Hey nurses!!! WE ARE PEOPLE TOO!

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"Hey you" "You in the blue scrubs" or just an uncomfortable stare is how I am called when a nurse needs my help.Ive been a nurse assistant for 7 years and everyday is a learning experience. Some days their just experiences I wish I could avoid. I wish nurses could see WE CNA"s ARE THE BACKBONE OF NURSING. We are social workers,housekeeping, play parents,clerks,security you name it we do it.But this day really made me realize "Am I needed?"

7pm aka change of shift aka all hell breaks loose our patient comes back from the OR. Because my 7am nurse is leaving and giving report to the 7pm nurse I the lovely smiley CNA takes the initiative to make sure the baby vitals are in,he's dry,etc etc but unfortunately that was a huge mistake. "What are you doing to my patient? Shouldn't you be checking the trash? Aren't you housekeeping?" She yells loudly across the room. Embarrassed is an understatement of what I felt.Not only did she embarrassed me but she wasn't paying me any attention when I introduce myself to her and the parents. I never knew I could turn so red in the face until that very moment. As soon as I was about to defend myself our patient stops breathing and a code blue is called. All of a sudden she knew my occupation. Wow what a miraculous turn out I thought in my sarcastic voice. Long story short my patient lived and his parents said they were thankful I was there to help regardless of my occupation. All I could do is laugh. So to answer my question, Am I needed? Do I feel appreciated? Am I respected? 8 times of 10 yes but that doesn't bring me to work everyday. Seeing my patients up and smiling or when they give me hugs makes my day. But also respect comes a long way, at the end of the day we are all a team and we should treat each other with respect regardless of our job title or degree. So nurses give your CNA"s love and let them know they are people too. : )

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WE CNA"s ARE THE BACKBONE OF NURSING.

Actually, nurses are the backbone of nursing.

That's why it's called nursing.

We are social workers,housekeeping, play parents,clerks,security you name it we do it.

Join the club.

But this day really made me realize "Am I needed?"

No. Nurses can do your job.

In fact, your job is a small part of the nurse's job.

"What are you doing to my patient? Shouldn't you be checking the trash? Aren't you housekeeping?" She yells loudly across the room. Embarrassed is an understatement of what I felt.

The nurse made a mistake. She thought you were housekeeping. I'd be freaked out too, if I thought a housekeeper was handling the babies.

Hopefully, she apologized when she realized she had jumped the gun.

As soon as I was about to defend myself our patient stops breathing and a code blue is called. All of a sudden she knew my occupation. Wow what a miraculous turn out I thought in my sarcastic voice. Long story short my patient lived and his parents said they were thankful I was there to help regardless of my occupation.

:sarcastic:

All I could do is laugh.

Phew! You showed her...

But also respect comes a long way, at the end of the day we are all a team and we should treat each other with respect regardless of our job title or degree.

Yes, it does.

Yes, we are.

We will if you will... it's a two way street.

So nurses give your CNA"s love and let them know they are people too. : )

I 99.9% of the time do... but for some reason, your post kinda/sorta frosted my nuts.

I think it's crappy when someone takes such a pleasure in showing someone up...:sarcastic:... and then at the expense of a baby coding.

Your post came across as self-important, entitled and disrespectful.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

"WE CNA"s ARE THE BACKBONE OF NURSING."

And you lost me at this.

Nurses are the backbone of nursing. Viewing yourself as a nurse is the first step in dissatisfaction and feelings of mistreatment.

CNA's are the backbone of patient care (those who do their jobs, and there are plenty who do but believe me, there are plenty who don't.)

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*following*

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Specializes in Critical care.
I the lovely smiley CNA takes the initiative to make sure the baby vitals are in,he's dry,etc etc

You took the initiative to do your job. There's a reason (at least my facility) why the CNAs and nurses don't change shift at the same time- it's to make sure there aren't gaps in patient care. You did exactly what one of my aides did last night when we got a transfer less than 5 minutes before change of shift. I and another nurse helped get the patient transferred from the litter to the bed and made sure everything was ok, then our CNA took over getting vitals, etc. while we did our report outs.

