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. : )

I work with a CNA exactly like you. I don't think anyone is going to change your attitude. I've been a nurse over 30 years. From the start I have valued, trusted, asked for advice, from everyone on the team. I don't care if they are housekeepers, CNA's, maintenance, etc.

I currently work with a CNA who like you, and as others have mentioned, seems to need constant "extrinsic appreciation." She cannot get through a day without mentioning several times how "I" did such and such, and such and such, and such and such. (I don't want to give to much detail, someone might recognize the area I work in.) All of which are simply part of her job.

Yes, she is a good efficient CNA. Yes she takes her job seriously and does excellent work. Yet we all can't stand working with her. She thinks her job, her idea of what is important for our unit to function (and of course it couldn't function without her) that she looses all sense of priority.

One time at the end of the day I was alone in my area, I had 4 patients, and I needed vitals done. Of course if I have time I do get my own vitals, but I was running behind getting eye drops ready. She came by and I asked her if she could get some vitals for me. She said no she was busy in discharge. Stupid me thought that was a legitimate response, finally as I was driving home I realized she was not even helping discharge. She was getting beds, assignments, etc. ready for the next day! Yes it is a big help if we can get ready for the next day....but geeze...a patient in front of you who needs vitals takes precedent over the next day!

She thinks her work, her ideas of what needs to be done, takes precedent over what a nurse might ask her to do right now! If I had a nickle for the number of times I have asked her to do such and such (because it was urgent and I was doing other things) and she has said "no I have to do blah blah blah", I'd be rich!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
If I had a nickle for the number of times I have asked her to do such and such (because it was urgent and I was doing other things) and she has said "no I have to do blah blah blah", I'd be rich!
If people ask her to complete certain tasks, perhaps she's under the impression that she can refuse. After all, whenever we ask somebody to do something, it is typically worded as a question.

Asking a question implies there's an option to say no. This is the problem with many people in the modern day workforce: compliance to directives from one's superiors does not carry the same weight that it once did.

I was taught that if I did not own the time clock that I punched or the workplace that I reported to, I needed to follow the directives given to me by my superiors. It's basic sociology 101: unless a person is self-employed, (s)he needs to do what is asked of her/him at her/his place of employment, especially if (s)he's a subordinate.

A person who treats workplace directives as negotiable options that can be refused is too self-important to be a good employee.

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"If people ask her to complete certain tasks, perhaps she's under the impression that she can refuse. After all, whenever we ask somebody to do something, it is typically worded as a question."

Thanks, I love this, I hope I can learn to make this a part of my daily interaction with her, and my 11 year old grandson :yes:.

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Since you aspire to be a nurse, you will learn in nursing school that delegation and prioritization are essential parts of the nursing practice. I'm not doing vitals because I'm not lazy; I have assessments to complete and you can't do those. I have blood to hang and you can't do that. I have to notify the doc, write a chart note, and document on a patient after an episode of hypoxia. I have actually had a CNA ask me to do vitals for her in the last week. I did, because I was tired and just not up for the argument. But if it happens again I will explain that she needs to work this in to her time management, especially if she expects to one day work as a nurse. And since you want to work as a nurse one day, the first thing to do is to lose the attitude. Conflict doesn't go away once you're a nurse, if anything, it increases. You will have charge nurses, NPs, MDs, and PAs all order you around if you stay at the bedside. Your post is passionate but comes across as unprofessional.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
"If people ask her to complete certain tasks, perhaps she's under the impression that she can refuse. After all, whenever we ask somebody to do something, it is typically worded as a question."

Thanks, I love this, I hope I can learn to make this a part of my daily interaction with her, and my 11 year old grandson :yes:.

I just enlightened my 13yo son's school team yet again. If it's not an option why are you asking him? Of course he will say no in the hopes you go away and he can be invisible again. Only ask what he has a choice of...it's time for OT do you want to carry both bags or do you want me to carry one? Do you want to take the front stairs or the back stairs, it's time for speech now.

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Sounds like a lot of you guys have a serious attitude about CNA"s or your definitely in your feelings. I'm so sorry you don't have CNA"s that actually care about there job. Just like its lazy CNA"s it's lazy nurses.

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How so?

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How is MY post disrespectful?

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There is a quote feature, please use it, thanks.

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

You are definitely not in learning mode.

So you vented.

Hope you feel all better now.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Thread closed for review .... coming soon.

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No reason to close. No one has violated TOS.

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