how do you delegate to techs?

surgicalrn2b · Oct 11, 2004

i was wondering, how do you guys delegate to your nursing assistants? i've tried everything... from being direct and to the point "nurse aid, can you please go and assist my patient up to the bathroom?" to being really nice and saying "please, nurse assistant, can you do me a favor and get my patient up to the restroom?"
no matter how i ask they act pissy that i am asking for them to complete ADL tasks. i'm sorry, but i feel that i am way nicer to my techs than i was ever treated when i teched as a student out on the busy oncology floor. now, i work in a low census peds unit. i can't remember how many times as a tech i was told "go get mr. jones a bedpan now." i'm not like that... but you know, looking back at the time i was never really offended by it either. the techs i work with act offended that i ask them to do these tasks.
you guys have any tips or comments?

i dont' know that i have any tips, but i do have a comment - their JOB is to assist the RN. For you to have go out of your way to say "please can you do me a favor..." is bs as far as i'm concerned. maybe they need another copy of their job description. i wouldn't let it bother you, you have more important things to worry about - like taking care of your patients - if they continue to give you attitude, take the person aside to discuss what the problem is and if that doesn't work - take it to a higher authority...good luck!

surgicalrn2b · Oct 11, 2004

i was wondering, how do you guys delegate to your nursing assistants? i've tried everything... from being direct and to the point "nurse aid, can you please go and assist my patient up to the bathroom?" to being really nice and saying "please, nurse assistant, can you do me a favor and get my patient up to the restroom?"
no matter how i ask they act pissy that i am asking for them to complete ADL tasks. i'm sorry, but i feel that i am way nicer to my techs than i was ever treated when i teched as a student out on the busy oncology floor. now, i work in a low census peds unit. i can't remember how many times as a tech i was told "go get mr. jones a bedpan now." i'm not like that... but you know, looking back at the time i was never really offended by it either. the techs i work with act offended that i ask them to do these tasks.
you guys have any tips or comments?

i dont' know that i have any tips, but i do have a comment - their JOB is to assist the RN. For you to have go out of your way to say "please can you do me a favor..." is bs as far as i'm concerned. maybe they need another copy of their job description. i wouldn't let it bother you, you have more important things to worry about - like taking care of your patients - if they continue to give you attitude, take the person aside to discuss what the problem is and if that doesn't work - take it to a higher authority...good luck!

wooh, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2004

I don't think it's so much how you ask, but your whole attitude towards the tech. Are you genuinely grateful they're there to help? Do you express that gratitude? People know who appreciates them and who is dumping on them. I try to thank the techs for just about everything they do, because if they weren't there, I'd have to do it. Any especially difficult baths they do for me or help me with, messes they clean up for me or with me, I thank them then and there. And I never ask for anything I wouldn't do myself, and will do myself if the tech is busy. Yes it's their job. But I like it when people show me appreciation for doing my job, and the techs aren't any different. There will always be people with a chip on their shoulder that are going to have a pissy attitude, that you just have to blow off. But we're all in it together, and a good tech can save you in a crunch, so show them respect and appreciation, and they'll show you the same.

ETA: Also be respectful of the list of things they have to get done. Anything that can wait, make sure to phrase it as a "When you get time..." They're busy too. If they know you realize they're busy, they'll be open to realizing that you are busy and really need the help, you aren't just too lazy to do it yourself!

wooh, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2004

I don't think it's so much how you ask, but your whole attitude towards the tech. Are you genuinely grateful they're there to help? Do you express that gratitude? People know who appreciates them and who is dumping on them. I try to thank the techs for just about everything they do, because if they weren't there, I'd have to do it. Any especially difficult baths they do for me or help me with, messes they clean up for me or with me, I thank them then and there. And I never ask for anything I wouldn't do myself, and will do myself if the tech is busy. Yes it's their job. But I like it when people show me appreciation for doing my job, and the techs aren't any different. There will always be people with a chip on their shoulder that are going to have a pissy attitude, that you just have to blow off. But we're all in it together, and a good tech can save you in a crunch, so show them respect and appreciation, and they'll show you the same.

