Cussed out and disprespected by CNA

[tattooednursie]

First off, let me start by saying, I am blessed with a group of *mostly* very good CNA's. We are a team, and when I am on I am respected as a team leader, and the respect is returned to the hard working CNA's. I normally do not have this issue.

This situation began when I was working night shift. It was a little after 0500, and I was preparing to do my 0600 med pass. A CNA (who was due to work at 0600) called in sick. Our policy is that call in's are 2 hours in advance. I understand that not everyone wakes up 2 hours before their shift starts, and sometimes you wake up sick. I was not going to tell her she could not call in, but I did state, "It's 0500, it will be hard to find a replacement at this time, but I'll try." She went on ranting and raving. "I don't care what time it is. I woke up sick, and I'm not comming in sick!" Among other ramblings. I again explained that I understood, and I would try to find someone. Although she was raising her voice at me, I did not raise my voice at her. I was going to let the situation go, but she called back 5 minutes later, and cussed me out with, "You're so (beep)ing rude!!! what's with this 0500 (Beep)!!! I can't believe how (beep)ing rude you are!!! I'm reporting you to the DON! What part of I'm sick don't you (beep)ing understand!!! I never (beep)ing call in sick" She was practically screaming in my ear. . . and as you guessed the main (beep) is the four letter wourd that rhymes with truck, and this IS a person who frequently calls in.

The first conversation would not have bothered me, but the fact that she felt that it was okay to speak to me in the manner that she did was very wrong. I did write it up, and it went to the DON.

The next day, she appologized to me in a "Let's get this over with." Manner, and obviously expected me to appologize to her. All I said back to her at that time was, "I am sorry I made you upset, but you cannot speak to me the way you did."

Then she went on and on about how she didn't need a lecture, how she never has had this problem with any other nurse, and how I was in the wrong by stating that, "It's 0500."

Sorry, but I don't feel that I was in the wrong here. The only mistake I made at that point (just trying to be an honest person) I let her know that I wrote the situation up.

She then informed me, "Oh well, it will just go into the trash anyway."

At that point I walked away from the situation. It was on my friday. After a couple of days off I return to work, several people had come to me saying that the said CNA was going around saying that, "Oh the DON ripped it up, and it went in the trash. She understands that I'm not taking orders from a 24 year old."

I was pretty hot when I was hearing this. A) 24 or not, I am still the nurse. B)I don't give orders . . .I ask, not tell. C) None of the other CNA's seem to have a problem with me. I have even been told by several CNA's that I am very easy to work with.

I soon found out that what was being said was not true. She is simply trying to make herself look good, and convince other CNA's that it is okay to speak to me like that. Well!!! It isn't working.

My solution to the issue right now is to not let her drag me down to her level. I really don't speak to her right now unless my job requires, but I still feel horribly tense, and I really want to put her in her place (which I know is not the best of all ideas right now).

We share a few common friends, and I'm thinking she's going to try to stir the pot for me, and in a way she already has.

I just want to know if anyone else has delt with a CNA like this.

Any insight is appriciated.

[Vito Andolini]

I wouldn't say that. I am a CNA and I know how hard a nurses' job is. Just because we're CNA's does not mean we're stupid.

I did not say CNA's are stupid. Nor did I say that you don't know how hard a nurse's job is. I said that a

licensed nurse has concerns that unlicensed personnel do not have. That is because we are taught to think

a certain way - avoiding litigation, thinking globally about our patients - labs, physical presentation, history, verbalizations, behavior, lots of things that those who are not licensed nurses simply have not been taught to think about. Years and years of experience, including some as aides, has added to our way of thinking.

I know someone will misunderstand or get insulted but here goes - going to school for 1, 2, 3, 4 years or more does give the licensed nurse a different level of knowledge that going to school/learning on the job for a few weeks simply cannot. Now don't anyone read in something I have not stated. There is no need to think I'm feeling superior or anything remotely like that.

Compare it, perhaps, to a teacher's aide and a teacher; a novice plumber and a journeyman (experienced, fully licensed) plumber. I think that's what journeyman means - please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Vito Andolini]

Very true.

I think that what was meant to be said is SOME CNA's have no concept. Not all of them by any means. Like I began my post, I am blessed with a group of mostly good CNA's who are worth their weight in gold. Both CNA work and nursing are very hard jobs.

This thread is definantly not meant to down CNA's at all. I was one for 6 years, and I definantly am not, nor was I stupid.

Definitely not.

[tattooednursie, LVN]

As in so many areas of life, there really are no friends at work. That is, how many people do you know who will take a fall for you, stand by you no matter what, to their own detriment? I don't know any - well, my Mom.

