Frustrated CNA - for (some) nurses

Butterfliesnroses · Nov 19, 2008

Very good points. I've been an aide for 4 years. Many a times I've been humiliated and been made to feel like dirt. SO my goal when I become a nurse is to always remember how it feels and treat my aides with respect!

mr.ahp · Nov 19, 2008

Hang in there. I'm not a nurse, but I have been in your shoes. Being a tech will change you after a while but as long as you don't do it for too long you'll be OK.

j450n, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 19, 2008

I can empathize.

I float as a CNA in a hospital and there's some units that I just dread going to...and it's not because of the patients or the amount of work that I have to do.

Some people are just more perceptive than others when it comes to the work environment. They just need to stop drinking that haterade. Don't feel like you have to prove yourself to anyone though, as long as you know that you're putting in your personal best, then that's what counts the most.

ShayRN · Nov 19, 2008

I am sorry you have been treated so poorly by some of the nurses that you work with, its inexcusable. But, read through the threads and you will see that abusive behavior goes both ways. I just don't understand it.

If it makes you feel any better, the nurses that are witches to you are the same ones that are witches to the other nurses, trust me. :rolleyes:

mysterious_one, ASN, RN · Nov 19, 2008

Hi,

I am sorry you getting treated like this at your workplace. You deserve respect, just like anyone else and you may need to talk to this person directly about this situation. If they do not want to treat you with respect, go to your manager.

Now to your second point in your thread: When a nurse calls you and needs you for a patient right away and you are in the middle of giving a bath, tell the nurse that. Ask her if she can wait a few minutes for you to finish or if she needs you immediately. It sometimes depends on the acuity of the situation with the other patient that the nurse is needing you for. You may just need to cover your patient, raise the side rails, and come back to him later. It all depends. You are helping all patients, not just the "nurse". It really depends on the acuity of the patients sometimes.

I hope with some more communication some of your issues will resolve. I wish you best of luck in your continuous education.

RNrural · Nov 19, 2008

Flatbelly, I can completely symathize with you as I was a CNA for 10 years. I became an LPN last year and an RN last July and I work in the same hospital. Please remember that there are good nurses and bad nurses wherever you are in your career. The nurses that treated me poorly as a CNA still treat me the same as an RN. This made me realize that it has nothing to do with you but everything to do with them. Continue to do your job with only your patients in mind and you will always be great at what you do! Do not let the bad apples ruin how you view your job or your future! As long as your goal is to give the best care you can to your patient, it will all work out in the end. Things became easier when I listened to my patient rather than the other staff members.:wink2:

Jolie, BSN · Nov 19, 2008

First of all, thank you for venting here and considering input from these replies, instead of blowing up on the job. You make some valid points.

One suggestion I can make is to ask your nurse(s) to spend a few minutes with you at the beginning of the shift to help you set priorities on your patient care. That way, you may avoid being in the middle of a complete bath, only to find out that the nurse wants you to do a blood sugar. Or you'll know that Mr. Smith needs to be bathed first since he has a CT scan scheduled at 8:00.

Thank you for your hard work and desire to learn!

comrpmarm · Nov 19, 2008

I know exactly how you feel. I am a patient care technician at a hospital. It seems most of the nurses that I worked with only care about getting doctors orders read or giving out medication. I understand thats vital in their job, but at the same time the patients see how some nurses could care less about their care. If person asks to go to the bathroom while you as a nurse is in there, don't go get a tech. Take the time and help and pretend that you care if you don't.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2008

1. Your job is *incredibly* important. You are an integral part of the healthcare team. Lunch (dinner for me) is an important part of a nurse's day. I'm lucky if I get one at all, so if my break buddy says the magic words "Dinner break", that will get my attention. It's like my head will turn toward the sound of "dinner break" without me even thinking about it. Sort of a reflex reaction, I suppose. I do not mean to be rude to you at all, so please do not take it personally. Be persistent, don't walk away without your answer.

2. No, you are not my slave. Instead of saying you cannot do something, say you will be right there as soon as you can. If it is a matter of patient safety, then what I am asking does trump a bed bath. As another poster said, you can cover the patient, make sure the bed is in the low position with side rails up and brakes locked, and come help with the urgent matter of patient safety, then get back to your bed bath. If it's just refilling a water pitcher or something, I'll either do it myself or let you do it when you have a moment.

3. Yes, it is frustrating when we don't have the supplies we need to do our job. You should not be yelled at for that. I would suggest being proactive. Let the nurse know that you haven't lotioned patient X because there is no lotion in the Pyxis, before Nurse Hagatha has a chance to get on your case about it. She shouldn't anyway, but use this as an opportunity to learn how to deal with difficult people. As a nurse, you're gonna need that skill set.

