Being Treated Poorly by an RN

Published

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

You don't have to believe it. And I can't see someone coming here to make up a story like that i m a student mom and wife no time on my hands to do that

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Also maybe I should clarify that I was not sitting with the patient who stated the light needs to be turned off. I was sitting with another patient in the room. (You know double rooms) who was on a marchman act. I simply wanted to know was I wrong in saying something... . . . . .

PP explained it to me in depth and allowed me to see the other side of this. In other words if a nurse tells you to do something do it no matter if it's your job or not.No matter if the patient who you are watching is on Baker act and they're asking you to care for a patient who is all the way across the room. If you don't like it go to school and be more than what you are put plain and simple. Won't happen again.

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Probably was but they've opened 4 in Gainesville 2 in Jacksonville 1 in lake city 1 in Orlando along with building two more in Gainesville so they've grown quite a bit in the last 5 or so years. They're also voted #3 which is why I wanted to work there. I guess it just the department I'm in we staff the hospital so I have no permanent floor and when I took the job it was descw to me as working on the floors staffing where they are short as a CNA not a sitter. I personally hate sitting and have been doing it for two years. I've brought this up to my supervisor and was told lines change. Whatever that means. I've been applying to other positions but since I am a CNA and not pca they don't want to hire me.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
Probably was but they've opened 4 in Gainesville 2 in Jacksonville 1 in lake city 1 in Orlando along with building two more in Gainesville so they've grown quite a bit in the last 5 or so years. They're also voted #3 which is why I wanted to work there. I guess it just the department I'm in we staff the hospital so I have no permanent floor and when I took the job it was descw to me as working on the floors staffing where they are short as a CNA not a sitter. I personally hate sitting and have been doing it for two years. I've brought this up to my supervisor and was told lines change. Whatever that means. I've been applying to other positions but since I am a CNA and not pca they don't want to hire me.

HCA has something like 150 hospitals. It's insane.

Sitting can be really boring. Occasionally nurses are pulled to be sitters for short times if a tech needs to come in from home and the one time I did it...well I can't stand it. Hope you find a job better suited to you soon!

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
PP explained it to me in depth and allowed me to see the other side of this. In other words if a nurse tells you to do something do it no matter if it's your job or not.No matter if the patient who you are watching is on Baker act and they're asking you to care for a patient who is all the way across the room. If you don't like it go to school and be more than what you are put plain and simple. Won't happen again.

First thing, I didn't read in any previous post where anyone told you to do something whether it's your job or not, just because a nurse told you to do it. Second thing, the RN wasn't asking you to provide patient care - she was asking you to turn off a light. This whole thing reads like you have a giant chip on your shoulder about being a CNA (ex: "CNAs are bottom of the barrel...", "PCAs are treated like royalty...", "I wish they would get rid of the CNA/PCA title..."). I'm more than certain that that is reflected in your attitude at work, whether you intend it or not.

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Specializes in RN critical care,traveler,critical care float,CNA5.

That was not a task that needed delegating. I am an aide, and when we are watching the patient they usually don't want us to leave the patient's sight. It was unnecessary and rude, she was right there, I would have politely said, "Oh since you are there , can you turn it off". I am a nursing students, and I deal with nurses like this all the time, they won't take their bio-hazard trash to be disposed they just leave it on the floor for the aide to dispose of.Thank God, there are the nurses that aren't like that. Issues like that shouldn't be addressed in front of the patient, just like an RN shouldn't say " Oh she can do it, she is a CNA", you are over there turn the light off and go on with your life. At my other job a call light went off and no one answered it as everyone was assisting a pt. So the doctor went in and the patient wanted her tray taken out of her room, he did it. Everything would go a lot smoother if people had more humility.

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I was simply stating what I feel since the situation happened not saying anyone said anything about shutting up. Maybe I didn't make it clear in my post and I apologize.

I don't feel like I have a chip about being a CNA bc frankly I loved it prior to working here. But at the current position I am in its not a great job. Minimum patient interaction, minimum use of CNA skills that coupled with not receiving breaks when requested or asking for relief to use the bathroom and waiting for an hours has made me a bit salty as it would anyone. Add that to the rules of no cellphone(which I completely understand) books or watching TV if the patient is a sleep is enough to make anyone go insane especially doing this 3 days a week for 12 hours straight.

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

NEVER have a little spat in front of a patient. Poor form.

With so little to go on about your story, it is a bit of a guessing game. I agree with a PP that the attitude you express in print may be reflected in real life. The disrespect you show here with run-on and unpunctuated sentences is off putting.

Turning off a light is not a patient care task and doesn't need to be officially delegated. Perhaps you were closest to the light switch and the RN wanted to be clear that you are an employee and not a visitor. CNA is your title. You expect everyone to know you by name?

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I cannot believe the hullabaloo over turning off a freaking light. I think you were all being ridiculous. And telling a nurse she is rude in front of the patients is extremely unprofessional. That kind of stuff should ALWAYS occur in private.

The others in the scenario weren't innocent. However, since the only behavior you control is your own, you'd be best served by examining your own attitudes and actions.

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HI, I feel you have the right to be upset. The doctor had reached for the light. The charge nurse should have stayed out of it. You were demeaned and that is never proper. You are not JUST a CNA, you are the eyes and ears of the other nursing staff. You make our lives not just easier but you frequently see and hear the problems of a patient or resident much sooner than the nurse does. (please note that I capitalized your license and not the word nurse. You too have a license and are owed an apology. Yes the nurse gets tired too. So do we all in this profession. When I was in a more hands on position (doing occupational medicine now) my CNAs were my saviors more than once. Ok, off my soapbox now. I hope you can forgive the charge and have a good working relationship and assume she was just having a bad day.

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HI, I feel you have the right to be upset. The doctor had reached for the light. The charge nurse should have stayed out of it. You were demeaned and that is never proper. You are not JUST a CNA, you are the eyes and ears of the other nursing staff. You make our lives not just easier but you frequently see and hear the problems of a patient or resident much sooner than the nurse does. (please note that I capitalized your license and not the word nurse. You too have a license and are owed an apology. Yes the nurse gets tired too. So do we all in this profession. When I was in a more hands on position (doing occupational medicine now) my CNAs were my saviors more than once. Ok, off my soapbox now. I hope you can forgive the charge and have a good working relationship and assume she was just having a bad day.

I worked with a great doctor, if we were busy he'd grab the patient do their vital signs and appointment.

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It reads like it was clarification that you're staff not family.

Don't ever say something like "excuse me" to a coworker like an indignant child. That's rude and unprofessional. Maybe he or she was being dismissive below the surface, but based on what you state, you were pointblank rude and uncouth. :/

Not everything needs to be a class war.

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