CNA frustrated with co-workers!!!

Hockeynurse · Aug 8, 2012

That is appalling! But the fact that you are disgusted with that kind of behavior and lack of knowledge tells me you ARE right for nursing, and probably more so than the LPN and RN you work with currently. Best of luck to you, and hang in there, with your drive, you'll do great!

juswannabenurse · Aug 8, 2012

wow! ive seen things exactly like this if not worse. it makes me want to be a nurse even more.

tomc5555 · Aug 9, 2012

Many thanks to you and all LTC workers who want to make a difference. I'm sure you have a positive impact on the residents.

Whether you stay or leave keep your values strong.

mindyfromcali · Aug 9, 2012

Wow that's really bad. BIG hug!! If you can, look for somewhere else to work. I would look at how the facility is rated, it makes a difference.

SlaveHeart · Aug 9, 2012

Speaking of facility raitings. Isn't there a site that has all the LTC's ranked and listed? I'm hoping to find it to look through and see if there are any facilities I haven't applied to, lol.

Thanks and sorry for hijacking your thread!

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Aug 11, 2012

I don't think the ratings make that big of a difference. I've seen surveys where they pick at every little thing that doesn't matter and others where they spend all their time in the offices, watch us do a fire drill and then leave after 2 days with "no deficiencies."

You can't drive yourself crazy worrying about what everyone else is doing. And if someone is goofing off and leaving you alone on the hallway, do your own residents and let them worry about theirs.

duskyjewel · Aug 12, 2012

You can't drive yourself crazy worrying about what everyone else is doing. And if someone is goofing off and leaving you alone on the hallway, do your own residents and let them worry about theirs.

The problem with that being that it's extremely difficult for an ethical person to just leave a needy patient who is calling. How does the resident deserve that treatment? I have had the same problem, where I run myself ragged answering other people's call lights all night because the patients deserve no less. If that were my family member, would I want someone going, "well that isn't my call light?" Hell no, so how can I treat other people that way?

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Aug 12, 2012

I'm not gonna shaft my assigned residents because somebody else can't be bothered to do their own work. I would see it as unethical if you're caught up with the immediate needs of your residents and you still ignore your coworker's people so you can go do something less important, like make beds.

MedChica · Aug 13, 2012

Then one LPN was doing her med pass and a man asked what a pill was for and her response was "Well I don't know. I could tell you the name but I have no idea what it is for." Seriously? I mean come on now!!! You are a nurse and you can't tell someone what the medicine is for? I wouldn't take it either! Then she got frustrated that he wouldn't take it and said "Well I don't know. I just pass the orders the doctors send."

Wow. Thank God for self-aware residents.

She probably knew and if she didn't? Had the resources to find out. She was either too lazy or too frustrated to look it up. So, you get the, "Here. Just take it...!" atttitude.

Well my partner is off on the other halls goofing off with the other CNAs and I am doing all the work! She tells me she'll be right back and to not do the round by myself but I'm not just going to screw around while they are having a peachy wonderful time!!!

I don't understand the issue. Just do the rooms that you're assigned and leave her work until she gets back. Yes, residents are wet...need toileting...but you're one person.

Give the Super Aide bit a rest. You will overload yourself.

What's the alternative? You run around like a chicken with your neck cut off...doing double the work and in the end? Everyone last one of the residents on your hall will suffer. You can't properly take care of your people. You're half-ass taking care of the other girl's people.

Some personalities are lazy (but it seems like an organizational issue)

They see that you pick up the slack and they don't work harder. They just let you take on more of it.

Quite honestly, I don't think it makes a load of sense to be tag-teaming up the hall in this manner, anyway. Unless you're leap-frogging from room to room? It usually just prolongs the work.

Not to say that it can't work. It can, but the two individuals need to be cut from the same mold (if you know what I mean). A lazy coworker and a hardworking coworker do not mix.

