Annoying CNA

BBboy · Dec 31, 2015

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.

You do realize that this can't all be pinned on the nurse right? Working in this field you should know that anything can happen at any given time. If the nurse was unable to address the issue earlier who knows what could've happened? Maybe a death, admit, fall who knows? The nurse is only at fault here if they didn't address the dressing due to pure laziness as it wasn't a dire concern.

Cream and sugar LPN · Dec 31, 2015

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.

WOW

So it is your policy to throw the nurse under the bus in front of family because you feel she needs to address YOUR concerns within a time frame that YOU feel is important?

As the CNA mentioned- The wound was not bleeding or soiled. It was simply out of place. I'm sure the nurse planned to address it when she went around to do her treatments. At the moment it was not the priority. It is not up to YOU to tell her how to do her job.

Cream and sugar LPN · Dec 31, 2015

I'm a fairly new first time CNA at a local LTC facility. I'm simply asking if I'm in the wrong.
When I took my resident to the bathroom on first rounds of my shift around 15:00 I noticed her gauze in av wound needed changed. It wasn't leaking, not actively bleeding but the gauze was coming out and parts of the wound were visable and parts of the gauze was soaked but dry. I finish her toileting and go tell my nurse assigned to my hall. She tells me okay I'll get to it. By 1900 I pass by and see her in the room doing her meds. I want trying to be pushy. I understand it wasn't major but I was curious so while she was in there finishing meds I show her what I thought needed changed just to make sure I want making more work for her. We leave the room and she pulls me to the side and tells me to never do that again especially since residents husband was in there. She told me also that she told me she'd get to it when she could and not ask that in front of the husband.
I feel bad. Like I made her mad. I understand nurses are busy. I understand we as CNAs can be annoying and demanding but to tell me not to do that made me feel like I have to play out of sight out of mind when I see something beyond my CNA training. The other part of me sees her side and sees me as pushy and annoying and stepping over my CNA line.
I guess this is more of a vent more than asking for advice but I've had problems with this nurse before.

Don't be too hard on yourself OP! Your heart was in the right place. Live and learn[emoji6]

BBboy · Dec 31, 2015

WOW
So it is your policy to throw the nurse under the bus in front of family because you feel she needs to address YOUR concerns within a time frame that YOU feel is important?
As the CNA mentioned- The wound was not bleeding or soiled. It was simply out of place. I'm sure the nurse planned to address it when she went around to do her treatments. At the moment it was not the priority. It is not up to YOU to tell her how to do her job.

Ladyfth is just the type of aide nurses and CNA's don't want to work with. It honestly always astounds me the type of people you encounter in this field especially

hookyarnandblanket · Dec 31, 2015

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.

Thank you for sharing your opinion; we will have to agree to disagree. Here is my ultimate opinion on the matter:

She reported it to the nurse. Nothing more needed to be done, especially in front of family. Every nurse I have worked with would have had me by the figurative throat had I done something like this. It's about prioritization and common sense.

When I come across things like this, I report it to the patient's nurse, and then document it in our charting system as referred to the nurse assigned. From there, it is out of my hands.

neuron · Dec 31, 2015

Ladyfth is just the type of aide nurses and CNA's don't want to work with. It honestly always astounds me the type of people you encounter in this field especially

You've don't know me and never worked with me. LOL. You say this because I won't allow myself to be betrayed by a nurse? If you let yourself be betrayed, go ahead. But for me, no thanks.

AshBuggin · Dec 31, 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.

Agreed. It can be rough as a CNA wanting to provide the best care possible to a patient with a nurse that has a high acuity report. I wouldn't have called her out in front of the patient but I definitely would have said something. If it came down to reporting it to the Nurse manager then I would have approached it in a way the drew a picture of the floor needing more RN's on and not placed blame on the RN directly. nursing is a team situation and we need to have each other's backs.

Bumex, DNP, NP · Dec 31, 2015

You've don't know me and never worked with me. LOL. You say this because I won't allow myself to be betrayed by a nurse? If you let yourself be betrayed, go ahead. But for me, no thanks.

Betrayed? I think from what you have said, you would be the one 'betraying' a nurse. Cut throat attitudes like yours is why many people leave the profession, let alone why families end up taking on a grudge against a person/facility. Healthcare is a team, and when you belittle one member, the whole team is hurt. So, I second the notion that I wouldn't want you on my team. I treat my CNAs with respect, and they treat me with respect. We all forget things sometimes, the point is, take it up on the side, not in front of a family. Nor should you ever use someone else as a scapegoat.

There are far better ways to go about things than to say, "it's not my fault, I told them."

Cream and sugar LPN · Dec 31, 2015

I firmly believe that CNAs should be educated during their certification what it is the nurse is responsible for. It should be explained to them how we prioritize care. That may help in situations like this so that there is no need to throw the nurse under the bus because she didn't jump to fix a loose bandage in the middle of a med pass- no less.

And as far as involving family in the way ladyfth is suggesting... That should immediately warrant a write up. Period.

That is never okay- ever.

Some retraining is in serious need here.

Kystudentrn · Dec 31, 2015

When I was an aide I did what hookyarnandablanket did. If there was an abnormality I notified the nurse, charted such, and called it done. if you start making a habit of calling out your nurses you're just asking for trouble. At best you'll find your self on a different floor and more likely you'll find yourself at a different job.

AshBuggin · Jan 1, 2016

I firmly believe that CNAs should be educated during their certification what it is the nurse is responsible for. It should be explained to them how we prioritize care. That may help in situations like this so that there is no need to throw the nurse under the bus because she didn't jump to fix a loose bandage in the middle of a med pass- no less.
And as far as involving family in the way ladyfth is suggesting... That should immediately warrant a write up. Period.
That is never okay- ever.
Some retraining is in serious need here.

Agreed. On my orientation as a PCT I had 1 12 hour RN shadow shift where I shadowed the Nurse and learned what their job description consisted of. It was. A valuable experience and I learned all about what RNS are supposed to be able to prioritize.

hookyarnandblanket · Jan 2, 2016

Agreed. On my orientation as a PCT I had 1 12 hour RN shadow shift where I shadowed the Nurse and learned what their job description consisted of. It was. A valuable experience and I learned all about what RNS are supposed to be able to prioritize.

The DON where I work just did this with a new hire who has no clinical experience as a CNA (apparently, there is a loophole in my state which allows people to work as a CNA in a hospital without being certified). The person has clinical experience as a pharmacy tech in a private duty doctor's office and in a pharmacy. She is quite competent, but she is training under a veteran staff RN.