4. Nobody should be making derogatory comments about you simply because you are new and might be a little slow. However, nurses have very little time to be training the CNA. They need you to be on top of things and rely on you to do your job and do it well. Don't put the ball in their court to show you how to improve. Talk with other CNAs (the good ones) and find out their tricks of the trade for getting things done efficiently. Try different ways of organizing your workload until you find a routine that works well for you. It will be a little bit of trial and error, and you might have some irritated nurses at times, but if you are earnest about doing your job and doing it well, it will show.

5. Yes, we all make mistakes, and I'm glad you learned from yours. That's the purpose of mistakes; to be opportunities to learn. And you're right, the nurse should not have left that patient in their own mess for six hours. I would have tracked down the CNA and asked them to come help me get that patient cleaned up. Of course, this would have put me behind on everything and possibly cost me my dinner break, so I might be a bit grouchy when I see the CNA heading off to dinner while I'm far too behind on my work to do anything more than grab a cup of OJ from the patient pantry so I don't crash and burn.

6. Yes, that is totally wrong and unprofessional. We should not put each other down to or in front of patients. Do not sink to that level. If a particular nurse is doing this, you might want to take her aside and have a conversation about it. If it doesn't stop, then take it to your manager. You shouldn't have to put up with that. If anyone has an issue with you, they should take you aside and discuss it privately.

Best of luck in your career! I learned so much when I worked as a CNA. Much of what I learned is a foundation for the therapeutic communication and interpersonal skills that I must practice as a nurse. There are many things I wish I would have known as a CNA that I know now. One is just how busy and hard working the nurses are. I had no earthly idea. I think I would have cut some of them a LOT more slack had I known how much pressure they were under.

PedsAtHeart, LPN · Nov 19, 2008

Your job is just as important as the nurses' job. Maybe in a different way, but where would we be if we didnt have you. Just like where would the docs be if they had to do everything their nurses do?

ktwlpn, LPN · Nov 19, 2008

I'm starting nursing school in a couple of months, but currently work as a CNA. My dream job - a hospital. Found one. Ecstatic :) After a few weeks - not so ecstatic. I love my job, I love my patients, I love most of my co-workers. Alas, not all of them. This thread is for CNAs who feel frustrated and need a place to vent
Nurses, please read this even if it makes you angry. Maybe I'm exaggerating and need a slap? Anyway, everything written below is for you...
1. I'm a CNA, not a doctor, not a nurse. I KNOW my job is not as important as yours, you have a better education and earn more money, however, we share a workplace and I'm a person just like you. How do you think it makes me feel when I greet you with a "Good morning" and get treated as if I'm invisible? Ditto for turning your back at me when I'm in the middle of asking you a question about a patient. Yes, I see you're turning away from me because another nurse wants to talk to you. But she wants to know when you're going for lunch. I on the other hand, want to know if the patient is still NPO.
2. I'm a Nursing AIDE, I know what it means, I know I'm here to help you, but I'm not your slave. If I tell you I can't come immediately to your patient, it's because I'm in the middle of dealing with another patient who needs to be washed from head to toe. Yes, I'm here to help you, but it's the patient who is my priority, not you.
3. The patient has dry, flaky skin and needs lotion applied? Guess what, the pyxis is out of lotion. My name isn't Harry Houdini, so I can't make it appear out of thin air. Also, I'm not allowed to take anything from another room. ASK my why something hasn't been done before you get a fit and shout at me. I'll get the lotion and apply it as soon as I'm able to do it.
4. I care and I'm not lazy. I'm fresh out of school and still can't work as fast as the speed of light, I need time to learn a few tricks and organize my work properly. Don't make stupid comments and suggest I should think about another career. HELP ME. Spare 60 seconds, explain/show what I can improve to make my work more efficient. In return, I'll gain time and the knowledge to HELP YOU.
5. I'm human and make mistakes. So do you. OK, I blew it and left a complete patient to be done last instead of first. He is dirty and spent a considerable time in his bed in soiled diapers. My bad, I feel terrible about it. I learn from my mistakes, it WILL NOT happen again. Once more - I know I blew it. But... we start our shift at 6 AM. It's almost noon now. Were the hell were you for 6 hours?
6. PLEASE do not make sarcastic comments about me in front of the patient. If you want to make me look like an idiot, this sometimes works. More often, the patients comment your behavior as soon as you leave the room. What am I supposed to do, join a patient in the rant on Nurse B***???
Mind you, most of the nurses I work with are terrific. Helpful, nice and don't treat me like dirt. A few bad apples however make my life a bit miserable. I hope when I become I nurse I'll remember what it's like to be a beginning CNA

Your post really,really frosts my butt...We all have suffered the frustration of working with sloppy,lazy co-workers that cruise through the day just to collect that paycheck-and it takes forever to get rid of them..Why aren't the rest of the staff telling this BULLY to back the heck off of you? That's exactly what this person is-a *******' bully.You are going to need to confront this person-in a calm professional manner and outside of the patient care area.Do it alone because people like this may perform if they have an audience.Tell this person exactly what you told us in this post-tell her that you won't strand being treated in this manner.Good Luck