Everyone on my unit has a great relationship with one another. The nurses and aides all work together great. We love our housekeeper and you can bet we notice when she's not working (the job isn't done nearly as well). We love our super friendly food service staff. As one of my patient's said, her food recommendations are spot on and I love that she's always smiling.

The aides know that I have no problem answering call bells, helping patients to the bathroom or onto a bedpan, wiping bottoms, changing linens, helping with bed baths, fetching fresh water, etc. when I have the time. If I get to a call light first and before I switch the light off the aide comes I'll send them away while I handle the request if I have the time. When I'm all caught up and my patients' needs are all taken care of I'll help answer call lights for patients that aren't mine, especially when I see the other nurses and aides are busy. My aide was panicking a little the other day when she was behind on vitals and blood sugar and transport was there to take my patient to a procedure. I stepped in and told her I'd take care of the vitals, etc. and for her to finish getting the blood sugar readings. Another day one of the CNAs was getting nervous about a patient and couldn't find said patient's nurse, so she came to me and we both went to check on the patient. I love that the aides know they can depend on me, just as I know I can depend on them.

Nurses can do everything CNAs do, but it doesn't work the other way around. Sometimes I just don't have time to do everything and I have to focus on things that only I, as the nurse, can do. Thankfully the CNAs on my unit totally understand this. I was so thankful when one of our CNAs defended us nurses to a float CNA. The float CNA got a bad attitude when she was asked to do something and complained about "why couldn't/didn't the nurse do it?". Our CNA told her we were all busy doing other things they couldn't do. Everyone was running their behinds off that day- it's not like the nurses were sitting on their laurels watching the aides do all the work. We'd also been running our behinds off for over 10 hours while the float CNA had been at work less than 2. Just like with any profession you can have good and bad workers- nurses and CNAs are not exempt.

I'm sorry you feel under-appreciated, but remember nurses are people too. It sounds like the nurse wasn't familiar with you and maybe had a split second reaction where she panicked. Like others have said, your post really irritates me. I also really hate generalizations. I also agree that while you have important jobs, you are not the backbone of nursing. You're scope of practice is too narrow to be the backbone of nursing as you aren't nurses. As Roser13 stated, you are the backbone of patient care- not nursing. I've actually been in some facilities that no longer have CNAs- the RNs take care of everything.

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I am sorry that you feel not appreciated.

Hopefully this is not your usual day and experience.

Everybody who works in a hospital has an important role and everybody needs to work together to take care of the patient.

Sometimes the culture at a workplace can make it difficult to integrate into a team.

I am glad that the baby is alive.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Meh. All the career CNAs where I work are worthless. They lie, hide out in confused patients' rooms ( or off the floor all together, don't answer their phones, and rarely answer call bells. They manage to stay employed because the managers are afraid to fire them, despite paper trails. Only the CNAs who are nursing students are flexible, available, and don't cop an attitude when a nurse delegates something to them.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Someone once used the phrase, "RN Envy" to describe something a tech was doing. I'm starting to believe this actually exists.

I'm over here like... RN envy? Who in their right mind would envy me? I have to juggle thousands of tasks at once and ensure safety and comfort simultaneously. I have to teach baby doctors and sometimes it feels like I'm practicing medicine under their licence when I have to very nicely suggest the orders.

YOU feel like a Social Worker? Secretary?

Trust ME. I know the feeling. I come in with a nurses hat and end up leaving with split personalities from all the accommodation I have to do because others don't do their job or simply understaffing.

I seriously don't understand why CNAs get mad if I ask for a blood sugar or help making a bed.

Believe it not I'm actually doing work when I'm sitting down typing 100WPM.

Believe it or not, that 10 minute conversation with the doctor, social worker, patient and their family IS conducive to continuity of care - and YES that's why I could not bathe room 114.1. Because I have to assess, chart, and ensure I am a VOICE for patients during rounds. I have to call MDs and get things for our patients.