ETA: Also be respectful of the list of things they have to get done. Anything that can wait, make sure to phrase it as a "When you get time..." They're busy too. If they know you realize they're busy, they'll be open to realizing that you are busy and really need the help, you aren't just too lazy to do it yourself!

surgicalrn2b · Oct 11, 2004

I don't think it's so much how you ask, but your whole attitude towards the tech. Are you genuinely grateful they're there to help? Do you express that gratitude? People know who appreciates them and who is dumping on them. I try to thank the techs for just about everything they do, because if they weren't there, I'd have to do it. Any especially difficult baths they do for me or help me with, messes they clean up for me or with me, I thank them then and there. And I never ask for anything I wouldn't do myself, and will do myself if the tech is busy. Yes it's their job. But I like it when people show me appreciation for doing my job, and the techs aren't any different. There will always be people with a chip on their shoulder that are going to have a pissy attitude, that you just have to blow off. But we're all in it together, and a good tech can save you in a crunch, so show them respect and appreciation, and they'll show you the same.
ETA: Also be respectful of the list of things they have to get done. Anything that can wait, make sure to phrase it as a "When you get time..." They're busy too. If they know you realize they're busy, they'll be open to realizing that you are busy and really need the help, you aren't just too lazy to do it yourself!

i agree, attitude has a lot to do with it, but if your getting slammed with admissions, have extremely "needy" patients, etc...you count on the techs to be there to do their role. my patient last week was a nonverbal elderly who needed total assistance with feeding and i tried the "when you get a chance" (to feed him)...well that fell on deaf ears and one hour later his tray was still sitting in front of him. i had a patient who was coding and one who needed preop paperwork done, but i have this patient to feed because he cant pick up a fork. all i can say is thank god for my fellow nurses. it's really hard at times to be appreciative and give them respect and not get it in return. we all thank our techs for what they do for us, but if we cannot work as a team, unfortunately the patient's are the ones who suffer. the techs chose this to be their job (nobody forced them) and if they always have a chip on their shoulder and pissy attitudes, i say it's time for a career change.

surgicalrn2b · Oct 11, 2004

I don't think it's so much how you ask, but your whole attitude towards the tech. Are you genuinely grateful they're there to help? Do you express that gratitude? People know who appreciates them and who is dumping on them. I try to thank the techs for just about everything they do, because if they weren't there, I'd have to do it. Any especially difficult baths they do for me or help me with, messes they clean up for me or with me, I thank them then and there. And I never ask for anything I wouldn't do myself, and will do myself if the tech is busy. Yes it's their job. But I like it when people show me appreciation for doing my job, and the techs aren't any different. There will always be people with a chip on their shoulder that are going to have a pissy attitude, that you just have to blow off. But we're all in it together, and a good tech can save you in a crunch, so show them respect and appreciation, and they'll show you the same.
ETA: Also be respectful of the list of things they have to get done. Anything that can wait, make sure to phrase it as a "When you get time..." They're busy too. If they know you realize they're busy, they'll be open to realizing that you are busy and really need the help, you aren't just too lazy to do it yourself!

i agree, attitude has a lot to do with it, but if your getting slammed with admissions, have extremely "needy" patients, etc...you count on the techs to be there to do their role. my patient last week was a nonverbal elderly who needed total assistance with feeding and i tried the "when you get a chance" (to feed him)...well that fell on deaf ears and one hour later his tray was still sitting in front of him. i had a patient who was coding and one who needed preop paperwork done, but i have this patient to feed because he cant pick up a fork. all i can say is thank god for my fellow nurses. it's really hard at times to be appreciative and give them respect and not get it in return. we all thank our techs for what they do for us, but if we cannot work as a team, unfortunately the patient's are the ones who suffer. the techs chose this to be their job (nobody forced them) and if they always have a chip on their shoulder and pissy attitudes, i say it's time for a career change.