Besides, if she likes to socialize THAT much, I don't see how you can even work with her. I don't see how you can get anything done. I don't know you, but it's obvious even in print. There's a mismatch between you and her...in terms of work ethic.

Personally? I can't work with people like that.

You should think about getting assertive quick fast and in a hurry.

Speak to the girl. Or just say that you're going to do your people and you can square up on hers in the end.

Of course, when in the situation as a nurse? I will swallow it and intervene...as I've always done (in management/supervisory positions).

BUT...this is my advise as an aide because I can't stand when people have issues with another and go whining to the nurses and higher-ups to do their dirty work because they don't know how to solve issues on their own. Not every situation...no. Some personalities are just quiet and nonaggressive. You have to stand up for the non assertive types (while guiding them to be more proactive) because they lack the will to do so.

Except for those exceptions? I cannot stand it. Then, the individual with whom they have the problem is totally blindsided. Now, everyone has to sit through a 'Come to Jesus' meeting where the bulk of the staff don't even know why they're being group counseled with the nurse indirectly dressing down the problem person, whoever they are.

It's not about 'not snitching'.

It's really about solving issues at the lowest level possible.

Difficult conversations have to happen.

Conflict resolution is an important skill.

mstearns09 · Aug 13, 2012

I don't think the ratings make that big of a difference. I've seen surveys where they pick at every little thing that doesn't matter and others where they spend all their time in the offices, watch us do a fire drill and then leave after 2 days with "no deficiencies."
You can't drive yourself crazy worrying about what everyone else is doing. And if someone is goofing off and leaving you alone on the hallway, do your own residents and let them worry about theirs.

Leaving someone else's call lights going and only answering your own will result in getting written up for neglect/abuse and suspension at my facility. I will answer other people's call lights in order to cover my own backside; it really ends up hurting the other person who isn't doing his or her job. Thankfully, the nurses and administration at my facility know who does their job and who doesn't. I cannot consciously allow someone to sit and wait for help because that resident isn't my assignment. Plus, it encourages an atmosphere where teamwork is viewed as optional and not necessary which makes things not go as smoothly.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Aug 14, 2012

These replies to my comment make it sound as though I'm saying people should always go out of their way to ignore call lights and residents that are not their own. I'm not saying that. My facility likes to pull the "teamwork" card and say that "every resident is your resident" when people aren't working well together, but then when something happens or is forgotten and it's time to play the blame game, the first question asked is, "who had this resident?" You can't just say, "well I was gonna do nail care on her, but I was busy answering Megan's call lights!" because they'll turn around and say that you shirked your responsibilities to your own residents and therefore you are taking the fall. Maybe I just work in a blame-happy facility????

I am NOT saying that "stick to your own work" is a philosophy we should all adopt as a general rule. Actually, I communicate pretty well with nearly all of my coworkers and we have no problem getting stuff done together without worrying about who is assigned to each resident. But if you're drowning because someone else isn't pulling their weight, especially if it's an ongoing thing and not just because they don't feel well that day or something, what choice do you have? You can run around all stressed out giving crappy care to everyone (while that person remains unaccountable, so things never change) or you can focus on your own work and do a good job. When you have someone that's off socializing, your unit feels like it's short-staffed even though the numbers say it isn't. So if you're providing the same lesser quality of care that you give when short-staffed, and you're not, it reflects badly on you. If you can handle the extra work, by all means help out, but don't neglect your own residents. In the OP, it sounded like this girl was working herself up into a lather trying to deal with double the responsibility. It's not right.

Believe me, I work with someone who acts like it's every man for himself on a daily basis... she is thorough with her residents but won't do any vitals except her own, won't pass out any snacks except her own, avoids other call lights like the plague, throws coworkers under the bus constantly, leaves messes for other people to clean up but if you forgot to dump a commode she'd come find YOU to do it, etc. I want to slap her. Everyone does. I'm not saying things should be that way all the time. It makes it harder for everyone. But sometimes you have to do it that way.