lazy co-workers

cmo421 · Sep 11, 2007

We all have our days. It is like any other job. You have those that do, and those that do not. Venting is a good thing. Try also asking for help.Sometimes,(myself included),we get so angry at what is happening, we forget to ask. Granted, we should not have to ask all the time. But sometimes it is enough to wake up a slacker and make them feel guilty. There have been times when I have had to remind people that they get paid to work,,,it is not a volunteer job! Team work really makes life easier!

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2007

you paint a sad sad picture of problems we can face within our hospitals. have you considered bringing this up to management. perhaps management could make a night time visit to catch anyone sleeping on the job? i am lucky to have excellent nursing assistants most of the time; i feel for your plight and i would never think not to reset an iv to 50cc more to give my buddies more time. recently a coworker of mine grabbed two litre bags of iv fluid and hung them for two patients, talk about going out of her way! anyway, i understand your vent. good luck! perhaps going out of your way to help these aides more often by helping them turn reposition pts would help! however, i believe you are helping with their chores beyond belief, emptying foleys and urinols lol!

goettin98 · Sep 11, 2007

I hear ya, chenoaspirit. On my floor, we have a big problem with "I'm an RN, that's not my job" and/or "That's not my patient." It drives me nuts. To me, when things are relaxed and flowing smoothly (ha!), everything is everyone's job. If I have someone who is incontinent and I'm not losing my mind running around doing other things, I have absolutely no problem cleaning them up. I worked as an aide while I went to school, so I know what it feels like to have no one help and be stuck with the unpleasant tasks. I'll put in my own orders on the computer. And like you, I hardly ever ask my techs for help or to go please do something. However, when we're busy, I feel like everyone needs to do their job to keep the unit running well. This is the tricky part, because it rarely happens. The clerks don't put in orders for hours and hours and they pile up, the techs are playing on the internet or talking on their cell phones, etc. This is when I get to the point where I'm ready to explode. There is one other nurse on my floor who is a lot like myself and will help out other nurses who need it (this girl and I are both new grads and went to school together), but everyone else's response? "It's not my patient." From your story, I feel that you and I could be the same person! I am so frustrated with it every day!

bigsyis · Sep 11, 2007

For those who share the load, good for you! For those who won't offer help to others, you shouldn't expect it for yourselves. BUT, somebody always comes through for you don't they?

Let's all suck it up and help out. That doesn't mean to do someone else's work for them consistently, but if they have a day where they are getting creamed and you aren't, for goodness' sake, help them out!

As far as those beeping IV pumps-imagine that you or a family member was in that bed, listening to that aggravating noise!:angryfire Geez! One way we used to help avoid that was to put the next bag on the pump-unopened, either hanging from the pole, or laying on top of the pump. Of course, you couldn't do that in isolation rooms. That way, when you do have a minute to pop in, you have what you need to get it fixed and move on to your next 'project.'

crnawant2be · Sep 11, 2007

even though I'm not a nurse yet, I understand your complaints. Last week during clinicals the CNA did absolutely nothing but sit on her BACK SIDE and played on the internet. I know and expect that since I'm a student that I should care for my patients. But she could and should use the extra time to help the other nurses out. I needed help walking a patient and she wouldn't even move a little finger to help. I have to get one of the floor nurses to help. Good thing I had been helpful to her earlier that day

VegRN · Sep 12, 2007

I have such a hard time working with lazy people. My assistant let 2 patients lay in pee all night long. Granted, it was my responsibiltiy to ensure they were changed, turned, etc, but I had 2 psychotic patients who consumed 95% of my time. One kept walking out into the hallway completely naked, thinking that we were all trying to kill him...and he was a fall risk. I had a high acuity patient load. Anyway, I constantly pitch in to help other nurses who are drowning, even though Im drowning myself. NO ONE ever pitches in to help me. Most assistants wont even do I/O's, empty a F/C or anything. Im usually doing my job and theirs too. Now, Im not putting down assistants, there truely are some great ones out there. But the ones who are lazy really make up for it. I rarely ask an assistant to do something, unless Im swamped and need them to. But I wish they would at least do their specified job duties. And I wish my fellow co-workers would at least reset an IV volume as they walk by the room and hear it beeping, to give me time to go and get another bag when I get the chance to. I do. There is no way I could leave a pt listening to a beeping IV at their side. I really hate hate hate my job. I guess I just needed to vent.

