Help, I'm in a situation that I really don't know what to do. I'm a new lpn, about a year and a half. I consider myself a very good nurse and very professional and very fair. However, the facility I am currently employed has a real problem.You see, the cna's think they run the floor, and no one is doing a thing about it. They have blatantly told me that these were "their residents, and they can take care of them better than I can" I have complained to the don and nothing is done about it. The other two nurses that work the floor with me have been there for years, as have most of the aids, and they have been allowed to behave like this. The other 3-ll nurses have complained also but nothing is every done. The don, I'M told is afraid of getting involved because the aids belong the a union and the nurses don't. The aids are constantly involving themselves in nursing conversations I'm having regarding care. They easedrop on conversations with nurses and doctors and family members. I think they even go through charts when no one is around. I was even told by our infection control nurse to be careful, that the aids will "report" you in a second, just to see a nurse in trouble or get fired. I was even told that the cnas had to sign off on bolus feedings, just to prove that the residents were getting their feedings. I put my foot down with that one and was called to the don's office. I now have a fellow nurse sign for them. I have never been in a facility where the cna's were so empowered. It's really scary. I'm really thinking of going into home care. Have already contacted an agency. Would appreciate some feedback with this one, Thankss.
In my defense, my outrage has clearly been w/ nurses looking down on CNAs. The misspell pointing out was to "turn the knife" so to speak, ot throw fuel onto the fire that posters like Tory and sleep fueled long before I came along...
So laugh at my misspell, I am certainly laughing at myself (knowing that pointing out bad grammar always gets one flamed!)
And channel you outrage at the producers of ER for not portraying nurses well, and gloss over comments like sleep calling CNAs brainless and stupid
I may be over- passionate, but I get chastised for being rude, and sleep's comments are lost in my ironic misspell
I guess the egg's on my face...You two certainly showed me...
I'll quietly go to my LTC job this w/e giving my CNAs the dignity and respect they have earned.
sean
Ok now I'm the last one to give a spelling lesson, but maybe you should check your own post just a little bit better, before you start throwing stones.
ot throw fuel
or
And channel you outrage
And maybe you should be working at decreasing the high infection rate in your facility...hmmmm??
OTE] Wrong! The FIRST thing you should be doing when YOU find a patient unresponsive is calling that patient's RN or LPN-and if you are not getting the info you need in report at the start of your shift you need to bring it to the attention of your nurse manager.What you have described is beyond your scope as a cna....as it would be for me in acute care in Pa...As an LPN I can not give an IV push med-I would need to call the RN covering for me right away also..You HAVE to recognize your limitations.. [/b]
We staff 1 tech for 20 pts. With 3 to 4 nurses on the floor I do not receive report from them. My primary responsabilities are vs ( at least 2 per pt ) all blood draws ( I work 7p-7a, so lots of morning labs ) wts and accu checks.
Of course while I am setting up glucometer machine I am letting the charge nurse or nurse assigned to that pt what is happening...what pt is doing and that I going to check pts blood sugar.
There have been times that I would ? pts behavior and steal a drop of blood from the blood I had drawn from them and do an accu check. If I can go to the nurse and say pt X was acting like this and their BS is 42, it will make their job easier then saying pt X is doing such and such...and it turns out they are just tired because we are bothering them at 4 in the morning.
If you read my previous post carefully you would see that it is about me informing the nurse about changes in the pts conditions. I do not take it upon my self to decided what course of action needs to take play...but accu checks are in my scope of practice. See I dont treat the BS but I do report it.
No doubt that CNA's should know that they work under the RN's license. Therefore, the nurses judgement and decisions are to be followed by the CNA.
CNA's knowledge and skill should be assessed by the RN. The RN then can allow the CNA to do tasks that assist the RN. Many CNA's have many years of experience and have a vast level of knowledge that may rival the RN's. The RN should also take this into account when deligating and listening to the CNA. CNA's should be involved in planning care to the extent of recieving a report from the RN and working with the RN as to how the two are going to work together in providing the care needed. Communication is the key in working together.
Perhaps the OP's CNA staff feels compelled to learn more about the patient from the charts b/c they are not getting the info from the nurses? I don't see why the CNA's should not access the charts if they need to.
I work closely with my nursing assistant. She is my ears and eyes for when I'm not there. She is my right hand in doing tasks that she is capable of doing. She has worked in the same position for almost 15 years and I respect her opinion and knowledge. Mutual respect and working together through communication is what is all about.
I know myself that what i do as a CNA is not out of my scope, i had even asked for extra responsibilty over the summer. The NM made sure it was ok with the nurses i work with by letting them anonymously respond in a letter (anonymous, more likely to be more honest). Only one had a problem with it, and she wound up getting fired 3 weeks later for stealing supplies.
It all works for the pts. and this is what matters.
that is a violation of hipaa regs-that's why.in our ltc facility we have made many changes to be compliant because there are consequnces.as the charge nurse it is my duty to make sure the nurses station is secure-...as a supervisor you should be familiar with these issues.the cna's should be encouraged to go to the careplans which are kept together in a separate book.they have access to a phone-but not at the nurse's station.i worked as an aide for alot of years and i never once used the phone or even sat behind the nurses desk.the nurses don't need the distraction.i can not concentrate with half of the aides behind the desk talking about that they are ordering in for lunch.and the time they spend placing that order on the business phone is usually when i am waiting for a return call from a doc and you know they will often not hold.......we have payphones on each unit for the staff and patients-many of the aides get calls all day-and some of the nurses,too-when they should be attending to the needs of the residents.we all get report together..the charge nurses are your eyes and ears-and they do depend on the cna's....but the charge nurses have to be leaders-there are captains on every team,right?
with an attitude like this i would not only quit my job as a cna if i had to work under you. i would hope that you work under me when i become an rn. lol but not allowing cna's behind the nurses desk? i would never allow myself to be disrespected like that. i would quit and make sure everyone knew why.the charge nurse is your eyes and ears? wow this is different? where i work i notify the nurse when they need to look at thungs. if you were my supervisor i would quit so fast. i do not put up with being disrespected.
