Disrespectful, Lazy CNAs who bully

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Does anyone else have problems with CNAs (or other subordinate staff) who was generally disrespectful, insubordinate and lazy? I know this is a problem since the dawn of time and will continue to be a problem, but what about when they bully & take advantage of their fellow staff: Other CNAs and nurses. The easy answer is to fire them and hire people who actually care about the patients and take pride in where they work, but because of the HR "set up" we have, it allows them to get write up after write up, warning after warning.... so they remain until they transfer out or quit.

Anyone have any tips on how to deal with staff like this?

Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

I see this all the time.

We have CNAs who do the BARE minimum if that, complain if asked to assist/do a task, ignore call lights, disappear to the bathroom or lounge but they are the FIRST ones to leave at the end of shift.

Various nurse talk to them 1 on 1, report to management, and nothing is done. We just have to pick up their slack and we get behind in our charting and necessary tasks.

I have worked with some AWESOME CNAs and always let them know how much I appreciate what they do and that they made my shift substantially better. When we really work together, it is amazing.

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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.

Who will find them out?

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I see this all the time.

We have CNAs who do the BARE minimum if that, complain if asked to assist/do a task, ignore call lights, disappear to the bathroom or lounge but they are the FIRST ones to leave at the end of shift.

Various nurse talk to them 1 on 1, report to management, and nothing is done. We just have to pick up their slack and we get behind in our charting and necessary tasks.

I have worked with some AWESOME CNAs and always let them know how much I appreciate what they do and that they made my shift substantially better. When we really work together, it is amazing.

I suggest you stop picking up the slack and getting behind in your own tasks. I suggest you read the responses here again and try some of these techniques. I know it's scary to stand up and confront people, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. And do you really want to allow them to goof off while you do both your own work and theirs? I bet you aren't getting their pay, so why do their work?

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: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.

i'm guessing you mean "assertive," and i agree with you that learning to be assertive and not come off as aggressive or unprofessional can be a difficult thing to master. it takes practice, but it sure beats becoming sullen, resentful, and completely stressed out - all potential results of avoiding conflict. i like your idea of making sure the cna realizes you see their role as "professional" and vital to the team.

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I work in LTC as a therapy aide. There is 1 unit I prefer not to work on b/c experience has taught me that the aides there will do anything to get out of doing their job. If I need help with a heavy PT xfer in bed or toilet, no one can help, no one can usually be found! I have heard so many sad stories from residents who thanked me dearly for answering their light b/c it's been on for 30 min (it's everyone's resp. to answer a light if you walk by). Or if they have a need I cannot (as a therapy aide) meet, I have had ppl nearly cry when I said they would have to wait for their aide.

And on this unit, the RNs and the aides are all very tight. On the units where the RNs remain more professional and delegate...and lets be honest, lead by example...the aides are a pleasure to work with.

When I graduate I hope that I remember this very well.

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I'm not trying to be mean here but perhaps your CNAs/other staff act like the way you describe because you view them in your words as subordinate? I'm a CNA and I can tell you that the nurses who value our opinions and treat us fairly and not as slaves get a whole lot further than those nurses who treat us like we are low life poop cleaners. Sure, that's our job... but a little sugar goes a long way...? If that isn't you and your post wasn't meant to come off that way, then I sincerely apologize!! I just have 1 nurse in particular that we all grumble about because she treats us like we are poor class low lives...

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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.

I think this is a pretty big assumption to make. How do you know the OP doesn't treat CNAs with respect in general? Sometimes there are truly lazy people out there, and in my experience, people who are bullies seek out things to be offended by and aren't always created by their environment.

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I'm curious as to what the nurse:CNA ratio is for you guys? Delegation is tricky on my floor because at best we have 3 techs on the floor for 30 beds, so 1 tech assigned to 2+ nurses (and often it's really 0-1 tech for the whole floor btw understaffing and turning techs into sitters). Since we're a GI surgery floor there's a lot of drains, ostomies, and incontinence along with the usual q2 turns, etc and it always seems a bit wrong to walk into a 'code brown' and leave to go find the tech, but at the same, the reality is that dealing with can take half hour+... Plus, the techs could potentially be in 10+ different rooms or the nurses lounge or taking a break wherever so it takes a really long time to find them in most cases which doesn't seem worth it when whatever needs doing won't take that long. The techs on my floor, at least day shift, always seem way overworked and stressed which makes delegating to them awfully difficult.

