I'm an LPN at a LTC facility and I have a CNA who is a habitual complainer and whiner. She's such a ***** all of the time. She does some parts of her job rather well. Sometimes she is on the phone 4-5 times during my shift. Today I called her on her phone habits and asked her if she was on break. She gave me attitude.
Then she begins complaining...
Where's....? Where's....? She likes keeping tabs on one of the other CNA's on the floor whom she does not like. Yet, I see her talking on the phone and sitting down all of the time.
The problem...
The other nurses don't do crap about it. They call her to the phone when her personal calls come in, etc... This problem is a long time in the making and won't be fixed overnight. I'm going to have to find things to keep her busy so that she won't be running her mouth all day long. She's my little instigator and troublemaker!
I feel as if I'm raising a child. She knows her job better than I do! She's been doing it for a very long time. As if us nurses don't have enough to deal with already...
I guess that I'm going to have to outline EVERYTHING I want her to do all day every day and find busy work for her...or bring some duct tape! Muahahahahahaha!
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Originally posted by TerraRN
Dave, respect is also earned. I don't respect someone who sits on their ass with their feet up while I am running around doing their job. I was a CNA myself and let me tell you, our CNAS in the ER have it a lot better than I did. They chose to work in this position and that means accepting delegation. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect regardless of job title but it also has to be earned.
exactly. Nurses can say this too. Doctors often totally DISRESPECT US period. So does the public at large. But I believe respect is EARNED not granted, and I don't respect ANYONE due to rank or place in heirarchy just by virtue of their position. I may have to respect their POSITION, but the person has to EARN it from me.
I respect CNA's as valuable members of the team......but I sometimes have VERY little respect or regard for some of my colleagues. If you give it, you are more likely to GET it....I think this is a perpetual truth.
Another problem is that some of these CNAS have been working there since before I was born or else they have worked with me when I was a CNA. I have the same problem with unit assistants. But that is no excuse to not do your job. When I was a CNA and still in school, a classmate who graduated a year before me and worked with me as a CNA was suddenly delegating tasks to me. It was a little weird but out of respect for her and her title, I never once gave her a hard time. Sometimes if I ask someone to do something, they look at me like I have 2 heads yet if a nurse who has been there 20 years asks them to do something, there is never an argument. Regardless of my age, I still hold the same title as the nurse who has been there 20 years and I have the right to delegate when I deem it necessary.:stone
ITA that to get respect you gotta earn it. I just remember back in the day I was a CNA. Absolutely NO respect from anyone.
I just mentioned this because way to often do I see the "little one" getting dumped on.
Picture this...
County hospital, 1997
A CNA who was very interested in becomming a NP was doing patient care while I was evaluating the patient. The CNA had had numerous different questions about why we did this for that, what test did we do for this and so on. The patients RN who happened to be a few years my senior had come in to hang some NS and overheard me teaching with the CNA. This RN proceeded to question why I was bothering, as the CNA didn't understand what I was talking about anyway.
Spring forward to 2/1/04. Just over a year from now I will be precepting this CNA who "Didn't understand anyway" as a MSN/FNP.
And this my children is why we need to be nice to the CNA's. The RN who wasn't nice to CNA I am speaking of... will now be taking HER orders
Dave, who really does know that you guys aren't mean to the aids. You're just getting really frustrated.
Frankly, I've found that those who respect and thank their CNA's the most,who give them support, encouragement, and feedback, and certainly praise when due, never fail to get the best out of the CNAs /techs.
jnette~ I do this every day. I buy lunches for them, let them take extra breaks when we have time, assist them with anything they need (I am told that is rare in my facility), thank them profusely etc. There are those CNAs who take all this in and do an excellent job. I have 2 on my floor at the moment who are nothing less than angels. Then there are the rest who take this all for granted and think that I am a doormat for all that I do and they feel they can be lazy and disrespectful.