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
originally posted by slyhrtbt
with an attitude like this i would not only quit my job as a cna if i had to work under you. i would hope that you work under me when i become an rn. lol but not allowing cna's behind the nurses desk? i would never allow myself to be disrespected like that. i would quit and make sure everyone knew why.the charge nurse is your eyes and ears? wow this is different? where i work i notify the nurse when they need to look at thungs. if you were my supervisor i would quit so fast. i do not put up with being disrespected.
there is -in pa-a big difference between ltc and acute care(duh) and as a ltc-lpn that's what i'm talking about.i have never been "put down" by an rn working "above me" because i am well versed in my scope of practice and quite secure in my abilities.when i have come into contact with an rn who seems to have a problem with lpn's it really does not bother me-it's not my problem-it's theirs.....i work in a facility with 9 units-2 of which are similar to what the original poster described.why is it so hard for some people to understand that they must take direction from others? i accept that from my supervisors and the cna's i work with accept that from me.as a matter of fact the staff enjoy workingwth me because i take the time to educate them about the residents....and i don't have a problem with anyone sitting at the desk doing their paperwork-because the good aides i work with have the good sense to get up and move when the doctor comes to make rounds or to be quiet when i get a call......but don't flop your orifice next to me when i am busy taking off orders-and spread out a magazine in my workspaceand don't pick up the phone to order lunch when the doc is making rounds and we are working behind the deskthe crowds on the other 2 units have no respect for anyone-they are the ones that need set limits because they are inclined to take advantage.they are the kind of staff this thread was supposed to be about.the staff on those other units do not care for me because they can not intimidate me into looking the other way when they are slacking with their care or being rough...as many nurses will.....i am responsible for the well being of those residents when i am the charge nurse on that unit.if i have to remind you 4 days in row to please put shoes on mrs smith and on the 5th the family comes in and complains to me then you will be hearing about it-and i will take the time to explain that mrs smith has pvd and why her feet need to be protected...i sure have a great deal more appreciation for most of the staff i work with after reading some of the posts to this thread-seems my co-workers are a cut above...smart and respectful-capable of taking and following intructions.able to see the difference in a 6 week training course and a 18 month of 4 yr degree without growing a chip on their shoulder....there is no shame in my game-....i know that as an lpn i have an rn over me-i have no problem with that-and the rn's that work with me trust my skills...and they know that i won't presume to know more then i do-i ask questions when i need to-i don't assume anything....this thread is really getting ridiculous-years of experience as an aide or lpn does not equal the knowledge of an rn-i have seen rn' and lpn's go beyond their scope in acute care with horrific results-no nurse manager would "let me" take on responsibilties outside of my normal scope of practice thereby causing me to risk the lives of ......patientsand my future nursing career....what is wrong with some of you people and your work ethics? for cripes sake-everyone can not be the ceo-someone has to lead and someone has to follow-nothing wrong with that....
There is a problem when you have CEO-minded people acting like everyone is beneath them. Luckily the floor i'm on doesn't have that issue. I AM smart, i AM respectful, and so is everyone else on my floor, and that's why we work so well together.
"but don't flop your orifice next to me when I am busy taking off orders-and spread out a magazine in my workspaceand don't pick up the phone to order lunch when the doc is making rounds and we are working behind the desk" I work night and still don't have the time to do either. I started bringing cold food to work because at least i'm not heating something to hot only to eat it cold anyway when i finally get to taste it. IF i get to taste it.
Only time i sit behind the desk is to put a chart together. Forgot to mention that, i'm also the night clerk that translates orders (then the charge nurse compares and approves), and puts the charts together.
It took 8 weeks for me to get my certification, took me 10 years for the experience i have to be as good as i am.
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by LPN2Be2004
There is a problem when you have CEO-minded people acting like everyone is beneath them. Luckily the floor i'm on doesn't have that issue. I AM smart, i AM respectful, and so is everyone else on my floor, and that's why we work so well together.
HELLO!!!! Everyone is BELOW THE CEO.that's the nature of all business and any organization..and that CEO has worked long and hard to get where he or she is-and can probably do everyone else's job but the rest of the staff has NO IDEA what he or she has to do..........yeah...next thread.........where is that smiley beating it's head against that brick wall?
I am well aware everyone IS below the CEO, sheesh, didn't need HELLO yelled to know this.
"CEO-minded" is what i previously said, where i come from, that means someone is acting like they own the d*mn place when they don't. And yes that IS wrong.
Think i'll take my pneumonia-filled lungs on back to bed, and hopefully this thread will have croaked by tomorrow :)
OOOOH! Looks like I struck a nerve on that one!:chuckle This just goes to prove my point.....this is a power-trip issue. A few RNs on this forum like to feel like they part of an elite group, looking down their noses on anyone ranking below them. Were you ever a CNA? I think CNAs are very important to the RNs. What would they do without them? I am sure there are those CNAs who have made a bad name for the title I suppose, But I have no intention of being that person. I am heading the RN program next year if all goes as I have planned. I really hate the attitude I am seeing here coming from "professionals", RNs. Sure, we do work under the RNs, LPNs and cooperate accordingly. But I'll be damned if I will let some stuck-up RN look down on me simply because of "status" issues. Give me a break:)
Whwonderwoman
1 Post
I agree. If the DON wants this facility run by the CNA's then let it be her license on the line not yours.