Floor Nurse Snapped at Me on 2nd Day

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I received my CNA training through the local community college and finally landed a job at one of the city's largest nursing homes. As the pay is fantastic compared to what I have gotten before in the service industry, and the hours flexible, I could not be more psyched. However, on the 2nd day of my orientation on the floor, the RN supervising my hall snapped at me.

It all started with dietary being almost 2 hours late getting residents' food to the dining room/floor(they were extremely short-handed). Also important to mention, I'm on a closed unit-Alzheimer's and combative residents for the most part. Foregoing our own lunches for over an hour, my trainer (an awesome CNA of over 10 years) and I, managed to get everyone fed, changed and in bed, and she slipped away with the rest of the beleaguered CNAs for a much-needed smoke break. As I don't smoke, I stayed behind and waited for her in the dining room, which is literally on the other side of the wall from where she was smoking. The place looked like a tornado had hit, with trays abandoned and food all over the floor in one spot from where one resident didn't take too kindly to being made to wait so long to eat dinner. When a dietary aide came in and assessed the situation with a beaten down look on his face, I asked if I should help him load the trays on the carts (literally the same thing we do in the halls). I was not trying to change teams, do his job for him, none of that. As I have a lot of that experience, I swiftly bussed the tables and helped him load the carts so he could take them back to dietary department. Just as I was finishing up, Nurse Ratched comes by and tells me I need to go find my CNA, and she proceeds to help the young man take the food carts down to dietary. Keep in mind my CNA has not yet returned to the floor from smoking.

I thought nothing of it until...Nurse Ratched comes in a resident's room where we are working and reams both me and my CNA-me, for helping dietary and her for not being with me the whole time. As if I would have been better off sitting on my butt watching this guy struggle with all this stuff while my CNA is smoking. Had it been any other job, I assure you I would have lit her up and possibly walked out, but I really need the job and I know I won't always have to deal with her crap. Now even though it was only my 2nd day, I have noticed all the CNAs avoid this nurse if at all possible, as she is generally unpleasant-to employees as well as residents. She snapped at my CNA about doing vitals when the vitals had been done and listed on the nurse's paperwork an hour prior! I have heard her tell a resident to "shut up", which really got under my skin, because if that had been my grandma, I'd have her job. It's just not right to speak to anyone that way. The other RN in the unit is as pleasant when she arrives as she is when she leaves, helps CNAs and residents when needed and is professional and kind in her speech. I let it roll off me at the time and just said "okay" or "yes, ma'am", I forget which, but it does bother me.

My supervising CNA plans to report her to her supervisor (not just for this issue); however, that nurse will be out for the next month, leaving us to just keep our heads down and try to avoid Nurse Ratched's ire at every turn. I'm sad that what was supposed to be an exciting and educational beginning to a career in nursing turned sour. I'd really like to stay on that unit, as all of the CNAs are just dynamite-decades of experience, lots of energy and really treat the residents with love and compassion-but not sure how to adjust to Nurse Ratched. It just makes me tired to think about it. It makes me see why the CNAs I have talked to say they NEVER want to become a nurse, why they think they're "only in it for the money". And it makes me hesitate to let them know I'LL be starting nursing school to become an RN in the fall.

I don't wanna let this get me down, because I will need all my energy to handle adjusting to this new and challenging work-any advice from a more seasoned pro??

You noticed that people avoid this person. Do the same.

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Also, you've worked there two days and you are already name calling? Probably ought to stop that.

I would just like to add that if she's verbally abusing residents it should be reported. Hope you can work through this and turn some negatives into positives. That's what much in life is, anyway.

All the best to you.

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