how do you delegate to techs?

HAngel · Dec 10, 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?

techs being pissy is ridiculous... we knew what we were signing onto when hired... however, I think the same should go for nurses. I get tired of running around like a madman while the nurses sit and sometimes gossip... I know there's other stuff you have to worry about, and you could never get your job done doing all the tech stuff + nursing responsibilities... however, more respect all around is helpful...

I look to our mgmt a lot in this situation... they support everyone working hard for the patients... that means I can say, "Sure, I'll get your blood in room 10, but would you please run this lab down for me?" Mutual respect and assertiveness (vs. passive aggressive bhvr) does help...

I'm sorry for your situation... while I wouldn't turn into a heinous you-know-what, I think being kind but assertive is warranted... she'll just keep walking all over you if you let her... you could consider asking her what it up, too... you might be surprised to find out she's been mistreated by other nurses, etc..

Thanks for your consideration... you are a kind soul to not become nasty with her...

Hangel :):)

Tony35NYC · Dec 21, 2004

I worked as aide for a short time, and I'm sure I'd frequently be too 'busy' to assist any nurse who says to me: "Nurse aide, can you...?" instead of using my name (That is so not cool!). I was sometimes the only aide working three different units, and of course it wasn't possible to assist every pt with every little thing they needed. But, as busy as things got, most of the nurses I worked with were very respectful to me and I used to go out of my way to help with their patients without them even having to ask. On the other hand, there were a few nurses who always seemed to expect me to drop everything else that I was doing to take care of their patients, even when they're just sitting around yacking about their personal lives and gossiping at the nurses station, and, from the things some of them used to say, it appeared they think they are too good to assist their patients with a bedpan or hygienic care, and also that they think they are better than the aides. (PLEASE!!! The only reason any of us have a job is to take care of the patients' needs.)

I recommend that you don't say things like: 'Well, its your job, and you'd better do it now or else...!' or 'I expect this to be done by x time'. If you pull that 'do it now' strategy you'll probably always get only the absolute minimum assistance. You don't have to beg or beseech an aide for assistance, just be professional and say 'please' and 'thank you' because those two words make a very big difference.

Someone in this thread compared the relationship between an aide and an RN to the relationship between MDs/NPs and RNs, but its not the same. A floor nurse takes orders from MDs and APNs and then carries them out on a very limited number of pts. An aide is usually assisting not just one but several nurses with many patients (sometimes the entire unit, or even the whole floor) and its not possible to give all the attention to just one nurse and her patients so the 'I need it done now' thing just doesn't work, and the more aggressive the nurse gets with the aide, the less assistance that nurse will get from that aide.

Finally, that an aide can be held responsible for a nurse's failure to carry out his/her legal obligations to his/her patients is debatable. I think it is unwise for any nurse to rely completely on an aide to follow-up with the nurse regarding important patient care updates. A nurse has a license to lose, an aide does not.

breastfeedingRN · Dec 23, 2004

i am glad i rarely have to delegate to our aides. they are amazing. i learn things from them all the time. i also never have a problem doing whatever needs to be done for the patient if i happen to be in there when they need it. i am not that good at delegating, so i am glad i don't have to yet. maybe when i feel more comfortable i won't be so nervous about it.

i really loves our aides. couldn't do it without them. if anything, they will be like, "why did you get them ice, help them to the restroom, fill in the blank? i could have done that." i always laugh and say it takes less time to just do it than hunt you down to do it and i am not above any of it.

off to write a big thank you to my aides and post it in the bathroom or somewhere where they all can see it. or maybe i will make lots and put it in their boxes at work.

SixFtNurse2b · Dec 31, 2004

maybe i'm totally off the subject but earlier this year i worked as a CNA for an agency. I was called to do an 11p-7a shift at a LTC. I was 4 months pregnant, not that i was complaining, but the facility was aware of this, anyways i was assigned to 10 pts on the alzheimer unit. My nurse gave me my assignments for the evening and the other cna had 10 pts. In my opinion, it seems as if they gave me the neediest pts on the floor.(thats just my opinion) Out of the 10, 7 were up all night, so all night i'm running back and forth helping this one to the bathroom, changing another, making sure the other doesn't fall out of her chair, getting slapped for changing a diaper of a confused and combative patient. While getting my 4 pts up in the am.... the nurse (who was filing her nails eating popcorn disappearing from the floor and balancing her checkbook all night) came and found me to tell me that my pt had crapped all over herself and the bed and that i need to go clean her up so she can give her her med. While walking down the hall to the other pt room, I see the nurse and the other aide just chit chatting and on top of it the pt who crapped on herself, was combative and refused to sit still. When i asked for help, the other aide stated she had to get her other pts up. Now, after she informed me of her so called tasks i still heard chit chat out of the room......NO FAIR.

From my experience in nursing school, we had to help the aides if we were not doing anything and most of the time we weren't doing anything.

to all my nurses out there HELP YOUR AIDES especially if you have time to chitchat, file your nails, pop grapes in your mouth at the nurses station, balance your checkbook, call your sweetie, eat popcorn, then sip some diet coke and go MIA every thirty minutes. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT :chair: (don't beat me up lol)

Reesa23 · Jan 5, 2005

First off you shouldn't be telling the techs to do anything. Asking is what you should be doing. And as a tech they should know what their job is and not even need to be asked. They should be adults and know what their job is. If your having issues you should take them to your unit supervisor. Your not their boss. If it's your patient and your there you can get the bed pan, the clean gown, etc. Bedside care isn't beneath you. That patient needs your help too. Nursing is a team effort. When people start saying "thats not my job thats so and so's job" thats where people start getting burnt out and why people leave nursing. Nothings worse than a lazy nurse that will hunt a tech down to get a bed pan they could have grabbed in half the time. Now tell me how is that being a patient advocate? :angryfire