Being Treated Poorly by an RN

[msnikki05]

so today at work I had to sit or observe as shands likes to call it. anywho as I was sitting with my patient the medical team and charge nurse came in to do a patient consult upon leaving out the patient stated to them you should've at least turned out the light so the dr turned around to turn the light out when the charge nurse stated oh she can do it shes a cna and I was like exscuse me she then said I said your a cna so your capable of turning off a light I then said well that was quite rude she then said I don't think so.

I don't know if im overreacting but its crazy bc at shands cnas are the bottom of the barrel while pcas which is the same thing are treated like royalty so when she said that I got on the defensive was I wrong

[nortonplusRN]

Maybe yes or maybe not. Sometimes we over think things for no reason at all. It is always good to pick the big battles and the ones you can win otherwise let it go.

[APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

I don't know what "shands" is, I assume that is your place of employment.

I have a question for you: Could the Dr have been under the impression that you were a visitor/family member? ~ if so, I can understand the clarification "she is a CNA".

It is always best to ask questions/requests politely. I would have asked you to turn off the light in no different manner than if YOU were the Doctor.

I AM uncomfortable that this exchange happened in front of a patient. Next time, I suggest having a well-thought out discussion with the offender in private.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

I think everyone in that room except the doctor was being just a tad bit hard to deal with. SOMEBODY who is able to turn off the light please turn off the light.

The patient could have asked more politely (but there's a reason he/she needs a sitter, so I won't explore that any further). No, the charge nurse didn't need to point out how much she and the doc didn't have to do it. She could have been more helpful and there was no reason to stop the doc, but I doubt she said it to specifically degrade you as a person. In any case, confronting her in front of the patient was WRONG. Very wrong. And it could only lead to worse feelings on every side. If you think you've been wronged, then later, you talk to the charge nurse in private. Finally, as it wasn't really a big deal, you as a staff member (or student or whatever your capacity was as opposed to a visitor or something) caring for that patient could indeed have turned off the light for the patient. Because it all comes down to one thing > You are caring for the patient.

[msnikki05]

Thanks everyone for the advice Shands is the biggest hospital in the south so working here is a big deal but with every big corporations there are bigger problems.

They hire cnas but depending on what position you get is the deciding factor of if your a sitter or pca its all about lines and pay grades due to my pay grade I can't do certain things even though I know how the only thing I'm allowed to do is sit and take vital signs. All though now I see it from the other point of view I wish I would have handled it differently but I also feel she could have said it differently as well. Especially in from of a patient because they constantly ask what is the difference . I wish they would get rid of the CNA pca title because it cause alot of rift in the field

[Zyprexa_Ho]

holy run on sentences Batman

[heron, ASN, RN]

I don't believe the story.

[111th, ADN, LPN]

My hospital hired sitters who were not CNAs and were unable to even cover the patient up with a blanket if asked (true story). Maybe she was just clarifying that you were a member of the clinical team?

[heron, ASN, RN]

... I AM uncomfortable that this exchange happened in front of a patient. Next time, I suggest having a well-thought out discussion with the offender in private.

Me, too. Dominance displays like the one the OP describes aren't the patient's problem ... leave it in the nurses' station or the breakroom.

Personally I would have let the doc turn out the light so I could finish rounds and deal with the ensuing orders.

I can't say as can I blame the patient for getting testy, though. It can't be comfortable trying to rest with the ceiling light in your eyes. We do that to them a lot.

Plus, there's 1:1 and there's 1:1 ... the OP might be required to stay within an arm's length of the patient, like a suicide watch in my old facility. Ordering her to cross the room to turn out the light seem - um - imprudent, in my opinion.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

I don't believe the story.

I'm just curious, why?

[Julius Seizure]

Thanks everyone for the advice Shands is the biggest hospital in the south so working here is a big deal but with every big corporations there are bigger problems.

I thought Florida Hospital was the biggest? Maybe it changed. It is part of Adventist which I believe also happens to be possibly the largest health system. Though I'd rather work for Shands.

Edit: turns out thats only for non-profit. For-profit systems (HCA, duh) are much bigger.

[heron, ASN, RN]

I'm just curious, why?

Read my post just above yours. The behavior described by the op seems just a bit gratuitous.

Indulging in a power struggle with a cna at the bedside during md rounds? Over turning a light off? Nope - there's something off about that story, in my opinion. But that's just me ...