Have you ever had CNA's/MA's who dont want to work?

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Have you ever had ancillary staff who doesnt like to do the basics of their job? That is the boat I am in. I am a traveler and don't usually get involved in staffing issues but the MA's at the hospital I am contracted at really take the cake. I work nights and I am lucky if they round on patients twice during an 8 hour shift! :o I think I have just about tried everything, from asking nicely to offering to help them to giving them a list of tasks to do on their shift. I have also discussed the issues with the manager of the floor but that was a waste of breath. I wrote them up a few times but that didnt really do the trick either. Now I am just riding their buts every two hours- reminding them of the time/duties etc. (I feel like an oversized cukoo clock when i have to stop taking care of my 9 patients and charge nurse duties to tell them it is 2 am and time to do 2 o'clock rounds and then have to stop every 5 minutes over the next 1/2 hour or so to keep on them till they finally get up) I know there are awesome MA's/CNA's out there, and I was once one myself so I feel like I can understand how hard their job can be but this hospital's aides are the worst I have seen across in the Mid-West, South and East coast. Hopefully everyone else out there is having better luck than I am...

Specializes in Surgical Intensive Care.

wa-rn,

First of all, I am a NT 1/2 way through nursing school, so I in part understand the being a good CNA/tech. But what I don't understand is your attitude towards others. I understand the frustration that you must feel towards the CNAs that are not doing "their jobs," but what about your job as a nurse? Is it not first and foremost patient care? You said that you have started sitting around while the call lights go off like the others- is that not neglectful? I am sorry that you hate your job so much so quickly, but don't sink to these other people's level at the expense of your patients. Be an attentive nurse, your year will be up in no time and then you can go to a doctors office or whatever it is you desire, but in the meantime, take quality care of your patients- heaven forbid someday you may be one! :uhoh21:

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Being a new nurse on a floor is not the easiest thing to do, nursing school teaches you about delegation, but it is easier said then done. I used to think like you, but that quickly changed. I hope that you get luckier than me and have good aides working with you when you graduate, it’s enough stress being a new nurse.

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A co-worker whom I was receiving report from at shift change was venting about a family who had been upset that their mother was soaking wet and shivering with cold. She had been busy with another client and could hear the call light going off from inside the room, however she was not in a position to answer the light at that time. She felt awful that this poor person had been in this condition. When she came out of the room, CNAs and RNs (dayshift people whom I do not work with) were sitting at the desk chatterring away and not one made any effort to answer the light. :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire After her vent, she made the remark: "If everyone had been busy at that time, I would not feel so frustrated". It is very frustrating when someone is running their butt off while others are just sitting there.

Whether it is CNAs working with RNs who are "desk/med cart queens" or RNs who are working with the disappearing CNAs, neither situation is right.

We are all there to do a job! We should ALL be helping each other out. We should all be doing our job to the best of our ability, that is called taking PRIDE in one's work. We should all be respectful towards each other, respect is a 2 way street, in order to receive respect you have to be willing to give it. Pulling together for the benifit of the patients, that is called TEAM WORK.

I would like to hear from anyone who has suggestions that have worked in the past to improve team work where they work and relations between RNs and CNAs. :blushkiss

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Specializes in Surgical Intensive Care.

I hope that things get better for you where you are working. Maybe try leveling with the aides and letting them know what you expect of them. If all else fails, you could always make a copy of their job description and highlight the things that they are failing to fulfill. You don't have to be mean about it, but maybe they need a wake up call. Besides, there are a million more aides waiting to take their jobs... Best wishes.

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And I thought I was the only one with an occasional lazya$$ aide. :chuckle

At least my LTC facility got rid of a mother/daughter team that defied description. :p

I have, on one or two occasions, clocked (as in time card) an aide out for attitude (amongst other things.)

What does your job description say?

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Yikes! I am a CNA/PCT/ Tele. Tech and have worked with a few lazy aides but I have NEVER heard of aides having an attitude like that. I have only worked in hospitals and everyone is fighting for the same job because everyone wants CNA experience before nursing school. I worked with one cna who sat around all night, said so n' so wasen't her patient, and knitted while the rest of us worked our butts off to get q4 vitals, I&O's, blood sugars, q2 turns, bedpans, call lights, etc. I swear that when I first started the only break I took was when I sat down to use the toilet. :chuckle Our manager would have fired them in a minute. At my first job we worked nights and about 23 patients per aide (5-6 for RN depending on acuity) and whoever said that being a night aide wasen't as hard as being a day aide was WRONG! It was crazy! I was running around for my whole 12 hour shift. I currently work 5-8 hour shifts during the day at another hospital and love it (but still work my butt off but I get a 30 minute break! Yay! ) You should definitely talk to your manager and get other nurses/ aides that feel the same way as you also come and back you up. They would be fired in a second if they worked where I do. CNA's aren't dispensable I know but they are always training new CNA's and they would kill for a job. Those other CNA's are just taking advantage of the system, nurses, and patients and should be fired. Maybe then they can appreciate their job and how important they're work is. :angryfire

Keely

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

There are lazy people everywhere. I hate to point out specifically aides. I have seen some VERY hard working aides/techs. I work with them.

Lazy people? It's like that old line from the movie "I see dead people" but substitute "lazy" for "dead".......

Some are aides, some nurses, some managers and administration. The climate and values of the workplace have EVERYthing to do with the values and industriousness of its employees, I have learned. Some places are just plain toxic to work and I would avoid those if possible. If you are not supported by management/admin in trying to get people to do their jobs, you are banging your head against the proverbial wall and may need to consider a more friendly workplace in which to seek employment.

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There are lazy people everywhere. I hate to point out specifically aides. I have seen some VERY hard working aides/techs. I work with them.

Lazy people? It's like that old line from the movie "I see dead people" but substitute "lazy" for "dead".......

Some are aides, some nurses, some managers and administration. The climate and values of the workplace have EVERYthing to do with the values and industriousness of its employees, I have learned. Some places are just plain toxic to work and I would avoid those if possible. If you are not supported by management/admin in trying to get people to do their jobs, you are banging your head against the proverbial wall and may need to consider a more friendly workplace in which to seek employment.

:yeahthat: Very well said smilingblueyes.

Keely

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
And I thought I was the only one with an occasional lazya$$ aide. :chuckle

At least my LTC facility got rid of a mother/daughter team that defied description. :p

I have, on one or two occasions, clocked (as in time card) an aide out for attitude (amongst other things.)

What does your job description say?

??? You clocked somebody out for "attitude"? What does that mean exactly? Were they not humble enough? Were they just not in a good mood? Or were they cursing at staff and clients? I'm genuinely curious, I've never heard of anything like that.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I missed that one somehow, Sharon. Wonder how that person got away w/that.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
I have, on one or two occasions, clocked (as in time card) an aide out for attitude (amongst other things.)

The only time i've heard of this is when someone would get fired.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

I can see both sides of this issue so well both as a tech and a nurse (to be). The main problem is that techs/cna/aides don't understand what it means to be a nurse. We do see nurses sitting around and it does look like nurses don't do much. It is a general consenses from techs (at least most of the ones that I have worked with over the last 10 years from various hospitals) that it is easy to be a nurse, and that anyone can do it. It isn't until you set foot inside a hospital and have to really be responsible for the outcome of a person's life and health that you can really understand what it means to be a nurse. When you pass that first med or give that first shot--scary! I've put thousands of needles in patients over the years, and I was so scared over my first lovenox shot!

The problem is--tech work sucks. Big time. It's hard. Nurses don't need to do their job and the job of the techs because the techs don't like to do it. Nursing is hard enough.

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