lazy mean assistants

Nurses General Nursing

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EmmaG, RN

2,999 Posts

Are you in a nursing home?

I think if you document these incidents her behaviour can be regarded as abuse related to neglect. For example, leaving someone in urine and not answering the call bell, not doing catheter care and such things are all neglect of her duties.

I think some may forget that CNAs are also regulated by the state Boards.

For example...

54.1-3022. Use of the title "Certified Nurse Aide" or "C.N.A."-- No person shall use or assume the title "Certified Nurse Aide" or abbreviation "C.N.A." or any words, letters, signs, or devices to indicate that person is a certified nurse aide unless certified by the Board.

The following section of Regulations lists some of the acts that may result in disciplinary action against the certificate of a CNA.

18VAC90-25-100. Disciplinary provisions for nurse aides.

The board has the authority to deny, revoke or suspend a certificate issued, or to otherwise discipline a certificate holder upon proof that he has violated any of the provisions of 54.1-3007 of the Code of Virginia. For the purpose of establishing allegations to be included in the notice of hearing, the board has adopted the following definitions:

2. Unprofessional conduct shall mean, but shall not be limited to:

e. Abusing, neglecting or abandoning clients;

Think the Board doesn't take this seriously?

http://www.dhp.state.va.us/enforcement/cdecision/boardresults.asp?board=14

Perhaps it's time to remind them they are licensed too.

;)

Trauma Columnist

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

88 Articles; 21,249 Posts

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I do stand behind my assertion that if you write someone up, you should be told that corrective action has been taken. I should have phrased it better. Thanks.

JessiekRN

174 Posts

Specializes in Emergency.

As a nursing student who worked as an aide over the summer, I had the opportunity to kind of see this from both angles. While I really sympathize with nurses who are frustrated by poor work ethics on the part of aides, I just wanted to add that, as an aide, I have never worked quite so hard for so little respect in my entire life. The lack of respect did not come from patients, families, or anyone but from the nurses themselves. Of course I'm not making any general statement about nurses but in my short experience I found the nurses on my unit to be unwilling to communicate with me and woulddismiss me if I brought certain things to their attention. I felt pretty value- less ( is that a word?) to the nurses although I rarely got a break, did back-breaking physical labor, cleaned up c**p all day, and in general ran around like crazy to make my patients more comfortable and the nurses' jobs less taxing. My own morale was pretty low and my respect for women who had been aids for twenty or more years was never higher. My point is that these aids work very very hard for little money and little respect and I think it is easy for many people to dismiss them because they "have no education" or because their job description involves physical labor rather than critical thinking skills. But until nurses begin to treat their very hardworking aids as valued and respected, they can not expect aids to have the same level of dedication to them.. just my opinion and it may seem naive but I really think sometimes nurses' attitudes need adjustment. Please don't take any of this the wrong way- I'm 8 months away from becoming an RN myself- I hope- and I am in no way putting down all nurses or saying all aids are great. Just some observations I noted while working as an aid after being a student nurse for a year. The nicer you are to people, the more willing they will be to help you out.

Specializes in ER, Medicine.

That's crap. I never understand people that don't do their jobs. I'm like what are they paying you for then? Are you getting paid to sit on your tail and complain? It's your job.

JEEZ.

Laziness...:devil::angryfire:madface:

Or those nurses that think they are too good to take a blood pressure or help to clean a patient.

It's what you are paid for. Do your job or hit the door.

I'm sorry you have to go through this. Judging by the number of users viewing this thread I'd say you're not in this alone...:o

I don't know how I would handle it. It would probably be a mix of asking the assistant why she wasn't do the task and asking her if she needed help carrying the task out. I would try to be as effective of a leader as I could be on my own before enlisting the support/advise of my NM. I don't like writing people up before I talk to them in person.

Regardless, good luck in whatever you choose to do. I wish you the best.

