do you feel like the CNA's run the floor?

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 7, 2006

Oh boy----this stinks. Well, if management and admin can't and won't back you up, seems you have two choices:

quit

Or put up with this.

I think I would quit, if it were at all possible.

Genista, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2006

This is NOT a problem on my unit with our regular staff. We nurses and the nurses' aids are a team. Being a CNA is hard work, and we nurses appreciate all that our aids do. The aids do as much as they can, but of course RNs end up assisting pts to commode, changing beds, feeding total care pts, too as that's the reality of the workload. But the less of that we have to do, the more time we can spend on RN related tasks (assessments, meds, treatments, education, charting, talking with physicians, taking off orders, reviewing charts, etc.).

We have had some (new hire) aids come in to work with negative attitudes before, but it is not acceptable on our unit. It's bad for patient care, and bad for unit morale. We usually talk with the problematic aids 1:1, but if no change occurs, then it goes to the nurse manager, who pulls them aside and has a talk with them.Sounds to me like the problem for you is that management doesn't seem to care, and perhaps the staff tolerates this behavior as well? What are the consequences for laziness and negative attitudes where you work? At my work, CNAs and RNs all have peer based performance evals, so we ALL have to make an effort to be team players with a positive attitude. This goes for RNs and MDs as well. Repeated negative attitudes need to be addressed. It is toxic in the workplace. I would bring up this problem at the next staff meeting. If management isn't willing to help address this problem, then perhaps you should look for an employer where they actually care about the unit and staff. I wouldn't want to work somewhere where the managers didn't care. Good luck!

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2006

The aides seem to do oly the minimum to get by per their job description. Has anyone else encountered this issue?:angryfire
PS: When this issue was brought to attention to administration, we were told that they cant change anybodys personalities and do the best we can.:uhoh21:

Our CNT's work very hard as well. I could not do their jobs. We have a few that have been around for a while that will definately give you the lip. I have learned that I have to speak directly to them. "(pt) needs to go to the bathroom and you need to go to the room". I get the look but the CNT does go. Sometimes they say "I'm too busy", my reply....."I'm busy too, go as soon as you can." Our administration is much more understanding. I have on occasion reported a tech for not doing what is asked of them and it is addressed. It's hard to learn to speak frankly and directly but in the long run it's far easier because they learn what you expect of them.

No flaming here please. RN's are held accountable also, by Doctors to whose standards and we are expected to follow also and if we don't, we also get reported. There are different levels of education and the higher up you are the more control you have. Just a fact of life.

huffmans98 · Mar 7, 2006

It is impossible for the CNA's to assist every patient every time with what you call "aide work". If nurses are not willing to help, I would have a bad attitude too. I can't stand when nurses feel they don't have to do anything that an aide can do. Work as a team, and everyone should get along fine.

LEL · Mar 7, 2006

I am a new nurse of about 2 years and work on an acute med-surg geriatric floor. It is an 18 bed unit and we work with 3 RN's and 2 CNA's. THough this ratio seems fair, myself and the other nurses constantly feel like we are doing everyones work. When we do ask for extra help from the aides, it is usually accompanied by an attitude or a smart remark. The nurses on my floor feel as though it is unfair that we have to sacrifice our nursing time with our patients to do aide work. (We do perform these duties anyway, but can not do both jobs for the whole shift). The aides seem to do oly the minimum to get by per their job description. Has anyone else encountered this issue?:angryfire
PS: When this issue was brought to attention to administration, we were told that they cant change anybodys personalities and do the best we can.:uhoh21:

Why is it that nurses are expected to do the aides job and also her own? I do not mind helping the aide, but many times this puts me behind as they cannot do my work. They see no problem asking the nurse for help when their coworker is sitting down and mind you not on break.:angryfire While there are many wonderful aides I have worked with, there are also many with attitudes, lazy and alot of trouble makers. I now expect the aide to work just as hard as I do and will not help when they are sitting and I am working.:angryfire They (aide) seems to forget we are there to take care of the patient.

LEL · Mar 7, 2006

It is impossible for the CNA's to assist every patient every time with what you call "aide work". If nurses are not willing to help, I would have a bad attitude too. I can't stand when nurses feel they don't have to do anything that an aide can do. Work as a team, and everyone should get along fine.

The key word here is teamwork and perhaps the aides need to think about that.:angryfire

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 7, 2006

There is no "I" in teamwork....I love that saying.

I had a nurse scream at me one day, down the hall to get patient X in room XX a blanket, she was standing in front of the blanket warmer and I was in the middle of s&it literally.

I said the above statement to her, we got along great after that.

allele, LPN · Mar 7, 2006

The key word here is teamwork and perhaps the aides need to think about that.:angryfire

:yeahthat:

Nicely put!! I understood the OP as saying that nurses are being taken away from their own work, not that they're not willing to help out with things like call lights, toileting, etc. Attitudes and smart remarks are obviously not a sign that these aides respect the people that they work with or that they're even willing to work as a team. I know they can't get to every patient every time (I was a CNA myself for 6 years, a job I loved, and I do understand the problems), but if they're too busy to do something a nurse asks them to do, it's pretty simple to just tell the nurse that they are in the middle of something else and they will help them as soon as they can, unless, of course, there's an emergency. I'm afraid I'm with SmilingBlueEyes on this, if possible I would just quit if you're not getting anywhere with administration. I hope everything works out for you.

allele, LPN · Mar 7, 2006

There is no "I" in teamwork....I love that saying.
I had a nurse scream at me one day, down the hall to get patient X in room XX a blanket, she was standing in front of the blanket warmer and I was in the middle of s&it literally.
I said the above statement to her, we got along great after that.

:roll

Communication at its best!! I love it!! :lol2:

grentea · Mar 7, 2006

I really work well with the nurse aides on my floor. We help each other out a lot. Occasionally, I'll meet a nurse aide floated to my floor who might give some attitude but it's not something I get all bent out of shape over. It hasn't always been this way. I've worked at other places where the nurse aides felt like they weren't treated well and they were unhappy and overloaded. I guess if we help each other out, everything goes better, and everyone's a little happier.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2006

It is impossible for the CNA's to assist every patient every time with what you call "aide work". If nurses are not willing to help, I would have a bad attitude too. I can't stand when nurses feel they don't have to do anything that an aide can do. Work as a team, and everyone should get along fine.

And it's not always possible for a nurse to help with "tech work" and that doesn't mean we are not willing to help. When it boils down to the elements "tech work" is what you're qualified to do and paid to do and "nurse work" is what we are qualified to do and paid to do. I never mind helping out but unless you've worked as a nurse you don't know time consuming and mentally stressful it can be. I realize Techs work extremely hard physically. As I've said I could not do your job. If you're not happy with your situation you can go back to school.