That said, I've also seen a lot of honest laziness and I've found the best way of handling things like that is to lay out at the beginning of a shift what you will need done (including, 'FYI, room 5 is having frequent BMs and is incontinent" and "Room 7 has an ostomy, foley, NGT, 3 drains") and negotiate from there as needed depending on their work load. But I'm still new and this is an area I find very tricky.

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Specializes in LTC.
:nurse: This particular issue is actually one of the main reasons I strongly dislike being a nurse. I can handle the family, and the residents who are rude and demanding, but I do not like being a manager! like another person posted, we are not taught in nursing school to manage CNA's. I, myself, am a very peaceful person, and I honestly avoid conflict at any cost. I just do not like delivering bad news, or telling people to "do this now" and I know that is really important when being a nurse. I use please and thank you every thing I delegate tasks, but I still catch "hell" for it. I work with 45 residents at night (6p-630a), and have 4 cnas and 1 qma. These guys walk all over me, and I have been talking quite a bit about the issue with my coworkers (other nurses) and I have been reading up on the topic on the internet. I was told by another experienced nurse that I needed to grow "a backbone" and that this is something that mostly every nurse goes through. I can also relate to another person's post because I am only 22, and I have CNAS who are 50+ years old. If anyone has any advice, I will gladly take it. thank you fellow nurses! :heartbeat
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In our unit, we're 3 CNAs for 36 patients. Most of the time I work with 4 nurses. My duties are to take vitals twice in my shift, re-take the abnormal readings, turn patients q2, clean patients on lax evr 5-10 min, help others to the bathroom, or bsc. feed, or get them out of bed for dinner, chart first and second vitals and nursing care and I & Os.

Wheel out the discharged, but get their vitals before the leave. I understand there're lazy CNAs, but there're ways to distinguish. Please learn...and have some consideration.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

It is all has to do with work ethic and personality issues.

I have worked with a horrible, lazy CNA who had been on the floor for a long time. she got away with so many things... comming in late, leaving floor during work hours for a long periods of time, on the cell phone for all the time, not anwering the call light, not charting the CNA's documents,,,,

She had some strange mentality and a huge chip on her shoulder that she was better than any nurses (mostly to new nurses) and everyone should treat her like a queen.

Many of us wondered how that kind of person can survive in the workforce,

well,, She was the friend with manager and the manager allowed everything.

and there was another CNA, she was geniune, honest, compassionate person. She was much older than most of nurses on the floor with many, many years of experience. She gave good cares to her patients. She never complained, gave hard time to no one. She did her work, helped out whenever she could. I respected her in person and her work ethic. She was the one true valuable worker in the whole hospital.

CNAs are very important part of nursing care. their job is one of the vital parts of the nursing care and deserve much respect. I try to help them out whenever I can. But, If they do not accept my respect and don't want to be a team player, I treat them same way.

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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.

I treat them like subordinates because they are. Just like I am the house supervisor's subordinate and she is the DON's subordinate. It isn't a dirty word. It has nothing to do with respect. It has to do with level of responsibility and rank(for lack of a better word). For me respect is automatically extended to everyone. Part of society's problem is that everyone wants to be the same on equal ground with everyone else regardless of job title. What that creates is "we are the same so I don't have to listen to you". When we punch out we are the same and have the same responsibilities as anyone else. When we are on the clock I am the licensed nurse held responsible for your crappy work ethic so YES I will tell you to get off of the internet and go take care of Mr. Jones and you will do it or go home. Its called the chain of command and there is nothing wrong with it. If we respected it in homes, school, and work this board would be much smaller. My CNA's may not like me but they respect me and my patients get top notch care and that's all I care about.;)

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