On a very busy morning where I'm trying to control a patient's surgical pain to discharges and family and patient education I was confronted by a nurse tech. This is how the conversation went:
it was 11:35am. Me: " I know you are having your lunch at 12. Would you make ms. m's bed. She just sat in the chair but she will soon be called to dialysis in her bed so she will go need to go back to her bed soon."
reply from nursing attendant in front of the patient:" I will make her bed when I get to it. I don't appreciate you telling me how to do my job. I don't like the way you talked to me"
she had just created added unnecessary stress that morning.
she complained about me to my nurse manager who didn't agree or disagree but she listened. I had to tell her what transpired between us though brief. now I have a meeting this week with the nursing attendant and the nurse manager to discuss what happened?
to be honest I didn't even know anything bad happened? All I did was delegate a task.
The CNA was rude, disrespectful and refused a reasonable request. She is harassing the nurse, not vice versa.
These types always run to management right away to complain and play the victim.
It really is uncomfortable to work with such miserable people who come to work to lash out and create drama.
Write her up every single time for creating a hostile work environment through your
incident reporting system. Make management do its job which is to put her on notice and teach her some manners.
Pretty much.
Could there have been more courtesies from the RN in that exchange? Sure, but end of the day it was an appropriate request and that CNA should be written up for showing such blatant disrespect toward the patient by airing that laundry in front of him or her.
It doesn't take long to make a bed. If you were present when the patient got up it may just be easier to make the bed rather than hunt someone else down to do it.
I think what you ask is in the scope of your job. I also think saying please and thank you goes along way. People are more inclined to help when you ask them to do it. I wish you luck with everything.
Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.
There are just some people out there that likes to play victim and make things difficult. If it's part of their job then just do it. What do you want from me? A gift basket for doing your job? I don't think you were in the wrong at all. If you asked them during their lunch break then yeah you should be nicer about and layer the honey deep. But if it's a regular work time and it's part of their regular work, then I don't see the need. It's part of the job, it's part of delegating. You're not doing me any favors, no, you're just doing your job. If it's something that's a favor then yeah I get it but this is simply doing their job.
Personally i say thanks after asking someone for a favor, and I still do it when it's delegation/part of their job, but that's just me. If someone didn't say thanks after delegating a task to me that I'm supposed to do anyways, I wouldn't get bent out of shape about it. I would like a thanks but it's not something to fuss about, certainly not something I would report about. It's ridiculous. I would talk to that aides manager and write her up for creating a hostile work environment. Two can play at that game.
Yes of course it would've been easier. This headache wouldn't have existed if I did it myself. This N.A. was doing NOTHING when I asked of her to do this task. This N.A. also refused to help her with morning care .. she said to me that she has hands why cant she wash herself.. and I said to her that the patient is asking for help, why dont you see what she needs help with. She was resistant to care for her to begin with that at the end of the day the patient tells me she didnt want the N.A. to touch her. I didnt even mention this part to my nurse manager.. I didnt even tell the N.A. what he patient said to me. This is off my off my original topic though related. I do not feel meeting up with this N.A. with the nurse manager will fix anything. She will most likely just continue to argue and be challenging to work with.
Specializes in Oncology, Rehab, Public Health, Med Surg.
Yes of course it would've been easier. This headache wouldn't have existed if I did it myself. This N.A. was doing NOTHING when I asked of her to do this task. This N.A. also refused to help her with morning care .. she said to me that she has hands why cant she wash herself.. and I said to her that the patient is asking for help, why dont you see what she needs help with. She was resistant to care for her to begin with that at the end of the day the patient tells me she didnt want the N.A. to touch her. I didnt even mention this part to my nurse manager.. I didnt even tell the N.A. what he patient said to me. This is off my off my original topic though related. I do not feel meeting up with this N.A. with the nurse manager will fix anything. She will most likely just continue to argue and be challenging to work with.
Well, THIS information changes everything.
Of course her response to you and the pt was wrong. Why would you not tell your manager about her comments, etc?
I think you have an obligation to- for your patient's sake
Isn't it the nurses job to delegate to CNAs? Where does it say the nurse has to be all sugar and spice? IMO you should have written her up for insubordination.
Yes of course it would've been easier. This headache wouldn't have existed if I did it myself. This N.A. was doing NOTHING when I asked of her to do this task. This N.A. also refused to help her with morning care .. she said to me that she has hands why cant she wash herself.. and I said to her that the patient is asking for help, why dont you see what she needs help with. She was resistant to care for her to begin with that at the end of the day the patient tells me she didnt want the N.A. to touch her. I didnt even mention this part to my nurse manager.. I didnt even tell the N.A. what he patient
said to me. This is off my off my original topic though related. I do not feel meeting up with this N.A. with the nurse manager will fix anything. She will most likely just
continue to argue and be challenging to work with.
The next time a patient has a valid complaint such as this, close the door, say would you report this and dial the
manager's number for the patient. Then step out so that he can speak freely.
It's probably because I'm southern, but I think I am never too busy to throw in a please and a thank you. It is automatic. "Hey Mr. CNA, could you please help me get patient A's bed remade real quick? She is about to head to HD. (CNA responds with a sound face but a yes head nod)...Yes? Awesome! Thank you so much...." Said as I'm running 90miles an hour down the hall in the opposite direction. Or, ask them to help me make it real quick. At my hospital the nurses don't usually help, so if I pitch in early in the shift, the reluctant aides turn into Rock Star Aides.
My mom always told me to "kill 'em with kindness" or her favorite "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." And it is true (for me at least). You can win over just about anyone with the right approach. IMHO
ETA- Disclaimer: I don't work with aides often as we don't have them in my unit. That's my approach that has worked when floated to MS.
It's probably because I'm southern, but I think I am never too busy to throw in a please and a thank you. It is automatic. "Hey Mr. CNA, could you please help me get patient A's bed remade real quick? She is about to head to HD."
My mom always told me to "kill 'em with kindness" or her favorite "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." And it is true (for me at least). You can win over just about anyone with the right approach. IMHO
Not really sure why you think the South has a monopoly on manners, but oK. Are please and thank you helpful and polite? Absolutely. Is a subordinate a subordinate who should subordinate themselves when told to do a CNA task without please and thank you - Absolutely.
All this please-and-thank-you business drives me nuts, I feel like it's condescending to thank a person for doing their job.
I have a few docs I work with who are always thanking everyone, and I know they're trying to be nice, but it always makes me think, "Don't thank me, I'm not doing you a favor!!"
My CNAs tend to get huffy if you don't thank them profusely every time they give someone a bath or get them back in bed, so I play the game because I need them to like me.
Anyway, OP, I don't think you did anything wrong...
VANurse2010
1,526 Posts
Pretty much.
Could there have been more courtesies from the RN in that exchange? Sure, but end of the day it was an appropriate request and that CNA should be written up for showing such blatant disrespect toward the patient by airing that laundry in front of him or her.