Do you encounter attitudes from techs?

Toileting patients is part of their job. You shouldn't have to ask others to do their job, but some people will put you in that position. I wouldn't worry so much about ticking them off. Just ask them politely to toilet the patient when you are too busy to do so. If they give you any grief, then report them.

Just monitor all the down time they have surfing the web and chatting away while you are working to barely make it out on time, and it should become easier for you to delegate the tasks that are really their job in the first place. I have worked with hundreds of CNA's over the years, and many of them will get away with doing as little as their nurse will allow. Each person is different, as is their work ethic, and sorry workers dont mind putting their load on your shoulders. You shouldnt mind putting it right back on them. If it ticks them off to do their job, maybe they should consider not having one. It certainly wont tick off the good hard workers who probably resent the bad ones for walking away with the same sized check after ducking their responsibilities all day. They would like to intimidate you so that youll just do it to avoid conflict, but unless they are giving you part of their pay, take a little conflict and make them do their jobs like everybody else. It wont take many times for them to realize that when they work with you, they will actually have to work.

I had a tech who was sitting with my delirious patient last week. I was extremely busy that night, and he called me in because he "couldn't handle him" every time the patient tried to move. Then he told me I HAD to "drug him" more and that he was going to "sue [my] ass if he got hurt, because didn't drug him enough."

A lot of them say that the nurses are too "tech dependent". I think to myself, well of course we are tech dependent...we are only one person, and we do depend on them to help out with basic needs so that we can perform the skills tasks like meds and treatments. If I'm in the room, and the patient asks me to help them to the bathroom, of course I do it myself, and if I see pee in a urinal I empty it - I often fill up my patient's water pitchers etc. But, while I'm at the end of my hall on a med pass, I don't think I should have to stop and take a patient to the bathroom when the tech is sitting right there.

Hmmm....

Let's see, a tech costs the hospital less money....I think it is silly to pay a well-educated staff RN $25 -45 (wherever you live...) per hour to toilet someone! Yes, I know that historically this was part of a nurses job, but that started back when nuns were nurses and learned via OJT and they didn't have the responsibilities that nurses do today. It is fiscally irresponsible not to have techs....or even worse...it is far more fiscally irresponsible to have an RN doing a techs job while both are being paid! :icon_roll

Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy fix for nurse-tech interpersonal problems.

I work in a setting less dependent on techs, so have fewer problems.

I have worked med-surg as both a nurse and a CNA, and I do know what you mean about the majority of problems coming from only 1 or 2 people.

Every once in a while you have to tic a few people off to get the work done. I have had to tell a couple of aides that if it is within your scope of practice I expect you to do the job without me riding your butt all day long. I try being nice, but if that does not work I tell them like it is.

It seems like there are 1 or 2 of these employees no matter where you work or what field you are in. They intend to do the least amount of work they can get away with and not get fired. Not everyone has a good work ethic. I don't think it's something we teach our kids these days. Truly a shame!

I work in LTC and find the Aides their can be extremely lazy with bad attitudes. It is terrible. Especially when the "group" of aides who have this attitude work together. Most of the aides I work with are great and I cringe on the days I see certain faces. I worked as an aide in a hospital before becoming a nurse and have never seen attitudes and poor work habits like I see where I work now.

These people need to be in another profession.

have simple rule as a nurse concerning cna and etc under my supervision. stay busy or i will find something to keep you busy. you are paid to do 8 hours of work. you are allowed a 30 minute lunch break and 2 15 minute breaks..... the rest of the time you are to be on the floor with the residents. there will be no cell phones or other devices on while on the floor. you are here for the residents not to plan your social calendar. few times i did have to find things for them to do...... as much as i hated to have to do it....i done it to follow through. i when i did assign extra duties.... a report was sent to d.o.n. with all the details. i also made sure to stay extra busy during that time. and made more effort to help answer call lights. heard the well your sitting at desk... told them fine you do all this lpn paperwork and i will go be an aide. much rather be hands on than behind a desk. usually i made it an unpleasant task....like washing wheelchairs....then inspect them to make sure they was properly cleaned..... its extra work for me too...... if they just do thier job i wouldnt have to do that "mean" type of assignements. being an aide isnt hard.....but it can wear on you mentally and physically. i do have a lot of respect for the cna's...especially older ones..... i started as a juice aide.... then cna....cra...cma.... then lpn...then iv cert....... one step at a time.....i know how hard they really do work most of the time.

There are always 2 sides on things. I job shadowed a tech last week and she was the only tech covering 20 beds on a medical floor. She had 2 feeders, 6 complete bed baths, and 4 assists, and then she said she was required to help with vitals if she had time.

Yes, attitudes from techs can be stressfull especially when your own plate is so full it's over flowing. I have had to change my delegation speach for situations such as toileting patients. I'll start w/ "When you have a chance, would you..." If I get a look or back talk, I'll follow it w/; "It is after all, the patient who we are here for. What if this patient was your family member? I know you would want the best for them, do what you would do for your family."

It also helps having a great values statement from your institution. My hospital is a Catholic institution, so our values statement goes along the line of "treating our patients as if touched by Jesus".