Specializes in ER, Medicine.
As a nursing student who worked as an aide over the summer, I had the opportunity to kind of see this from both angles. While I really sympathize with nurses who are frustrated by poor work ethics on the part of aides, I just wanted to add that, as an aide, I have never worked quite so hard for so little respect in my entire life. The lack of respect did not come from patients, families, or anyone but from the nurses themselves. Of course I'm not making any general statement about nurses but in my short experience I found the nurses on my unit to be unwilling to communicate with me and woulddismiss me if I brought certain things to their attention. I felt pretty value- less ( is that a word?) to the nurses although I rarely got a break, did back-breaking physical labor, cleaned up c**p all day, and in general ran around like crazy to make my patients more comfortable and the nurses' jobs less taxing. My own morale was pretty low and my respect for women who had been aids for twenty or more years was never higher. My point is that these aids work very very hard for little money and little respect and I think it is easy for many people to dismiss them because they "have no education" or because their job description involves physical labor rather than critical thinking skills. But until nurses begin to treat their very hardworking aids as valued and respected, they can not expect aids to have the same level of dedication to them.. just my opinion and it may seem naive but I really think sometimes nurses' attitudes need adjustment. Please don't take any of this the wrong way- I'm 8 months away from becoming an RN myself- I hope- and I am in no way putting down all nurses or saying all aids are great. Just some observations I noted while working as an aid after being a student nurse for a year. The nicer you are to people, the more willing they will be to help you out.

You bring up a very important point...we must remember to treat everyone we work with with respect. Respect them as a human being, be encouraging, say thank you, and lend support when possible. Sometimes it's easy for people to think less of another because of their job title. But even if their title is "sidewalk bubblegum scraper-upper" it doesn't mean they are any less important. In most instances when you give respect you get respect back.

Of course, there are those few aides that are just incapable of respecting others or respecting themselves and the work that they do.

VegRN

303 Posts

My point is that these aids work very very hard for little money and little respect and I think it is easy for many people to dismiss them because they "have no education" or because their job description involves physical labor rather than critical thinking skills.

They are only working very, very hard if they are actually working. Talking on their cell phone, holding up the desk and being nowhere to be found don't count. Add that all together with harassment, rudeness and attitude and it is a disaster.

You sound like a very diligent worker and I can see your point about working hard for very little respect.

I do however take issue with situations where I have to do my job and the techs job and they are still standing around, complaining or being neglectful to the pt.

They have a job to do and so do I. I can only give them positive reinforcement and assistance if they chose to do the job they are being paid to do. Sorry, but I have no patience for someone that is objectively not doing their job. If you don't do your job you shouldn't get paid. period.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.
As a nursing student who worked as an aide over the summer, I had the opportunity to kind of see this from both angles. While I really sympathize with nurses who are frustrated by poor work ethics on the part of aides, I just wanted to add that, as an aide, I have never worked quite so hard for so little respect in my entire life. The lack of respect did not come from patients, families, or anyone but from the nurses themselves. Of course I'm not making any general statement about nurses but in my short experience I found the nurses on my unit to be unwilling to communicate with me and woulddismiss me if I brought certain things to their attention. I felt pretty value- less ( is that a word?) to the nurses although I rarely got a break, did back-breaking physical labor, cleaned up c**p all day, and in general ran around like crazy to make my patients more comfortable and the nurses' jobs less taxing. My own morale was pretty low and my respect for women who had been aids for twenty or more years was never higher. My point is that these aids work very very hard for little money and little respect and I think it is easy for many people to dismiss them because they "have no education" or because their job description involves physical labor rather than critical thinking skills. But until nurses begin to treat their very hardworking aids as valued and respected, they can not expect aids to have the same level of dedication to them.. just my opinion and it may seem naive but I really think sometimes nurses' attitudes need adjustment. Please don't take any of this the wrong way- I'm 8 months away from becoming an RN myself- I hope- and I am in no way putting down all nurses or saying all aids are great. Just some observations I noted while working as an aid after being a student nurse for a year. The nicer you are to people, the more willing they will be to help you out.

