Disrespectful, Lazy CNAs who bully

billyboblewis · Feb 16, 2011

In my career I have found that you have to stand up to people like this and not let them bully you. In the end to take a quote from many of them...maybe discrimanatory..what goes around comes around. Seriously I have worked with hundreds maybe thousands of people and have even been apologized to by supervisors when they found out I was the good guy.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2011

No secret to it really. You deal with CNAs who present a problem for you or try to bully you the same way you deal with everyday people who do the same.

What I mean is.................the people who tend to get bullied in their personal lives tend to get bullied by CNAs. Bullies and disrespect/laziness is everywhere, in every class of people. Whatever works with one group, will work with the next. Don't over think it or get too caught up in it.

I agree with the above post, you have to assert yourself. Draw the line in the sand and when it is crossed, deal with it in a professional manner. Don't let it get to the point where there is no return.

I've turned in CNA's and even had a couple fired for things I turned them in for. One kept going in while a pt. was asleep and hitting her PCA button. He wanted her to stay asleep and not bother him. I made sure I wrote up an incident report AND informed the manager (incident report just in case the manager did not deal with the situation). Never saw the guy again.

On the other hand, when I am with a CNA who does their part, I never take it for granted and always try to express that I do know it (buy them dinner once in awhile or w/e). CNA's are on our side, best to keep them there.

RNTOBE_1970 · Feb 16, 2011

They will be found out, eventually. I despise the whole warm body theory. I'd rather work short instead of ****** off because someone isn't doing their share.

Zookeeper3 · Feb 16, 2011

Everyone is going to burn my butt for saying so, but you asked so I'm saying.

nurses, especially new ones have no delegation skills and want to make friends and find a happy place in their new home. No one is taught in school to say.. "put down the phone and answer the call light"... you practice sterile technique until you puke, but no one teaches you to say.. " you need to round on my patients and hit the call bell when you need help turning". or "while you're making turning rounds, it makes sense to have a cart with ice to refill the water containers".

Yell all you want at me fellow nurses, but I believe we grow this problem from lack of delegating skills and we grow lazy assistants. Sure it's easier and "quicker" to do it yourself.. Shame on us all for doing that.. delegate that what ever it is... yet be available to help with your patient.

I've always had fun at work, always been nice, "please see what bed 12 needs again, thank you". No excuses as to why I'm busy... what I have to do.

Attitude... rolling eyes, sitting longer than I'd like them to respond... "You must not have heard me, bed 12 needs you now"... and I'll stand there and wait if I had to ask a second time.

If you're sharing an aide, know that they are pulled in many directions and be respectful of that.... "bed 12 is soaked in urine... what are you working on now?" Then you can see if there are multiple nurses competing for an aides time and you can prioritize... this happens frequently.

The bully... is easily fixed with their peers in tow... you take the bully on quickly... that's the one that sets the stage for bad behavior of the others... take the bully down, let them save face, don't pull rank. Try once to pull them aside, usually never works... but have a quick chat with them with the charge nurse and let them know next time they sit and delay patient care it goes on record... they will test you... write them up to management. The bully then USUALLY gets worse.. pull them aside and give them the option in private to work together or continue the paper trail... Worse behaviour... more paper trail... pull them aside, " I really regret that you are forcing me to do this... helps is some of the new aids can hear...but your care is not up to my standards... if you need help in your assignment and can't get your work done you need to let me know"

Now they are looked at as incapable with their peers and they generally don't like that. From there I keep calling them out, ever so nicely saying if "you're having difficulties maybe ..... the new CNA needs to help support you.

Then I talk to the newer CNA's whom one... know I'll write them up and go to management, two, they generally don't want to follow this person much longer and three I've taken away the bullies groupies and made them stand out in a very poor way.

Sure it's alot of work and we as professional nurses are responsible for that delegation, and making sure it happens. Usually us nurses allowed this mess to occur and we're responsible to fix it. You can't fix your fellow nurses, but those CNA's will work for you... and care for your patients... the other fearful nurses... let them take up that slack and dare to complain... I promise you you'll help them fix that.

Zero tolerance in a polite and respectful way.

steelcityrn, RN · Feb 16, 2011

Best thing to do is stand up to them, if they have anything to say, document it and have a witness.

Mrs. Sparkle Pants · Feb 16, 2011

As long as you are treating them like "subordinates" and not as important members of the team, they will act like this. Respect is a two way street. You have more education, more experience, and more credentials, but their job is equally important to the function of your unit. Once you see them as just as important as you, and treat them as such, I'm guessing things might look a little brighter.

nickole15 · Feb 16, 2011

I am a new CNA and i do agree with you about most CNA's who treat there patients very poorly. At times I do feel ashamed for my temporary position in the nursing field. I do believe these women (sometimes men) need to be fired.

caliotter3 · Feb 16, 2011

I found out that a CNA who would disappear for hours at a time to smoke marijuana in the building and who didn't do much when he was around, had been hired back for the third time, because the place was so short of personnel. I dealt with it (I was a CNA at the time), by one night telling the charge nurse that I refused to "work with" him again. I let her know in no uncertain terms that I resented doing the work while he just stood there. It was better for me to work alone and not have him standing there to antagonize me.

2000LVN · Feb 16, 2011

:nurse:

when i became a nurse i was barely 21 and worked with cnas in their 40's. i found it difficult (at first) to be accretive and professional at the same time. however, when i made that discovery i was pleased at the results when approaching cnas with my concerns and directives. i simply let them know that we are both medical professionals (the medical in front of professionals tends to add a little something). that the letters that follow our name on our badges let the ones we care for and their families know that the state recognizes our ability and knowledge to preform our jobs. the difference is not in our importance of the titles, because we are both equally important and needed but in the description of our jobs. in addition to providing patient care i am also a supervisor of additional staff which includes cnas as well as cmas. usually that facilitates a better working environment. however, there are always exceptions to the rule. in those cases i try education, why and how we must do "it" this way. sometimes additional staff must know that we are aware of what they are doing and that we are watching to see if improvement is made. when i cannot resolve the issue between myself and the staff member i involve nursing management, being a verbal meeting in their presence or a formal written counseling. i will continue to involve management (including outside of the nursing department) until resolved. now i know we (nurses) tend to say that we do not have time to "run behind" grown people, cnas should know how to do their job. however, i bring this to your attention we are the supervisors on the floor, hall, unit, or wing it is part of our job to insure that everyone under our supervision does the job accurately and respectively. i do agree that if a staff member cannot do their job per state, facility, and their supervisor's guidelines then a change needs to occur. in conclusion, do not forget abuse is abuse in any form, remove and report are the only two steps needed in those cases.

kakamegamama · Feb 16, 2011

As long as you are treating them like "subordinates" and not as important members of the team, they will act like this. Respect is a two way street. You have more education, more experience, and more credentials, but their job is equally important to the function of your unit. Once you see them as just as important as you, and treat them as such, I'm guessing things might look a little brighter.

While I agree with your statement, personal experience has also taught me that some people, even those treated with due respect, will still bully, be disrespectful, and not give a flip about patients. So, yes, by all means, treat the aides with respect (oh, how many times have they saved my bacon!), and view them as partners in health care, but understand too that some people are just unhappy, miserable people & no matter what will act as the OP stated.

systoly · Feb 16, 2011

Zookeeper3, why would anyone want to burn you for identifying the problem and laying out a blueprint for dealing with it. This is pretty much how I handle this and it works. I also believe it makes a big difference in how you carry yourself. Walk and talk like you have a purpose in life ( DI talk ) and people will think twice before challenging you.