Help, am I overreacting or is this normal???

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I am an Rn on a med-surge floor and was scheduled yesterday to work. When I got there I was told that it was my time to float, so instead of floating to another floor they put me as a CNA for the day. I am frustrated, because I feel that is not what I went to school for. I dont mind to change a diaper or give a bed bath, I do it anyway working as an RN, but not the entire 12 hours. Am I overreacting? Does anyone else have to be a CNA if there short. I havent heard of using nurses to fill the CNA gap? Thanks I needed to vent, it was a long day!

I would not care for this either. The charge RN could have put you on as an RN, therefore, the other nurses have smaller assignments, and use the team approach for lifting, vitals, etc. All work together.

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Specializes in LTC, Medical, Telemetry.

Check with your state board, but its my understanding that you work at your highest licence - you can't work as a CNA. You can work as an RN that floats and performs CNA duties, but you are still an RN. They can't call you anything else. And do not let them pay you less than what you make as an RN, you are working under that licence, regardless if all you are doing is CNA duties. You are still responsible as an RN, and your pay should reflect that.

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Trying to pay you as a CNA would be wrong, but as long as you're paid as an RN, no one has done you wrong.

The hospital where I work uses RNs as CNAs or sitters rather than call people off and have them lose a shift. We all take turns, so it's fair.

There are a lot of folks who would love to work in some other capacity (as long as they got paid their regular rate) rather than get called off and lose a day's pay.

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We do that on my floor as well. And I absolutely hate it when it happens!

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This seems silly to me. We are almost NEVER extra staffed. It happened a few times where we had one more nurse than we needed and no cnas(COMMON). we just each had a pt or 2 less Or the charge nurse will not take patients that shift. why don't other places so this? many hospitals don't even use cnas.I would be VERY VERY angry at this.Especially because having a cna is sometimes a lot LESS helpful than if I could give up a patient to another rn/lpn.

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As long as you're paid as an RN still and it doesn't happen all the time I think it's okay. Don't they have a CNA float pool? I guess I don't understand the reasoning; they're paying someone a nurse's wages to do a CNA job...when they could get a CNA and pay them less. From a financial perspective, it just doesn't make a whole 'lotta sense to me.

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As long as you're paid as an RN still and it doesn't happen all the time I think it's okay. Don't they have a CNA float pool? I guess I don't understand the reasoning; they're paying someone a nurse's wages to do a CNA job...when they could get a CNA and pay them less. From a financial perspective, it just doesn't make a whole 'lotta sense to me.

At the hospital where I work they will use a nurse who is already scheduled if the are short on CNAs or sitters. If they call a nurse off, they would still have to pay them PTO time. So floating at RN wages can work out to be less expensive than paying a pool CNA plus RN PTO.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
The problem is when they pull you as a CNA, the other nurses may ask you do to RN work and that puts you in a difficult position because you don't know the patients and can put you at risk for a problem. We had a nurse one day pulled because we didn't have an aide and she was asked to float on the unit, we were really busy and she was asked to start hanging blood on a patient and the patient had a reaction and had to go to ICU, that put her liable for that patient which was not fair. I would be careful, we have a union and they are not allowed to do that anymore, if you are asked to be an CNA only be that and nothing else for that shift, you have to protect your license.

I think saying she's "liable" is a little bit of a stretch....you can't predict a transfusion reaction. As long as she followed the proper guidelines for matching and checking, she didn't do anything wrong. Doing any care at all makes her "liable," but the patient having a transfusion reaction isn't her FAULT. That's two different things.

Check with your state board, but its my understanding that you work at your highest licence - you can't work as a CNA. You can work as an RN that floats and performs CNA duties, but you are still an RN. They can't call you anything else. And do not let them pay you less than what you make as an RN, you are working under that licence, regardless if all you are doing is CNA duties. You are still responsible as an RN, and your pay should reflect that.

Performing the duties of a CNA for a shift is not the same as being EMPLOYED as a CNA, which is what that law is about. A facility can't hire you and give you the title of a CNA when you are an RN. If your facility gives you that assignment, there's nothing wrong with that. They're not paying you any less, it's just the assignment you got that day.

I am honestly surprised how many people are so upset by this, and think they're better than that. I would have that happen once in a while (if there weren't enough CNA's, and no float pool CNA available) and I loved it. I never heard anyone complain about it, either, when I was the one in charge and did assignments that way. It's a nice change of pace, IMO, to get "back to basics" once in a while, and not have the responsibility of assessments, meds, etc, for a shift. Get back to my "roots," so to speak, since I was a CNA years ago before I became an RN. It also helps to remind you of the job that your CNA's do. It's good to have another perspective now and then!