Yes, I completely agree, I see it all the time, but that is NOT how I am. I am actually the complete OPPOSITE. And I appreciate the great assistants who get pulled to our floor. With some, we actually work as a team. Ive even had some say that they wished they worked with me all the time, for that reason. I dont know how to be bossy or delegate for the sake of delegating just because I dont want to do something, that isnt how it should be. I clean more cr@p and emesis than any assistant on our floor. I had a patient last night that was one of our physician's wife. The physician was staying with her and he overheard alot of it and made a comment to me about it. He even said "why are they out there sitting on there &$$es." I was floored. They were literally sitting at the computers playing games and reading newspapers while I cleaned pee out of the floor. I didnt mind doing it, I was in there at the time it happened. But I had one patient going bad on me, about to seize due to withdrawals that hadnt been addressed on admission. At one point I was trying to tend to this patient, call the doc to get some orders and for him to come assess, AND help the physician's wife with things that could have been done by the assistant. Its part of managing duties and managing time for the best outcome to the patients. But I do agree, some nurses do delegate tasks too often. But that wasnt the case here. Another assistant was caught red-handed faking vital signs. She also drew coags on a pt with a hep gtt running, ABOVE the IV site . This woman had only one arm due to an amputation r/t a blood clot in the past. This assistant got MAD when I mentioned it to her, got mad and left the tourniquet on the patients arm and walked out of the room. It could have led to another amputation or complications. This patient was stuck numerous times EACH NIGHT due to this. She finally got written up, but that went no where. There are 2 assistants on my floor who literally RUN the floor. I need some advice on how to be assertive, what to say when they do this. I dont like being yelled at. The charge nurse just held her head down like she was busy with paperwork because she has no guts to stand up to them either. I hate it. It is destroying me literally.

EmmaG, RN

2,999 Posts

Another assistant was caught red-handed faking vital signs.

Falsifying medical records is cause for suspension of their certification by the BON.

The other instances you describe can be construed as neglect, yet another reason for losing their right to practice as a CNA.

I think most of these people figure that we nurses are ultimately responsible--- which is true--- and therefore count on us doing what they refuse to do. I don't think they realize that THEY are also responsible for their own actions, and can have THEIR licenses revoked. I'm willing to bet that it would only take one being reported to the BON to straighten out the lot of them.

KenCCRN

20 Posts

This morning while I was trying to calculate I/O's, admin meds, cover fingersticks, etc...the end of shift duties, I asked my assistant if she had emptied the NG and colostomy and f/c in room 6. She said "nope". I asked her if she would do it. She said "nope, I wont." So I asked her why not. She said that the assistant-trainee needs to do it (this assistant is training her). Now normally I do this stuff myself because it always turned into a confrontation when I asked them to do anything. Well, this assistant-trainee doesnt know how to do it, she says she has never been shown how to. At this point, it was just easier to do it myself. But the rude assistant wouldnt leave it alone. She yelled at me in front of the entrie nurses station about how these new people need to do their job or find another one, that I need to go and show her how to do it! Umm, excuse me? It isnt my job to train the assistants. Im doing my job and its hard enough. Then she follows me to the medcart to argue with me some more. She gets mad and walks off yelling at me. Ya know, when she is swamped or busy, I always helped her do her blood draws, empty trash. I tried to work as a team. But apparently thats what is EXPECTED of me now. When I need help, there is no help to be found. Another nurse is the one who has to help me clean a patient who is a complete when they have a bm in the bed. The assistants on our floor will not clean a patient, will not empty f/c's, will not do any I/O's, they want to skip out on the vitals by asking "which patients do you have to have vitals on." I never ask an assistant to help me, because I get yelled at! The answer is "I dont have time." One day I had a shot in one hand and a cup of pills in the other and was going to a patient's room when another patient called out needing to go to the bathroom. Who do you think had to go...ME. I had to put the meds back in the medcart and go assist this patient to the bsc because the assistant didnt have time (she was standing at the nurses station talking). Ive gone to my nurse manager several times, as have many other nurses. It doesnt do any good. We are short staffed, which allows this behavior to continue. Im ready to QUIT but if I dont figure out how to handle this now, it will happen again at my next job. I dont know how to be assertive. This assistant has worked on this floor for 17years, Ive only worked there for 2 1/2 years. She literally thinks her role is more important than anyone elses. How would you handle an aggressive assistant like her?

