CNA diary - I thought we are at the same team, and nursing is a team work ???

Nurses General Nursing

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The announcement on the bulletin said - "ONLY ADMINISTRATOR, ADMISSIONS AND DSD are allowed to use cell phones in this facility, everyone should follow this regulation."

I know we are not supposed to use cell phone except during break or lunch time, but I do find almost anyone above cna position talking the cell phone at working station even in front of patients or their families. I was told nursing is a team work, and we are a tem - from RN, LVN (charged nurse) to CNA. Why do they violate the regulation and want us to follow?

We work like a dog, but they are laughing, chatting and eating (hiding in the storage behind the station). I doubt we are in the same boat? ARE WE A TEAM? They do care one thing - that is "do not have your patients fall" - and that's it. I saw a patient spitting and pouring the milk on the floor, and the LVN (just stood beside that patient) put the yellow precaution sign waiting for housekeepers to clean. Actually, she could use towels to wipe it out (cost her five seconds only) for fear of other patients passing by and falling down.

I know I won't be like that - if I become a LVN some other day. Starting from a CNA, I know we are in the same boat, and we are a team. The principle of management is - if you set the rule, you have to follow it from yourself and you can have others followed.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

No one at my facility is to use cell phones on the floor-this is strictly enforced after a cna was caught talking on hers while she had a resident dangling in a hoyer lift. My co-workers and I are the queens of multi tasking-don't assume your staff are not.They can be getting alot done at that desk while they are (seemingly) laughing,chatting and eating. As for spills-I'll clean some up with towels but if the liquid is sticky or smelly (like sour milk) it needs to be thoroughly mopped.I think you may be making judgements without some of the facts. We all have various responsibilites in LTC but as my DON says to the cna's "The nurses can do your job but you can't do theirs" You really have no idea now what has to be done at that desk every day-after you become a nurse you'll find out.

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Specializes in LTC.

The Op is just venting. Im sure the Op have enough common sense to know that all nurses dont behave like described in the post.

Agree with the Op, if those nurses arent following the same rules then shame on them.

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We work like a dog, but they are laughing, chatting and eating (hiding in the storage behind the station). I doubt we are in the same boat? ARE WE A TEAM? They do care one thing - that is "do not have your patients fall" - and that's it. I saw a patient spitting and pouring the milk on the floor, and the LVN (just stood beside that patient) put the yellow precaution sign waiting for housekeepers to clean. Actually, she could use towels to wipe it out (cost her five seconds only) for fear of other patients passing by and falling down.

I know I won't be like that - if I become a LVN some other day. Starting from a CNA, I know we are in the same boat, and we are a team. The principle of management is - if you set the rule, you have to follow it from yourself and you can have others followed.

Not sure about others but I know I rarely if EVER get my two breaks and my lunch allowed by LAW and there are many, many days I go from the start of my shift until I get home without using the bathroom to pee!..but I know for a fact the CNA's on my team get to use the bathroom when ever the urge happens, they get both their breaks and their lunches un-interrupted..so yes, I will eat and chart..sorry..I need to eat too. so who's being treated like a dog? And on numerous occasions i have seen the CNA's sitting at the desk, laughing, joking, having a good ol time and there are so many lights going off it looks like Christmas!

No one is allowed a cell phone in my facility. No one.

you think you are the only one who works like a dog?? My team consists of 4 CNAs and one nurse (me)..you aren't the only one who works hard. We do not only care about one thing. Scratch that, yes, we do care about one thing..the PATIENTS..

Many of our CNA's have gone on and become LPN's and have stayed with our facility. My, my, how their whole outlook on nurses changes once they are the nurse..you can't judge until you walk in some one else's shoes..I can judge, since I have been a CNA since the age of 16..

Come back when you become a nurse and let us know what you think then..

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I feel for you, OP. But, as others have said, things are not always what they appear to be. You might not have all the facts.

Just do what you know is right and let God handle the rest. Don't fall into the trap of being envious of others. I know it's hard not to sometimes, but do try. God bless you and I hope you get to become a nurse. you'll be a good one, I know.

Be true to yourself and trust God.

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I did break my old jobs policy on not having cell phones on you when on the floor but am so glad that I did lol. I went to help a resident in the bathroom and the door knob broke while we were inside. Yes I could have pulled the pull cord but I am the one who answers the pull cord and what about my other residents. Anyway, I made a call into my facility from my cell phone so that I could get some help.

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I agree with you that it is completely unfair for you to have to follow a harder set of rules than the people above you. I work as a CNA, also, and I have noticed that the rules often only apply at my level. I have gotten smart, though, and started documenting what the nurses do that they say I can't (talking on cell phones in hall and in residents' rooms, taking food from residents and eating it, etc.) and turning it in to the DON. This type of oppressive treatment is ridiculous. It's all a power trip.

Flame on!

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i don't know where you work, but the cna's at the ltc places i've worked basically dared and asked management to write them up for using a cellphone. 3 write ups for cellphone and the cna got suspended for a few days, but as the cna's called it, they got a vacation, ha.