When you are a manager of any type, you have to learn how to motivate your staff and get them to do what you need them to do, all on an individual basis. It's almost like raising children. My daughter, thankfully, is an excellent child. She needs very little discipline as she knows right from wrong and doesn't test me too often. On the other hand, my nephew needs CONSTANT reminding and time-outs. He'll test you till you want to jump out a window. These types of children, like some CNAs can tire you out BIG time. Bad CNAs are nothing but a drain on the job we need to complete as a team. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you get what you want!
I agree with your post 100% !!! It is true what you say, and I do not deny that there are simply those (in ANY walk of life) who need more prodding and can try your last nerve.
I am a motivator by nature, and thoroughly enjoy the challenge of bringing out the best in a given person or situation. Doesn't always work, but at least I know I've done MY personal best.
Then it's up to the other person how to respond to it and hopefully do THEIR personal best. If they don't, I just don't waste anymore of my time or energy on them.
The funny thing is, I have seen many a nurse doing the very thing the OP was venting about... haven't we all?
Maybe if they weren't the the most under respected members of the healthcare team they would be a little more apt to do something.
Just a thought
Dave
IT's DEFINATELY a true thought!! Still doesn't excuse a few's ridiculous behavior.
Certtain places i've worked at, some of the nurses treated me like sh*t, it was almost a kind of hazing. Quite a few expected lips on *ss from the start, a few were new grads that were on a power trip because their namebadge said "charge nurse" instead of "CNA". People like that amaze me. You'd think they'd remember where they "came from" and remember what it was like to be referred to as a "certified *sswiper", etc. BUt some forget all of that when they pass that board test.
I agree with your post 100% !!! It is true what you say, and I do not deny that there are simply those (in ANY walk of life) who need more prodding and can try your last nerve.
I am a motivator by nature, and thoroughly enjoy the challenge of bringing out the best in a given person or situation. Doesn't always work, but at least I know I've done MY personal best.
Then it's up to the other person how to respond to it and hopefully do THEIR personal best. If they don't, I just don't waste anymore of my time or energy on them.
The funny thing is, I have seen many a nurse doing the very thing the OP was venting about... haven't we all?
People like that you have to praise and motivate when they do something positive, rather than at the end of the day.
Also, it's very frustrating when your very job depends on them. So it's very difficult to as you say "not waste anymore of my time or energy on them.".
I work with a CNA who is very good, as long as you leave her alone. One of those "I know my job, you do your job and I'll do mine, you don't have to tell me what to do" types. I asked to to change a monitor on a patient, then an admission came and I had to ask her to change it again. Of course the response was "do it yourself, I already did that once". Of course, rather than waste my time and energy, I did it myself. I'm so sick and tired of arguing with this person. However, I did document it. So when we have our inevitable meeting with management, I will have a date, a time and a quote.
Uh....... perhaps it's just the area where I live.. I mean folks are pretty nice around here, and I haven't met a soul yet who would even THINK about responding in such a manner...
perhaps I'm pretty sheltered here... that plus my own upbringing... I can't even IMAGINE an employee talking that way !!!
Yet I've read all SORTS of things that are said and done in the workplace, and it never ceases to amaze and shock me. Wow.
Well, I'll keep out of it, then, as I have had the immense pleasure of never having to deal with such as these.... (and hope I never do !) so I have no place in this discussion. My apologies !
More power and strength to those of you who do !
Sheeesh.... "DO IT YOURSELF"????????????????????????????
Are you sure we aren't working at the same LTCF? We are having the same problems and it really stinks!! There is so much tension that you can just feel it. We have been having weekly meetings and things have gone from bad to worse(if that's possible).