VERY small community here. . .and it's not always a good thing. There truely are a lot of us who have eachothers back, but would not put eachother in a position of detriment.

The hard thing is when they do turn on you, which most I have faith would not do that. However, there are always the few who will.

[southernbeegirl, BSN, RN]

It doesnt matter what you do. just let it run off your back like water. dont get involved in their lies and attitude.

i work in literal hell because of CNAs like this. i am literally the most hated woman in that building because i take none of their crap. they know that if they call in past the 2 hour window that they will get a lecture and occasionally i will make them call the DON at home if i've had so many call ins i have no staff coming in for the next shift.

but the very ones that raise cain on you when they call in are the very ones that raise can when someone else does the same thing and they have to work short.

i am utterly convinced that if we were able to crap them a gold brick....it wouldnt be shiny enough.

[dannyc12]

I once saw a CNA aggressively ream out a floor nurse at the nurse's station. I submitted a complete incident report and absolutely nothing happened - no one even asked me about the incident.

I asked my boss, "So, is it OK for me to go ahead and ream out nurse in front of gawd and everybody? Cause if it is I am loaded for bear."

She told me in no uncertain terms I would not be allowed to do so.

I personally believe this phenomenon - aggressive and insubordinate staff behavior going unchecked - is the main reason for the Nursing Home Abuse Horror stories. Some (SOME, not all) of these people believe they make all the rules and that no one - no one - not staff nurses, nurse supervisors, DONs, administrators, and certainly NOT clients can tell them how to do their jobs. They feel no accountability for their actions and bad things start to happen and spiral out of control when a few of them congregate by chance on the same floor or shift.

Then Administrators and DONs start shaking their heads going, "Gee, I just don't know how this could happen. It is totally against our policy to ."

The reality is that being a CNA is extremely hard work for extremely low pay. Many nursing homes hire and retain anyone who will agree to the lousy salary and ultra demanding working conditions. Leadership passes the buck to corporate or other ownership the responsibility for the crappy pay. Further, management is afraid if they enforce accountability, people will have to be fired or leave and the situation will just get worse. Not to mention the fact that leadership knows their staffing levels are a contributing factor to some people wigging out.

So they accept a pretty high level of insubordination and a low level of job performance.

In the end, I think it comes down to that (as a society) we get what we are willing to pay for.

[jjnmrsmom]

Don't feel bad I am surrounded by crappy CNA's with terrible attitudes. I don't work in a nursing home but the hospital I work for has a long term unit. Our NA's are not underpaid or overworked but complain CONSTANTLY! They don't want to take orders from the nurses and complain that the nurses don't do anything to help them. I'm sorry but if you sleep half of your shift I am not going to do your work for you so you can sleep the second half!

The other day we were short staffed, so as I was passing my meds I was trying to help my aid out by emptying all the urinals and foley bags. I only missed one patient, so when it was time to give report I found my aid and asked her if she knew the output for this pt. She snapped at me; "I will give it to you when I'm finished taking care of this pt!". I told her that I had already collected the info on all the pt's and only need this last bit if info to give report but she snapped the same response again. I guess she felt insulted in some way that I interrupted what she was doing.

I'm tired of being disrespected by NA's. If you hate your job QUIT, if you think nursing is a walk in the park then go to school and become one. Stop taking your frustrations out on people who are just trying to co-exist. If I treated the NA's the way some of them treat the nurses there would be an all out war! :argue:

On the other side of that coin I work with a couple of CNA's who are angels sent from God! And I seize every opportunity to tell them so.

[Cherybaby]

You need to follow up with you DON and make sure that the situation was indeed followed up. The DON in the facility we worked at had NO trouble suspending a CNA that was disrespectful to any of the nurses. In the same vein, she also had no problem with suspending a nurse that was disrespectful to their nurse counterparts or the CNA's. Basically, we had a facility that encouraged a respectful attitude toward everyone. Didn't matter whether it was the DON...right on down to the people in the kitchen. It was NOT tolerated.

As for having to deal with this CNA in the future, the best thing you can do is carry on like it never happened. It's over with. The mature thing to do is move on. She probably won't and will continue to gossip about you. Don't make that your concern. As long as she is doing her job and following direction, let that be enough. However, if her incessant gossip mongering and disrespect continue, speak with your DON and let her know how it is affecting the work of others.

Rise above this. It isn't the first time this has happened and it won't be the last. How you handle it is going to make all the difference in the world.

Chalk it up to her having a really crappy day and move on. You have enough responsibility in your job without having to allow this woman to suck up so much of your energy.

Good luck to you!