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Specializes in LTC.

Samantha76 you did the right thing. I even had to remind my Don not to eat in residents area.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.
Not sure about others but I know I rarely if EVER get my two breaks and my lunch allowed by LAW and there are many, many days I go from the start of my shift until I get home without using the bathroom to pee!..but I know for a fact the CNA's on my team get to use the bathroom when ever the urge happens, they get both their breaks and their lunches un-interrupted..so yes, I will eat and chart..sorry..I need to eat too. so who's being treated like a dog? And on numerous occasions i have seen the CNA's sitting at the desk, laughing, joking, having a good ol time and there are so many lights going off it looks like Christmas!

No one is allowed a cell phone in my facility. No one.

you think you are the only one who works like a dog?? My team consists of 4 CNAs and one nurse (me)..you aren't the only one who works hard. We do not only care about one thing. Scratch that, yes, we do care about one thing..the PATIENTS..

Many of our CNA's have gone on and become LPN's and have stayed with our facility. My, my, how their whole outlook on nurses changes once they are the nurse..you can't judge until you walk in some one else's shoes..I can judge, since I have been a CNA since the age of 16..

Come back when you become a nurse and let us know what you think then..

It's posts like these that remind me that many in nursing are back biting, catty, and really DO not have any respect for eachother. Regardless of ones level of education, Basic mutual respect in the workplace should be of upmost priority - In some ways its most important. I have re-read this post numerous times and to me it seems like this poster is burnt out - Certainly not a professional i would like to have on my team. I some ways I miss working in law enforcement - someone always has your back - it seems in Nursing that someone is always ON your back.

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I agree with you that it is completely unfair for you to have to follow a harder set of rules than the people above you. I work as a CNA, also, and I have noticed that the rules often only apply at my level. I have gotten smart, though, and started documenting what the nurses do that they say I can't (talking on cell phones in hall and in residents' rooms, taking food from residents and eating it, etc.) and turning it in to the DON. This type of oppressive treatment is ridiculous. It's all a power trip.

Flame on!

Not flaming but rather giving advice. I'd be very careful doing this type of thing if I were you. I'd worry about my own self and my own job instead of playing investigator and tattle-tale to higher management about trivial nonsense. Not to say that it's right for the nurses to break rules that are set for everyone, but I've seen bad things happen to techs and CNA's that raise troubles like this. Of course, if it's something serious that you've witnessed, like a nurse hitting a resident or the like, then yes... report it all you want. You never know, the nurses that appear to have their cell phones out at the desk could be using a PDA function and looking up a drug calculation, not texting, facebooking, etc... I've been a tech before, and I don't think it's "oppresive treatment" as you describe.

There's a saying about being a pot-stirrer... "You squawk, you walk..."

:twocents:

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It's posts like these that remind me that many in nursing are back biting, catty, and really DO not have any respect for eachother. Regardless of ones level of education, Basic mutual respect in the workplace should be of upmost priority - In some ways its most important. I have re-read this post numerous times and to me it seems like this poster is burnt out - Certainly not a professional i would like to have on my team. I some ways I miss working in law enforcement - someone always has your back - it seems in Nursing that someone is always ON your back.

I am not catty or back biting. I have plenty of repect for all that I work with and I frequently go to bat for the CNA's when things are being done that just aren't fair. I treat everyone as an equal regardless of their educational background or title, I help out with patient care, transfers, feeding etc when I can and always am available to come to if a CNA needs assistance with a patient. I was a CNA for years and years and I know how hard they work, I'm also a nurse..I know how hard we work.

The OP stated that the CNA's work like dogs but the nurses are sitting around laughing, chatting and eating. I was simply stating that the CNA's aren't the only ones working like dogs.

From my post defending myself (and other nurses) you have decided I am burnt out and not a professional you would want ot have on your team? I am FAR from burnt out, I love my job, my patients and the people I work with. The CNA's on my team have frequently told me they love working with me as I am so understanding of how hard they work, because I am very approachable when they have questions that some othe nurses would roll their eyes at, because I will pitch in and help when i can and how I have THEIR backs when others are at them for things that just aren't right. Make all the judgements of me you want..I was simply stating to the OP that not just the CNA's are worked like dogs. And pointing out that the "grass is always greener on the other side".

Is it fair that in the OP's place of employment the staff can't have cell phones with exception of the DNS, administrator and admissions, but nurses are freqently seen using them..no, its not. Is it fair that there are rules in place for everyone but a select few nurses that the OP's job don't follow them..no, its not. But is it fair for the OP to jump on a soap box and and stay that there is only one thing the nurses there care about is 'don't let the patients fall'..or to say that the CNA's are working like dogs as the nurses are laughing, chatting etc..thats not fair either. Because I'm sure not all nurses in that facility are acting as those that described are..just as I'm sure not all CNA's are the derogatory things people say in other posts..

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