when CNA's don't get along

[cecilsgirl]

as an LPN, in LTC, I experience some days when the CNA"s ( nursing assistants) don't get along, they say "so and so isn't pulling their own work load", , or --"so and so is too slow", or whatever the problem may be that day, as the Charge person, how much do you get involved in their work day?, any suggestions on ways to put an end to this? I have a long list of my own duties to do- somedays I just don't want to hear it --again!! help! thanks !

[Sparrowhawk]

I tell them, write it down and turn it in to the DON. You can only babysit so much.

If that doesn;t work I put them in time out. (just kidding. seriously :) )

[stelon]

I think part of the reason the charge nurse always gets brought into it is because the CNAs themselves are tired of the drama. In example--I've been told a certain half of the unit will be taking two my patients (for the following shift, I'm trying to give report) and the CNA then tells me she's not doing it. Well, the word came from our manager and the charge nurse and they immediately bite my head off and nothing I can say/do will change their mind.

So I go to the charge nurse because I just want someone to take report so I can go home. They're not going to listen to me and until the charge intervenes, I'm stuck. Luckily I love the nurses I work with and in this particular instance my charge made it very clear to them who was taking who so I could leave. Huge pain in the butt though. But in my experience, it's usually things like this that the charge gets pulled in.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

Sometimes I vent to the nurse but it's just that- venting. I don't expect her to do anything about it. But I also don't want her to think that something I was supposed to do didn't get done because I'm lazy when really it's because Susie Cellphone has been blowing off call lights all day. Do these CNAs actually want you to do something or are they just making comments because they're PO'd?

[dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I]

I agree with all the above, but you might try this. Divide the work as evenly as possible between the 2 CNA's. Geographically (room no's) Alphabetical, any way you can do it. Tell them you'll be the judge of who's pulling their share of the load. Any gripes, have the DON suggest true happiness may be in another facility. Don't get in the middle, don't referee, you've got plenty of your own work to do.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

If you don't deal with it and pass it off to the DNS, it diminishes your authority. It is quicker to deal with it than to let it fester and turn into a larger problem.

[Leelee2]

as an LPN, in LTC, I experience some days when the CNA"s ( nursing assistants) don't get along, they say "so and so isn't pulling their own work load", , or --"so and so is too slow",

I have a problem when a CNA states someone is "too slow." We are caring for people, not flipping hamburgers. Thus some residents take more time than others. To me, "too slow" sometimes means a CNA that isn't taking dangerous short cuts with transfers or some other duty, it can mean doing a thorough job, it can mean caring, and spending an extra minute with a resident that really needed that time. Having fair assignments help with workload. Though I let them know call lights are everyone's responsiblity, Even if "that isn't my resident." Perhaps mention to DON or educator that some Team building exercises might be good at staff meetings, plan some pot lucks for your unit, order some pizza's on a friday. It's important to come together as a team, to best serve the residents that depend on each of you.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

I have a problem when a CNA states someone is "too slow." We are caring for people, not flipping hamburgers. Thus some residents take more time than others. To me, "too slow" sometimes means a CNA that isn't taking dangerous short cuts with transfers or some other duty, it can mean doing a thorough job, it can mean caring, and spending an extra minute with a resident that really needed that time. Having fair assignments help with workload. Though I let them know call lights are everyone's responsiblity, Even if "that isn't my resident." Perhaps mention to DON or educator that some Team building exercises might be good at staff meetings, plan some pot lucks for your unit, order some pizza's on a friday. It's important to come together as a team, to best serve the residents that depend on each of you.

Yeah but if you're taking all your time with a couple residents, then the rest of them get nothing. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten someone washed, dressed, and OOB at the last minute for a "slow" coworker, and the resident in question is laying head to toe and pee and appears not to have been turned in like 4 hours, and their supplement drink is sitting untouched on their table. That's disgusting and unfair. It's terrible for the resident who was inadvertently neglected, it's super stressful for the CNA who has to find her like that and do something about it, and it's bad for that CNA's assigned residents who get shafted while she's busy caring for people who should have been tended to by the other CNA.

[NurseSuzann]

I want to hear more suggestions from the CNAs I am happy to hear from them on this subject. Sometimes its hard to know what to do, so I hope more of them can post here on this, as it can be an ongoing issue.