impending medical emergency. An old dressing that was falling off and needing reinforcement or changing is neither of those.

I also agree with previous posters' point about timing and context. Reminding her in the presence of the family would be a problem for me, too.

I doubt that you intended it this way, but that action comes across as a deliberate attempt to impress the visitors or embarrass her. Easy to misunderstand.

BBboy · Dec 17, 2015

Echoing what everyone said above. You bringing this up whilst in the company of family could've been seen as an attempt to throw your nurse under the bus although that may have not been your intentions. Nurses I have worked with in the past have been adamant about letting them know when something was awry with our residents&patients however you also need to recognize when the situarion is appropriate

needlesmcgeeRN, ASN, RN · Dec 17, 2015

I would have waited until the nurse was finished in the patient's room before addressing anything. I made a habit of only telling nurses things if they are at their medcart or at the nurse's station, you should try and get into this habit.

Not really best practice to address something like this while the nurse is doing med pass.

AlwaysLearning247, BSN · Dec 28, 2015

I wouldn't have interrupted her during the med pass. If one of the CNA's did that to me over a dressing change (that isn't urgent) I would be very annoyed as well. You did the right thing by telling her what you saw but you need to understand nurses have a very strict time frame for passing meds and sometimes we need to pass meds on multiple people and the meds are all due at the same time. When I worked in the nursing home I passed meds on 15+ people so I literally couldn't just stop to check a dressing (esp while the husband is in the room) it would take up too much time. Now I only have 4-5 patients at the hospital so I am able to be more attentive. It is good you are reminding her but doing it in front of a family member makes it look like she is not caring for the patient. I was a CNA for two years so I understand but I usually only told the nurses something once and let them get to it when they could.

Bumex, DNP, NP · Dec 29, 2015

I agree as well. Interrupting a med pass should never happen unless it is something urgent. It's always ok to remind nurses of tasks like this eventually, but NEVER in front of the patient or family.

MPKH, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2015

It's good that you are trying to do the right thing, but next time, remind the nurse in private. Do not do that in front of family members.

How would you feel if the tables were turned? You were in the middle of doing something--say, you were feeding Mrs Smith, and your nurse came in and told you that she had asked you to get Mrs Smith the newspaper for the day and why haven't you done it yet?

neuron · Dec 30, 2015

I am going to go the opposite direction: You tried to pull rank on a nurse, who has more training and experience than you. Big no-no, especially in front of a patient and her family. Whether or not you have a better way of doing it doesn't matter. She ranks above you and you undermined her in public.

No maam. She is an attentive and caring CNA and wondered why the nurse didn't get to it within a 4 hour time frame. Some details are left out. Was the nurse at somepoint sitting at the nurse station. She went in the pt. room to give her meds and, in the CNA's eyes, ignored her responsibility and didn't even set eyes on the wound. I would have done the same thing if I was led to. I always cover myself. If a family member asks me 'why is her wound showing', I always say 'I told the nurse' hours ago, and then the family can decide what is next. I give the nurse name for your very response if you're using rank not to do your job. Sorry.