So why all the attitude against this RN? Because he or she mistook you for housekeeping? And your satisfaction is derived from a coding baby because it helped you prove you're a true bad a..... ?

Ugh please sister.

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Specializes in Pedi.
I wish nurses could see WE CNA"s ARE THE BACKBONE OF NURSING.

100% false. Hospitals, nursing homes, etc can operate without CNAs. They cannot operate without nurses. Nurses can do everything CNAs can do. CNAs can only do a small portion of what nurses can do. We understand your job. You have NO UNDERSTANDING whatsoever of ours.

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Specializes in Pedi.
Meh. All the career CNAs where I work are worthless. They lie, hide out in confused patients' rooms ( or off the floor all together, don't answer their phones, and rarely answer call bells. They manage to stay employed because the managers are afraid to fire them, despite paper trails. Only the CNAs who are nursing students are flexible, available, and don't cop an attitude when a nurse delegates something to them.

Sounds identical to my experience working in the hospital. Pediatrics, parents did a lot of the care that CNAs would do on other units. If there ever was a developmentally delayed teenager and I said to the CNA, "we need to bathe this patient today", it would undoubtedly be met with an eye roll. I recall one day having a quadriplegic patient and telling the CNA that she was total care/needed to be turned and repositioned frequently. She rolled her eyes at me and said "I'm not lifting anyone today."

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She rolled her eyes at me and said "I'm not lifting anyone today."

So much for being "the backbone of nursing"!

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"Hey you" "You in the blue scrubs" or just an uncomfortable stare is how I am called when a nurse needs my help.Ive been a nurse assistant for 7 years and everyday is a learning experience. Some days their just experiences I wish I could avoid. I wish nurses could see WE CNA"s ARE THE BACKBONE OF NURSING. We are social workers,housekeeping, play parents,clerks,security you name it we do it.But this day really made me realize "Am I needed?"

7pm aka change of shift aka all hell breaks loose our patient comes back from the OR. Because my 7am nurse is leaving and giving report to the 7pm nurse I the lovely smiley CNA takes the initiative to make sure the baby vitals are in,he's dry,etc etc but unfortunately that was a huge mistake. "What are you doing to my patient? Shouldn't you be checking the trash? Aren't you housekeeping?" She yells loudly across the room. Embarrassed is an understatement of what I felt.Not only did she embarrassed me but she wasn't paying me any attention when I introduce myself to her and the parents. I never knew I could turn so red in the face until that very moment. As soon as I was about to defend myself our patient stops breathing and a code blue is called. All of a sudden she knew my occupation. Wow what a miraculous turn out I thought in my sarcastic voice. Long story short my patient lived and his parents said they were thankful I was there to help regardless of my occupation. All I could do is laugh. So to answer my question, Am I needed? Do I feel appreciated? Am I respected? 8 times of 10 yes but that doesn't bring me to work everyday. Seeing my patients up and smiling or when they give me hugs makes my day. But also respect comes a long way, at the end of the day we are all a team and we should treat each other with respect regardless of our job title or degree. So nurses give your CNA"s love and let them know they are people too. : )

Resentment of others coupled with inflated self importance is a dangerous path.

My CNA's are my eyes and ears on the floor when I am on duty. In many ways they are an extension of my hands, and I'd be in at least hip deep water without them. I feel my treatment of my CNA's is satisfactory. I am welcomed, slapped on the back frequently, and anything I ask for gets done expediently, every time. I treat them in the manner I see them, as a valued member of my team.

However, I've been on the floor with them on a day I've otherwise been off due to staff shortages. There isn't anything within their scope that I cannot perform myself. The inverse doesn't apply. My team members are not only accepting of this, but welcome their role. This is because I treat them with respect.

It sounds to me like you would benefit from developing some teamwork tactics with your higher licenses you are working with. Working together is much more beneficial to your workload, and the outcomes of the patients you encounter.

Really though, I'm concerned about your description of your co worker in your OP. I've done the work too, and still do - as a nurse. And my experience has been that there isn't a single person on a team that's more important than everyone else.

Good luck to you.

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