Feeling disrespected and unsupported :(

[DepressedPsychRN]

I have some wonderful mental health associates but I also have some that are very lazy and disresptful. At my facility, RN's are constantly told that we are in charge of the unit and we are responsible for everything that goes on in the unit but management apparently does not tell mental health associates that. As a result I have several MHA's who get very angry and hostile when I ask them to "please ask an RN before you leave the unit" and God forbid I tell them to please keep it down when patients are asleep or get onto an MHA for sleeping in the hall. I am often told "you are not my boss!' "Worry about yourself!" or " I'm not a child that I need to ask your permission!" I'm so tired of being treated this way by some of my staff (these certain MHA's treat all the nurses this way not just me). I do my best to be a role model on my unit. I faithful round, I make sure all my MHA's get a break and if we are short I help the MHA who is working. Do nurses at other facilities have the authority to write up or send home MHA's? I feel like I have a lot of responsibility but very little authority.

[Safety Coach RN]

I have some wonderful mental health associates but I also have some that are very lazy and disresptful. At my facility, RN's are constantly told that we are in charge of the unit and we are responsible for everything that goes on in the unit but management apparently does not tell mental health associates that. As a result I have several MHA's who get very angry and hostile when I ask them to "please ask an RN before you leave the unit" and God forbid I tell them to please keep it down when patients are asleep or get onto an MHA for sleeping in the hall. I am often told "you are not my boss!' "Worry about yourself!" or " I'm not a child that I need to ask your permission!" I'm so tired of being treated this way by some of my staff (these certain MHA's treat all the nurses this way not just me). I do my best to be a role model on my unit. I faithful round, I make sure all my MHA's get a break and if we are short I help the MHA who is working. Do nurses at other facilities have the authority to write up or send home MHA's? I feel like I have a lot of responsibility but very little authority.

I was going to type a response but I'm too busy playing poker in the nursing station.

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

Welcome to nursing, home of managers without power.

What is a MH associate? Like a minimum wage aid? How stupid is that title. Man, I hate PC.

I doubt it has anything to do with PC. It's probably hospital admins wanting to make the jobs sound more impressive thinking that patients will think we're more professional than if we're called "orderlies." Job title inflation happens everywhere at every level these days.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Mental Health Techs are the eyes and ears of the unit. They are out interacting with the patients the entire shift

Anyone I hire either has a BA in a behavioral health, or solid inpatient experience. They are all trained in CPI expected to be empathetic, and engage in therapeutic interactions, and run some of our groups. I've seen some wonderful de-escalation interventions by MHT that I thought was for sure going to go south, but didn't. Lazy and disrespectful are not accepted or tolerated.

Yes they have to do rounds, vitals, draw blood, etc. but they are an important part of the treatment team.

[B52, BSN, MSN, RN]

The techs I work with spend most of the night playing with their cell phones. I can't do anything about it because the charge nurse allows it. I recently went over her head and made the nurse manager aware. Hopefully, changes will be made.