katzrkool · Oct 18, 2004

I've also had a problem with some of the nursing assistants. Most that have given me problems are on the day shift -I work 3-11. I worked 3-11 for about 10 months as a nursing assistant on the same unit I am now an RN on and the na's on my own shift all knew I was in school and were very supportive and still are. I was off for family leave for a couple months before I came back as an RN and had to start my orientation on day shift for a month. The first day I walked in all of the na's on day shift just about fell over. I suppose they weren't aware that I was in school?? Not sure. I never had to deal with them because I never worked days. I just saw them when I was coming in and they were leaving. To make a long story short many of them were very smart alecky with me and just all around gave me a hard time when I asked them to do something (that they should be doing anyway). I tried being super nice, thank them profusely for tiny things, and just all around bending over backwards for them. Most of them by the end of my month on that shift had pretty much "gotten over" my new position, except one woman who continues to give me grief at every opportunity. She still refuses to return a greeting and if I happen to offer some casual chit chat to her she just looks at me and walks away. Sometimes I think I would be better off on another floor where I didn't work with the same people I did in the lower position.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Oct 18, 2004

I couldn't agree more. I absolutely respect our techs. I really don't think I could do their job 36 hours a week. They work really hard for the same amount of money they could make working in a department store. Our techs are the best. Everyone has their job to do. I am expected to do mine and I expect the same from them. I don't ask them to do something I tell them it needs to be done. I think it works better when you are firm. I take any occasion I can to teach them things and they really seem to appreciate that since most of them are in nursing school at least part-time. We have had several to graduate and come to the floor as RN's and they are awesome nurses. I have heard some hospitals don't let techs gone RN work on the same floor where they teched. Apparently it has something to do with the techs not respecting the new RN. I have heard techs say something like "well I hope she doesn't develop the RN attitude", but I think that's jealousy speaking. We don't seem to have a problem when they come back as RN's.

dansamy · Oct 18, 2004

They work really hard for the same amount of money they could make working in a department store.

Actually, I could go back to teleservices type of work & sit on my @$$ & make $3/hr more than I do as a tech. I'm WAY overworked & underpaid. In addition to my own "usual" duties, I also have to do tasks asked of me by the nurses. If your patient pukes up all the tube feeding you just administered, PLEASE do not hunt me down on MY LUNCH BREAK to tell me to clean her up & then promptly disappear so you can take your lunch break. (A nurse just did that to me Saturday!)

Gompers, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2004

When I was a CNA, it was rare for nurses to ask me to do ANYTHING - it was understood what my job was from the get-go:

Answer call lights promptly, help whenever possible, and call the nurse if necessary. That was number one - call lights were OUR responsibility because 75% of the time, it was something we could take care of and didn't need to get the nurse.

Other than that, our routine was pretty set and no one needed to tell us to do anything. Vitals, meals, baths, beds, etc.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Oct 18, 2004

Actually, I could go back to teleservices type of work & sit on my @$$ & make $3/hr more than I do as a tech. I'm WAY overworked & underpaid. In addition to my own "usual" duties, I also have to do tasks asked of me by the nurses. If your patient pukes up all the tube feeding you just administered, PLEASE do not hunt me down on MY LUNCH BREAK to tell me to clean her up & then promptly disappear so you can take your lunch break. (A nurse just did that to me Saturday!)

Hey! Take it easy there, I'm on your side, remember? I truely respect what you do for and for the little that you make. I couldn't do it full-time. I personally never ask anyone, tech or otherwise, to do anything while on their lunch break and I insist they leave me alone also while taking mine. Re the tube feeding... it's our job to administer tube feedings and if the patient doesn't tolerate it, it's not the nurses fault that the patient needs cleaning up. That particular nurse should have taken care of it since you were at lunch. I'm sorry for what happened to you on Saturday, please don't take it out on those of us who wouldn't do that to you !!! Chill !!!