I admit I've assigned RN's as helpers now and again. Where I worked, we had people that worked both 8 and 12 hour shifts. I'll use the PM shift example: our staffing was redone at 1500. Let's say we start the shift with 4 RN's and 2 CNA's. At 1900, that ratio changed to 5 RN's and 1 CNA. Sometimes, it just made sense to put that extra RN in to the spot that was vacated by a CNA, instead of redoing assignments after 4 hours. If someone is there for an 8 hour PM shift, why take patients away and give them to another nurse for 4 hours? The assignments all change again at 2300. Part of it is a continuity issue. It can be tough on patients to have a new nurse walk in every 4 hours, they barely get settled with the one they have and a new face arrives. Another scenario would be, there are all new RN's coming in at 1900 to work until 0700. It didn't always make sense to split the patients up only to put them back together at 2300, since the number of RN's decreased and the assignments got bigger again. It was all very dependent on the situation at the time. It also is harder, even if your assignment is smaller, to work without an aide. I'd rather have 2 more patients and a CNA to help with sugars, walks, ADL's, and I&O's than to work alone. Especially when the majority of patients on the floor need 2 assist to ambulate and be repositioned. In that case, it's better to have your RN's and CNA's working in assigned teams than to be on their own. Granted, yes, my floor was always good with teamwork...if you needed help with a transfer, someone was always willing to help. It's just easier when that help is defined and assigned.

Basic patient care isn't "below" any RN. To be "p!ssed" that it's expected? Shame on those that think that way. Using the financial reason is just an excuse....obviously, if a CNA WAS available, they would be utilized first. If they're not, you have to have somebody! They're not going to pay you less. Sometimes the staffing mix available doesn't quite match how staff is usually utilized. Whether that RN that is working works as an RN and everyone has a smaller assignment, or works in the CNA role, doesn't change the finances.

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you havent heard of a RN being floated to do CNA work??Well it shows you havent been a RN long.You didnt go to school for that??what school did you go to?Cause patient care is taught in nursing school.iam not trying to be mean but maybe nursing isnt for you.cause to be a nurse comes within your heart the love to take care of people,and the compasion.RN on your badge dont make you a nurse,it comes with in.loving all aspects of your job from overseeing a patients recovery,to charting,down to emptying a urinal.being able to meet your patients needs in all areas,,,including what u said cna work,??you have to remeber its not just cna work,its your work as well,,when you are a nurse you dont say its cna work,its your work as well.nursing is a hard job,caring for patients can be tough,Did you ever think the reason you got floated?did you ever think how many patients were in need of your help?being short staff on a floor,yes they will find help for that floor,your floor wasnt busy,and could have done with out you,,,did you ever think they didnt have a cna,and they had to pull a RN,,,-Yes this happens welcome to being a nurse,,,you had to work 12 hrs doing cna work?,,,,yes this happens again welcome to nursing,,,,you got mad cause you worked hard ??? we nurses dont get mad,,we get tired when we work as you say cna jobs....You say you dont mind changing diapers??what was all babies you took care of?????us nurses dont say diaper,cause it can be offending and hurt for say a 89yr old man,,to say he is wearing a diaper??we call them breifs.,you know being a nurse,we are in touch with feelings,,do you know what Dignity is?I have been a nurse for 19 years,10 years nursing home,9 at a hospital,,i floated all over the hospital i worked,,and yes many times floated out of my unit to help other floors,,was asked to be a transporter for a day,did it from my heart cause i love taking care of people.was asked to float icu to help with baths,and give help -i did -pulled 18 hrs. straight cause they were short,,i did all this cause its about the patients,,i gave bath to a man,,maybe if i wasnt there he wouldnt get one,i transported one day,i think iam glad i helped,so patients wouldnt have to sit and wait in hallways,on gurneys,,,and no i never went home mad like you did......i go home and my heart is filled,i might be tired,and feet hurt,back,,,but inside i fill amazing that i helped a person.

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This happens on the Medical unit I work on very often. Our staffing is horrible- so it's not uncommon for them to have to call in a RN and pay them overtime (double time) to be doing a CNA's (or CCA as they call them here in Nova Scotia) job for 12 hours. On our unit, we only have 1 CCA for 25 patients, so as RN's, we do most of the personal care, pad changes, etc. anyways. But like you, I'd much rather be doing my nursing job than a CCA's anyday!

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

They paid you RN wages to CNA? Where do you work,? I want to apply! CNAs can have very hard shifts, but I do more work, more lifting, and more time on my feet than any CNA I've ever worked with. On top of that I have meds, assessments, charting, doctors, tests...... RN is a lot more work for the pay. I'd go back to washing dishes at Perkins in a minute if I could make RN wages doing it.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Yep, you're overreacting. Get used to it. It happens a lot of places.

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