dilemma

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We were having debate/discussion about this situtation any thoughts

you and your CNA have been busy all morning you are just about to sit down and do some charting at the nurse's station when you notice room 10 light is on. as you get up to answer it Room 21's wife arrrives to pick up her husband. You did not complete his wife's discharge instruction yet becuase she wasn't planning to go home until later. You decide to ask your CNA to answer the call light while you go to Room 21 to discharge the husband. You call your assistant on her phone and ask her to go see room 10. she does not aknowledge your request and you ask if she can hear you. you get a grunt in response and at least know that she heard you. You then start to walk down the hall to room 21 when the CNA comes at you and starts yelling at you about telling her to do things and that she saw you sitting down... what is your response to this???

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"Please answer the call light while I discharge Mr. A. When you are calmer why don't you come find me and we can talk about this in private?"

If she continued I would say, "If you cannot wait until a more appropriate time to discuss this, then we can discuss this with the Boss."

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.

"You answer the call light, I will get the discharge, and then we will talk about what just happened." After all is calm I would take her into a private area and tell her, "First of all, I was GOING to get the call light when Mrs. so and so arrived for the discharge; being as I cannot do both things at the same time, you can get the call light while I get the discharge. I NEVER ask a CNA to answer a call light that I cannot get myself IF I"M NOT ALREADY DOING SOMETHING ELSE. Part of MY job is charting, so if I am sitting down and charting, you have no right to question me. If you do have any questions or problems with the way I run my floor, you can take me aside (like I am doing with you right now) and tell me your concerns. You will not question my authority in the hallway, in front of patients and visitors or I will write you up. And you will not scream at me, just speak to me calmly like I am speaking to you right now. I understand you thought that I was sitting down doing nothing while a call light was going off and told you to get it; that was not the case. If you would have calmly asked me about it, I would have told you that Mrs. so and so arrived at the same time and I had to get to her first, which left the call light. That is why I called you. So next time you are upset or feel like you are being treated unfairly, please come to me calmy and ask me about it."

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"Please answer the call light while I discharge Mr. A. When you are calmer why don't you come find me and we can talk about this in private?"

If she continued I would say, "If you cannot wait until a more appropriate time to discuss this, then we can discuss this with the Boss."

That is a great way to handle that i agree wiht you.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, NICU, ER, PICU.

Get a new CNA:lol2:

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Specializes in LTC / SNF / Geriatrics.
"You answer the call light, I will get the discharge, and then we will talk about what just happened." After all is calm I would take her into a private area and tell her, "First of all, I was GOING to get the call light when Mrs. so and so arrived for the discharge; being as I cannot do both things at the same time, you can get the call light while I get the discharge. I NEVER ask a CNA to answer a call light that I cannot get myself IF I"M NOT ALREADY DOING SOMETHING ELSE. Part of MY job is charting, so if I am sitting down and charting, you have no right to question me. If you do have any questions or problems with the way I run my floor, you can take me aside (like I am doing with you right now) and tell me your concerns. You will not question my authority in the hallway, in front of patients and visitors or I will write you up. And you will not scream at me, just speak to me calmly like I am speaking to you right now. I understand you thought that I was sitting down doing nothing while a call light was going off and told you to get it; that was not the case. If you would have calmly asked me about it, I would have told you that Mrs. so and so arrived at the same time and I had to get to her first, which left the call light. That is why I called you. So next time you are upset or feel like you are being treated unfairly, please come to me calmy and ask me about it."

Nice response! I don't know if I'd have the calm in me to respond in this manner to this kind of insubordination. If an aide came at me screamin at me, whew....... Usually with my aides, a look is all it takes and they know they've over stepped their boundries.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

Add this to the long list of reasons, I work primary care if at all possible.

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Specializes in Geriatric/LTC, Rehab, Home Hhealth.
"Please answer the call light while I discharge Mr. A. When you are calmer why don't you come find me and we can talk about this in private?"

If she continued I would say, "If you cannot wait until a more appropriate time to discuss this, then we can discuss this with the Boss."

Tazzi - Sometimes I feel like I should be compensating you for all the words of wisdom over the years...er...I'm a little short, have some balloons:balloons: (it was between that and the trout...I was going to do coffee or tea, but I wasn't sure if you do the caffeine thing :0)

Anyway, thanks for sharing your wisdom!

To the OP: I see that you are new so, welcome to the site! You will come to find that Tazzi's advice is worth it's weight in trout (balloons not heavy enough for the analogy)

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I'd try to use a little humor and some casualness. "Sue, don't yell at me", in a sing-songy Little Bo-Beep voice. "Mrs. Whoever just arrived and I have to finish that discharge. So I promise I'm not goofing off while you do extra work. And while I was sitting, it was to chart, not just relax. Give me at break, Sue, trust me a little, please." All light and friendly. And later, when it was calmer, I'd say, "And please don't yell at me, esp. in the hallway. I try very hard never to yell at you or anyone else and If I'm upset with someone, I try to talk to them privately, and I need for you to do the same. OK?"

Then pray for peace, pray for retirement, pray for a winning lottery ticket.:monkeydance: :jester: :o :devil: :angryfire :smiletea: :eek: :crying2: :sniff: :bow: :cry: :yeah: :argue: :cheers: :deadhorse :bowingpur :icon_hug: :thankya: Yes, this crap that we deal with all the time really does raises all these emotions in me.

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"Please answer the call light while I discharge Mr. A. When you are calmer why don't you come find me and we can talk about this in private?"

If she continued I would say, "If you cannot wait until a more appropriate time to discuss this, then we can discuss this with the Boss."

:yeahthat:

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I have been dealing with an aide that has behaved like this towards me many times, and then you should see the things she does behind my back. After talking with her, nicely telling her to knock it off, sternly telling her to back down, writing her up and going to my NM (who has since retired) ....

Well, lets just say she's retiring 10/1/07 - I'm going to start a count down calander. Good luck :beercuphe :yeah: :cheers:

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

I hope I would have the restraint you guys have. I have had CNAs get snippy, I'm sure I have been snippy too. That I can handle, when you are mad, you are gonna sound mad. But to actually yell at someone, no. Not acceptable. CNA needs to be seriously dealt with (or nurse/doc whoever is yelling). I don't expects docs to yell at me, or other nurses, or my children and not CNAs.:no: Someone having this type of behavior in front of pts and staff does not need to be in the healthcare field. Now if only we can convince docs of this. Adults should not act like this.

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