Wow, you could have just described my day. I really thought about walking out today. I am so sick of crazy and lazy with an attitude CNA's. Fortunately there are more good ones than bad but the ones that are bad really overshadow things. I feel for you.

And bringing things up with management. Might as well forget it. I have been doing it for years and years. Everyone has their union so it is near impossible to get fired. So very frustrating. I think about quitting a lot these days but I hear that it is the same in other places.

I also just hate hate hate my job today.

NurseShelly · Sep 12, 2007

I hear ya, chenoaspirit. On my floor, we have a big problem with "I'm an RN, that's not my job" and/or "That's not my patient." It drives me nuts. To me, when things are relaxed and flowing smoothly (ha!), everything is everyone's job. If I have someone who is incontinent and I'm not losing my mind running around doing other things, I have absolutely no problem cleaning them up. I worked as an aide while I went to school, so I know what it feels like to have no one help and be stuck with the unpleasant tasks. I'll put in my own orders on the computer. And like you, I hardly ever ask my techs for help or to go please do something. However, when we're busy, I feel like everyone needs to do their job to keep the unit running well. This is the tricky part, because it rarely happens. The clerks don't put in orders for hours and hours and they pile up, the techs are playing on the internet or talking on their cell phones, etc. This is when I get to the point where I'm ready to explode. There is one other nurse on my floor who is a lot like myself and will help out other nurses who need it (this girl and I are both new grads and went to school together), but everyone else's response? "It's not my patient." From your story, I feel that you and I could be the same person! I am so frustrated with it every day!

I could swear that you and I work on the same unit!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ms Kylee · Sep 12, 2007

Ok... let's take it from the nursing assistant's side, today specifically. I had 18 patients (full wing). One other aide on the floor, and the other one gets floated (naturally). I've got 4 nurses on my butt telling me this and that needs done. Meanwhile, there's students on the floor, 2 patients in hospice, I can't get to a computer to get my orders because docs, nurses, students, and everyone else is hogging them. 4 patients going for tests all at the same time, I'm running for chairs and carts, trying to feed another one... one throwing a code, and y'all are screaming cause I haven't had time to chart, give a bath, and vitals are late. Come on, people... I'm not sitting on my rear end eating bon bons.. I'm working, and I"m busy. Is it too much to ask you guys to do something yourself for once instead of demanding I do it right now when I'm in the middle of something else?

It's days like this that I really feel I'm not doing a good enough job for my patients.

woody62, RN · Sep 12, 2007

When I first started working, as an LPN, in 1968 I worked with an R.N. who wouldn't answer lights, not even on her assigned patients. And if the patient's need didn't require her direct intervention, she would send an aid to take care of the patient. After finding one of her patient's dead, who had obviously been dead for several hours, I had had enough. I complained to my supervisor and the DON. She was removed from nights and put on days. A short time later she left. I guess she couldn't take the demands of the day shift.

Woody:balloons:

tcdtx · Sep 12, 2007

Where was your charge nurse when you were drowning?? I always help out when I'm available.

EmmaG, RN · Sep 12, 2007

Ok... let's take it from the nursing assistant's side, today specifically. I had 18 patients (full wing). One other aide on the floor, and the other one gets floated (naturally). I've got 4 nurses on my butt telling me this and that needs done. Meanwhile, there's students on the floor, 2 patients in hospice, I can't get to a computer to get my orders because docs, nurses, students, and everyone else is hogging them. 4 patients going for tests all at the same time, I'm running for chairs and carts, trying to feed another one... one throwing a code, and y'all are screaming cause I haven't had time to chart, give a bath, and vitals are late. Come on, people... I'm not sitting on my rear end eating bon bons.. I'm working, and I"m busy. Is it too much to ask you guys to do something yourself for once instead of demanding I do it right now when I'm in the middle of something else?
It's days like this that I really feel I'm not doing a good enough job for my patients.

*hugs*

I never ask the tech to do anything I wouldn't do myself, and if they are busy I only interrupt when there is something urgent I must do and I need their help.

I hope if I'm ever in the hospital again, I have someone like you caring for me.