Nights complains about 3pm-11pm shift, 3-11 shift complains about days and so on. Now we have the cna's sign off on our assignment sheets next to their name. By doing that, they are stating that they did everything. That includes making sure diapers are not in the trash in the rms, that our nourishment rm is left clean, linen carts restocked and several other things. If they sign off and the next shift finds say a diaper in the trash, well that cna will get written up and if it happens again then they will face termination. Lastnight was the first night of using this and would you believe that night shift(which did most of the complaining)starts to argue that they don't have to sign off on the sheets because it's only 3-11 that doesn't do their work. Now, I am the charge nurse on this particular unit and I was offended and slightly ticked off because I told them that this applies to all shifts and they didn't believe it. So, I had to get the evening supervisor and she told them the same thing that I did. Give me a break!!
I often feel as if I am babysitting. Why do we have to follow after them? I finally learned to be more assertive, now I tell them that I am not going to go and check their work. I let them know that they are my coworkers and that we are a team. It's very aggravating going into work and have everyone split up against one another. I don't get it, really I don't. There are several that make a big fuss if God forbid you have to ask them to go and change someone or toilet somebody. Again, I don't feel that I should have to track somebody down to ask them to please go and change so and so. Then we get other cnas who come up to us and say, "mrs. ** is ringing and so and so is at another unit talking" etc.....They are now playing eachother.....If half of the time that is spent complaining was spent of work, we would be in good shape. Last night, we also had a new nurse orienting and I don't think that we made a good impression. She was like, "do they always complain like this?".....to....."wow, do you always have to ask 10 times for somebody to get vitals?".............
Anyways, the same you know what goes on here. Just thought that your post sounded too familiar.
I have worked w/ one tech/CNA for 11 months now, and at two different facilities.
Not once when I have asked (in a nicey-nice kissy way) for her to do something has she ever done it without and argument. She knows that I don't have time for this and is a successful manipulator, in that she takes up so much time by arguing, she knows I will not approach her unless there is no other alternative.
I am training for a new dept that is all RN staffed.
I cannot wait to be away from these whiney, lazy, manipulative, insubordinate CNAs who actually refer to themselves as nurses to the pts!
My NM accepts all of this.
These techs need a charge nurse who bull-dozes over them. That is the only type of authority that they respect or even acknowledge.
I cannot wait to be away from these whiney, lazy, manipulative, insubordinate CNAs who actually refer to themselves as nurses to the pts!
That reminds me.
That right there is the reason (and i say this being a CNA for almost 11 years) why i think "nursing" should not be used in a job title unliess you are a licensed nurse. Patient Care Assistant is what a lot of places use, but the term PCA can be confused with Patient Controlled Analgesic lol. Certified Care Assistant, i think is a good idea. When people see a name badge that says "nursing" they sometimes just see "nurs" and assume you are one.
Too many ex co-workers have referred to themselves as nurses, and i HAVE said "it's bad enough the majority of people here are confused, but don't make it worse by lying".
Even now, i still get that, even though my name badge says "C.A./Phlebotomist" (in the world's tiniest print, yet that gawd-awful mug shot picture is nice and big).
But I have ALWAYS corrected the pt. or the family member (for example: asking for pain meds) who referred to me as "nurse", by saying "i'm the assistant for the nurse. Your nurse is _______. But i will tell her/him you want something for pain. If you need anything, just ring". It's the right thing to do instead of letting them believe you are the nurse.
I take offence with your comment about being rid of whiney,lazy, manipulative, insubordinate cna's who refer themselves as nurses to patients. Just as there are bad cna's, there are bad nurses as well. At the LTC facility I work for LPN's have been fired for sleeping on the job and being lazy. Being a CNA is a dirty, messy, back breaking, thankless job. I try to put 100% in what I do. But I am burning out. This CNA , by next April, will be a LPN and probably future RN.
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
exactly. Nurses can say this too. Doctors often totally DISRESPECT US period. So does the public at large. But I believe respect is EARNED not granted, and I don't respect ANYONE due to rank or place in heirarchy just by virtue of their position. I may have to respect their POSITION, but the person has to EARN it from me.
I respect CNA's as valuable members of the team......but I sometimes have VERY little respect or regard for some of my colleagues. If you give it, you are more likely to GET it....I think this is a perpetual truth.