What Irks You?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

This thing that irritates me the most is when residents don't use there call lights and holler at me, "Help", "Hey", "Hello". I wouldn't be upset if these residents didn't know how to use the call light, but they do. I kindly remind them that if I'm in someone else's room I won't be able to hear them and that they should use there call light, because I get a page when it goes off with the room number.

What are some of your irritations?

Specializes in ..

- For it being standard that one particular resident with dementia who is a falls risk (though can walk, especially well with a frame, is on permanent resistant belt in a chair in the lounge room throughout the day, every day and only gets taken for walks when the RO gets around to it. He gets so bored and frustrated that he tries to lump his chair around the room by wiggling his bottom and you get a fright when you hear 'crash, crash, crash' from a giant chair with a resident in it flapping across the room.

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CNA coworkers who won't help you with a 2 person transfer.

CNA coworkers who don't record the BMs for a week, leaving you with laxative induced diarrhea to deal with.

CNA coworkers who leave a BM in some clothes in the shower room hamper, making it smell like a barnyard.

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Hey - I think this thread is cool. I do agree with all the things that happen between CNAs of how they do not work together, and so forth.

I do agree with all I have read about CNAs that do not do this and that. It is also getting me a bit down. I am also a person that like to have my own way - so Ha Ha on me. I want to be that Princess in the retirement home when I grown up - also a better person.

The biggest think that irks me are people that know the difference and decide to irk a person anyway just because they know can.

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Specializes in LTC, Home Health.

1. When the nurse screams that a patient needs you like it's some kind of emergency. When you get there, all the patient needed was a glass of water or tissues.

2. The resident who thinks you are their personal servant at a spa. They take up the majority of your time as if other residents don't need you. These are typically the ones who can do for themselves and require minimum care.

3. The only time help seems to be available is when the state does thier survey! Suddenly, employees emerge!

4. Demading family members. These people are the ones that feel you are supposed to "forget" the rest of your patients and give "special treatment" to thier loved one. The demanding family often makes more demands then the actual resident who is otherwise satisfied when family isn't there.....

5. When your patient keeps putting on the call light instead of asking you for everything at once.

6. CNA's refusing to help with 2 person transfer/mechanical lift. Some of them even have the nerve to tell you to do the transfer on your own!

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3. The only time help seems to be available is when the state does thier survey! Suddenly, employees emerge!

Isn't that the truth! Staffing seems to never be a problem when the state emerges.

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Specializes in LTC.

CNAs who take advantage of your helpful ways. There are some of us who don't stop working until everything is done whether it was our responsibility or not. There are others who just do their assignment. And then there are others who can't manage to finish their assignment ever and have come to expect you to pick up their slack, so now they don't even try to keep up. Working with that last set of people is a good way to burn out.

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Specializes in Pediatric Hem/Onc.

This thread makes me smile. I had a rough night (full moon strikes again!) so I needed the chuckle.

I agree with the post about unlined trash cans. Ugh! I've had to count to 10 a few times because that is the one little thing guaranteed to set me off. How hard is it to put a flipping trash bag in?

I also have a coworker that thinks she runs the place. She's a CNA, just like the rest of us. She gets behind on her own assignment because she's too busy trying to boss the rest of us around. Thank goodness she only works weekends. I've learned to smile and kinda grit my teeth when she speaks to me but every once in a while she gets the "you realize you're a CNA, same as me, right? You're not the charge CNA, the head CNA, or the CNA supervisor!" talk :lol2:

Coworkers that decide leaving to get food and/or taking their break while there are 5 transfers still out at dinner....yeah that one kills me. The fact that they get annoyed when I suggest maybe waiting till all the residents are done with dinner makes me giggle inside.

I've only worked as a CNA since the beginning of this year and the veterans say I sound like I've been doing it for years. I enjoy a fun work environment but I also take my duties seriously. It irks me when people don't want to do their jobs properly. I just have no tolerance for lazy or irresponsible people. Sometimes it's a burden!

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Specializes in LTC.

I just thought of another thing. I hate it when residents put their call light on every 5 minutes to ask where their medicine is. It's mostly rehab patients that do this but our long term people do it too. Usually what they're hounding you for is not a pain pill, but for something routine like eye drops or lasix. I have to say, "I'm an aide. I can't give out medications. Your nurse will be in here shortly to give you the nasal spray." Then I have to reassure them that yes, she is definitely coming, but probably not in the next 30 seconds. 2 minutes later they ring again. "Where is my medicine?" Then they complain about the "bad service from the nurse" for the next 10 minutes.

Look. The nurse has 29 other people to medicate. She will get to you. Just because the other nurse came at 8:15 last night and it's 8:20 now does not mean that this nurse has forgotten you. She goes room to room down the hall. When she gets to your room, you will get your eye drops. I am not going to go bother her about a non-emergency.

It's even more irritating when they keep complaining about how they're tired. But they won't go to bed until they get their meds no matter how many times you explain that even if they fall asleep before the nurse gets there, they are still going to get the medication! The nurse is not going to say, "Oh cool, she's sleeping, now i don't have to give her anything *evil cackle*" Nope, they're staying right there until that nurse comes! And then they pout.

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I have experienced all of the above. What there are 2 things that irk me and I tried to rank them, but its a tie. (1) I just told you that the patient in rm 000 wants a pain pill, so wht must u insist that I answer her call lite when she rings it 5 minutes later after you've agreed that it is indeed time for her pain pill? She wants you! Let it ring until you go down there to administer hers meds because I have answered her call lite 3 tms in the last 15 mins & she & I are both frustrated each time I enter the rm because she expressly asked you to bring her medicine. Nurses, take note - it wouldn't kill you to answer a call lite or two. At least see what they want and relay the message versus complaining about the ringing sound & insisiting that I leave the patient I'm with to turn of another pts call lite. In the tm it took you to come find me @ the other end of the hall, you could've resolved the pt's problem! (2) Nurses that are constantly on a power trip: yes, you are my senior & yes, you are my immediate supervisor, however NOTHING gives you the right to be disrespectful to me. Its nt what you say, its how you say it, and I am not a child, so please don't yell @ me or invade my personal space, & if you must, pls b ready to deal w/ the consequences, whatever they may be.

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1. I hate hate hate when a nurse comes down the hall, tells you that someone(who is not even on your assignment!) needs some assistance, so when you get finished with a resident your supposed to be taking care of and walk across the entire building to see what this other resident wants, it turns out he just wants you to pull his draw sheet over an inch......really...how hard is it for a 24 year old nurse to pitch in a pull a darn sheet?

2. When a resident asks for a straw, and you bring it back, then he asks for a couple cups, so you bring those back, then he asks for a new urinal so you bring that back and ask if theres anything else he needs and he says no, then 10 minutes later when your with another pt. he screams down the hall because he accidentaly dropped his full urnial on the floor......grrrrr....

3. When you walk down the hall at the beginning of the shift and you can smell ammonia....

4. When people call early on in the day to find out how many are on the scedule for that night then call off anyway, knowing you are going to work impossibly short.

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