Cheno:

Wow!....thank god for self scheduling....hehe....no just kidding....working around her would be too easy. You definitely have problem if management doesn't support you. I would answer the call bell by intercom and if its not directly nurse related...I would say the the aide will be right with you....then I would tell the Aide that room 219 needs help and if she doesn't answer...I would help the patient make a formal complaint and state that the aide did not respond to the call bell. That is how you start....if managment doesn't answer the patient complaint about the aide....then you are really done. However, I would think that the patient carries more weight than us nurses. Seeing that those surveys are always floating around. Once you get the aide answering the call bells....that will free you up to do the other tasks that need getting done.

Ken

vivibonita

110 Posts

As a nursing student who worked as an aide over the summer, I had the opportunity to kind of see this from both angles. While I really sympathize with nurses who are frustrated by poor work ethics on the part of aides, I just wanted to add that, as an aide, I have never worked quite so hard for so little respect in my entire life. The lack of respect did not come from patients, families, or anyone but from the nurses themselves. Of course I'm not making any general statement about nurses but in my short experience I found the nurses on my unit to be unwilling to communicate with me and woulddismiss me if I brought certain things to their attention. I felt pretty value- less ( is that a word?) to the nurses although I rarely got a break, did back-breaking physical labor, cleaned up c**p all day, and in general ran around like crazy to make my patients more comfortable and the nurses' jobs less taxing. My own morale was pretty low and my respect for women who had been aids for twenty or more years was never higher. My point is that these aids work very very hard for little money and little respect and I think it is easy for many people to dismiss them because they "have no education" or because their job description involves physical labor rather than critical thinking skills. But until nurses begin to treat their very hardworking aids as valued and respected, they can not expect aids to have the same level of dedication to them.. just my opinion and it may seem naive but I really think sometimes nurses' attitudes need adjustment. Please don't take any of this the wrong way- I'm 8 months away from becoming an RN myself- I hope- and I am in no way putting down all nurses or saying all aids are great. Just some observations I noted while working as an aid after being a student nurse for a year. The nicer you are to people, the more willing they will be to help you out.

:yeahthat::w00t:

I agree with you on that, however I have also seen CNAs who feel like they run the show and have this "don't talk to me or else I won't help you" attitude, and sometimes they just leave the floor without any notice. I am still a student nurse and a CNA left me once with 38 pts... luckily ALL the nurses did their best to help me. But I know what you mean, I've seen and experienced both attitudes from both sides. So, I've learned to take only the good from this experiences and also how not to be in the future with my assistants when I finally start working as a nurse.

Best wishes,

Vivi

MrsMommaRN

507 Posts

Specializes in orthopaedics.

I beleive this is an issue just about anywhere. There are some great techs/aides out there and there are some that just don't get it. What kills me is not only when they do their own thing, but when they only help out certain nurses or answer call lights when they feel like it. :angryfire

I feel for you and I am sorry about your situation. I agree with some other posters. You need to write up the aide for insubordination. You can't just go off like she did. Now she knows she can get away with the behavior and it will be repeated. Just like a little kid. :trout::nono:

Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

I can't believe the attitude of that CNA(s). :angryfire I work darn hard as a CNA and when I was hired on at my facility CNA's and Nurses oriented together. We were all told that teamwork was a priority. Right from the start the right attitude was fostered. I was told when I was hired that "everyone here is very nice". We all help each other out. And I know my job and do it! I may not always be aware what the nurses are doing and what their priority is but I'm sure it's important so I never complain about all the work I have to do. Also, I am thanked every day. :) Each task I am asked to perform comes with a thank you. And when management is around they act pleasantly and thank us all or they'll thank the person who came in when called in per diem on short notice.

Then around 11pm they send in hot chocolate and fresh coffee to keep everyone awake thru the nite. And sometimes they send in a fabulous dessert too!

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