Another thread on lazy CNAs

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Ok, first off.....I know not all CNAs are lazy. Those who are lazy know who they are and if they are lazy or not, so if you are a CNA and you are not lazy then this does not apply to you or to others who are NOT lazy. Don't get upset or flame me for this posting, because I am seriously frustrated with SOME my CNAs on the nightshift at the LTC I work in part time.

I am posting to seek suggestions for this frustrating situation.

So here's the story.

I work nights, sometimes a 12 hour shift from 7p-7a and sometimes an 8-hour shift from 11p-7a.

Most of the CNAs are good on these shifts and do their work.

The ones who do not do as expected are the source of my frustration.

We have 2 wings, and an ACU, {Alzheimer's Care Unit.**

We usually have 5 CNAs at night.

Some of them are known to pile up in the chairs in the lobby in front of the television, sleep, snore, spend enormous amounts of time smoking out on the patio and conveniently forget to do their rounds at 1am and 3 am. At 5 am, they do that round, because they have to start getting people up and dressed.

It is the 1am and 3am rounds I am concerned with.

Night before last night, 1 CNA slept in the lobby there in front of the desk. I was very busy around 1am doing some work in the medicine room, so I did not really notice if he did that 1am round or not. I give people the benefit of the doubt and assume people will do their jobs.

But..............as the clock ticked on, I noticed him staying in the chair and sleeping and snoring. I then started watching closely to see if he was going to do the 3am round. At 3:20am, I asked him was he going to get up and do the bedchecks. He says, "In a couple of minutes."

So I say, "I did not see you do the round at 1am, and am not sure if you actually did, but for this round it is already 3:20 and you have not yet started. When do you intend to start this round?" So he sat there for about 30-45 seconds, and then got up and went down the hall and started doing the bedchecks.

Another area of concern is the Alzheimer's Care Unit. The CNA who is covering that unit spends alot of time....altho, not all of the shift....out on the patio smoking and talking. This leaves that unit...which is behind double doors that are closed, UNcovered while she is on the patio. If someone got up and fell who would know it, until she decides to go back on the unit?

She doesn't ask to be relieved for a break, she just leaves the unit whenever she wants to.

All the CNAs, sometimes all meet on the patio for smoking and chatting, which leaves just me and other LPN on the halls.

This is all very frustrating, because if we write up any CNA for anything we get no back up from the DON. She made the comment once to another LPN, "Well as long as they are here............." She also told one LPN that she did not do the write up on the official form and so therefore the write up was not valid. But the "official" forms were never put out where we have access to them. I don't think they want us to write the CNAs up for poor job performance. We LPNs are being underminded by the DON and other administration staff and the CNAs are therefore being allowed to walk all over us. And the patients are the ones who are suffering for it.

I am SICK of this situation. Do you all hear what I am saying? I am SICK of it.

I need suggestions for getting these CNAs up off their lazy butts and doing some work.

I don't know what to do. It is so frustrating. I just cannot take this anymore.

Leaving and getting another part time job is out of the question. This job, these hours and the location to my home, is just what I need for extra work and the convenience of being close to my house, which is just practically around the corner from where I live.

This job can be made better, and I need to know how to do it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

How can I be more assertive and a better supervisor?

I think I could get more support from the ADON.......I think I should talk to HER and not the DON.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.

sounds like their laziness is creating unsafe environment for the patients. That is definitely something to be angry about.

I would report them to whoever is above you..to someone who can fire them/replace them if need be.

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Your best bet is to put pen to paper....that is known as a write up. Most places I have worked, that is a "walk to the clock" if you are found sleeping. If you find that you don't feel comfortable with that, then write them up and talk to your immediate supervisor. I think this is a control issue here, and they feel you are not in control. Your patients are the ones who suffer.

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Specializes in MPCU.

This is a very frustrating situation. I left a job once for similar reasons. (I found the CNA asleep in a patients room, with the bed in high position and the side rails down - the last straw.)

You do not have the authority to supervise, both by law and your DON's practices.

An attitude of "I'm in charge" probably will only make things worse as those few lazy persons realize you have no authority. One hard core approach would be to report them to the Ombudsman.

As busy as you must be, the best approach would be to get to know the CNA's on a personal level. Make good friends with the good CNA's and enlist their help with the others. Try to become friends with the lazy ones - they may work harder for a friend than for a facility. Attempt a problem solving approach with your supervisor and the DON. That is state your difficulties and ask for suggestions as to how things may be improved. Stay focused only on your area of concern and avoid mention of how other wards (ACN) are not functioning.

Good luck and plenty of patience to you as you resolve this situation.

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Update to this frustrating problem.

I just talked to the DON and the ADON.

I told them what is going on at night and the sleeping incident, how they all meet out on the patio from both wings, and how the ACU is left uncovered.

They both say they did say in the past that they don't have a problem with the CNAs going out to have a cigarette, that it shouldn't take no longer than 5 minutes.

But I still don't think she's getting the enormity of the situation. The ACU is left uncovered many, many times, that no one will be back there on the unit.

And we all know how Alzheimer's patients are......they don't KNOW to use the call light. Something could happen to one of them, they could fall and not be able to get up, get sick, or whatEVER......and no one is there to "hear" noises of patients in trouble. Am I right or wrong in this????

I think that breaks should be scheduled, and that when the CNA on the ACU wants a break she should let me know, so that I or the other CNA on that wing can go back there and relieve her for a break.

As far as the sleeping incident, she said that is grounds for immediate termination.

She, the DON, said she would come and work the floor herself if CNAs are caught sleeping. But I don't believe THAT either, because we were short one night and she didn't bother to come help. She told the LPN who called her, "Well I can't do anything about it now." Well....................she could have got up and come to work that night but she didn't. I don't think she would back me up if someone was caught sleeping and I called her about it. But if it happens AGAIN, I will call her. And let HER deal with it.

I also asked her for a list of things that CNAs can do at night, if they seem to not have anything to do, I can choose something for them to be busy with. And she said she would back me up on that. She said there were things they are supposed to be doing.

So this is how it stands for now.

We'll see if things get any better.

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Specializes in acute care.

I think it's sad that newly certified aides like me are having trouble finding CNA jobs....well, I see why now...it's because the lazy ones get to KEEP their jobs. :uhoh3:

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The only suggestion I have is that instead of timidly asking them to do something that you tell them to do it. Not in a nasty way but for instance when you woke the CNA at 3:20am to do his rounds you asked him if he was going to do bed checks. Instead of being timid and asking you have to state the obvious in a polite yet firm manner.

Mr. ____ its 3:20am, you're late for 3:00am rounds and you missed 1:00am rounds; please take care of this and do the bed checks ASAP.

When you see the CNAs on the patio smoking cigarettes give them 3 minutes and then interrupt. I'm an ex-smoker and I know how long it takes to smoke a ciggy....should never be more than 5 minutes. Truthfully, they have no business smoking if it's not their break time but you gotta be diplomatic sometimes.

"Hi ladies/gentlemen...I know you are enjoying your smoke break but please limit it to 5 minutes and please don't all go at the same time...someone has to stay on the until at all times."

Then stand there and say "Ok, so who is finished because I need at least one of you to come back right now."

Be semi-pleasant and a little flexible because you don't want to create this draconian environment that makes them rebel against your authority. That said be firm and don't leave room for discussion or protest.

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I am a CNA and I know plenty of lazy cna's too:nono:. I also frustrates me and im not above them! The patents are in danger if they have alziemers and arn't being checked on. You have the right to do something about it.

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Since your DON undermines you and the other LPNs by not backing you up when you write up the CNAs there is nothing you can do about it except stay there and get an ulcer over it or move on and get a job elsewhere, hoping you find a better workplace. Nothing will ever get done when the DON does not support her nurses.

I worked in a facility where one bossy CNA took all of the new CNAs and made sure that they knew that their night shift job consisted of bringing geri chairs pillows and blankets out into the hallways so that they were comfortable sleeping all night. She got away with it because she said she was friends with the DON and the DON said CNAs could sleep at night because they had two jobs (most of them). The nurses did absolutely nothing about this atrocity. Some of the CNAs would not do any rounds at all or answer any call bells. Yes, they got away with it. I just did my job.

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Wow, sad but true. while i was in nursing school, someone actually said to me..why not become a cna because you will have a job but all they do is sleep all night.

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As busy as you must be, the best approach would be to get to know the CNA's on a personal level. Make good friends with the good CNA's and enlist their help with the others. Try to become friends with the lazy ones - they may work harder for a friend than for a facility. Attempt a problem solving approach with your supervisor and the DON. That is state your difficulties and ask for suggestions as to how things may be improved. Stay focused only on your area of concern and avoid mention of how other wards (ACN) are not functioning.

Good luck and plenty of patience to you as you resolve this situation.

I find it interesting you said "make good friends...." sounds like my nursing educators talking to us while in NS. I remember at least 3 of my nursing educators told us at separate times that the best way to get help from the CNAs in your unit is to be nice to them. I have been applying this principle and so far is working well.

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Specializes in LTC.

What?????? In our facility sleeping on the job is automatic dismissal!! Geez the things people get by with.............

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