How do you deal with lazy nurses??

[cathleenmermaid]

Hi: Personally I know it is all UNDERSTAFFED, UNDERSTAFFED, UNDERSTAFFED!!! I have worked in a ltc facility in maine as an employee

and because they only payed 7.50 and hour and I was supporting 2 children on my own,I went to agency. Oh my god, It was a nightmare! yes they payed me 13 an hour as an agency CNA but I would walk in with 12 residents in 30 min go to 16 then to 20 to 25 all within an hour because they were so shortstaffed. I was only a cna for 6 months and I tried so hard to get to everyone. The RN said if you do not take breaks, and lunch

I will have to write you up! How can I take breaks and lunch when these residents are falling out of their chairs? I was so nieve. then I opened my

eyes and because I was doing more than my share some of them were not

doing thiers. To this day my respect for that RN is emience. she showed

that unless we take care of ourselves first we are usless to anyone else.

But most of all would'nt it make sense to pay the cna's that were there

everyday the 13 and keep them? It doesnt take a rocket scientist to

know that. PS I am a nursing student now. Thanks for letting me vent.

[91C_ARMYLPN]

Unfortunately there are lazy individuals in all professions. To some it's just another paycheck. To others, they are just lazy in general all around. But, as one post observed... maybe they are a new graduate. Or, they are a traveler/agency nurse and nobody bothered to take the time to provide some type of orientation.

I have come across the lazy lot in every aspect of nursing. From home health, hospice, acute facilities, nursing education, managed care, etc. I remember while working in home health, there was the laziest night shift nurse ever. This person left trash all over in the client's room, did not re-stock, did not alert me when meds/supplies were running low, left dirty med cups/syringes in the kitchen or patient's room. You get the picture. Other nurses complained about it, but nobody would step up to the plate and confront her. Finally, I about had enough. She wasn't a new grad/traveler/or agency. She was one of our very OWN!

I intentionally reported to day shift duty early, and took her outside the client's home. After I told her the deal, she became quite offended. I explained that there is no " I " in the word teamwork. I offered her the opportunity for her to rectify the current situation or face management. I was her peer and not her supervisor. But enough was enough! Would you believe it...she suddenly started to finally pull her own weight. One does not have to be mean or nasty, when confronting a co- worker about work related issues. Or the lack of work anyway in this particular situation.

91C_ARMYLPN

[10ACGIRL]

One of my pet peeves is lazy nurses! They are nearly useless! They sit on their AXXeX and gossip half the night and complain about their patients are pressing the call light. Some making so much money per hour it's sickening. All ages.... mostly younger ones... alot of agency nurses! Just my opinion. No, just the nurse I had to work with the other night!

Sorry.... I know of many young nurses that are hard workers... that don't act like the world owes them something, or they are spoiled brats. And YES, I know alot of hard working agency nurses that get crapped on.

But goodness, this young thing the other night we had was something else!

Thanks for letting me vent....

I just have no patience (or use) for a lazy nurse... for as much as they pay us we should put in the work to earn it.

I know exactly what u r sayin' I was on PCU (Patient Care Unit) floor and the RNS ordered us around like us CNA'S recuits in the Marines or something! I will never again work in a hospital and stick with ALF if that is how we get the treatment we DONT deserve since it seemed that we did ALLLL the hard stuff and they sat on their buzzucas and were determined to get fat.:angryfire

[JohnBearPA]

I've been there myself, and there's nothing you can do but DO YOUR JOB as best you can, and go home knowing you did! I'm an agency nurse now, and go into a facility with NO orientation, NO prior knowlege of the residents, and NO respect as the professional I strive to be. I always do my work, get my charting done, and assist the CNA's wherever I can.

I've been talked down to, blamed for another (staff) nurses mistakes, and treated like a piece of crap, but I LOVE nursing, and strive to be my best in my field. I have never heard of a complaint against me from any facility I've been to, and usually after a while, I get personally requested to come back and work because they know I try my best.

Laziness doesn't belong in nursing, but unfortunately, there are people that just look at this job as a paycheck. Hold your head up and do the best you can, and go home knowing that you did!

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

I've been there myself, and there's nothing you can do but DO YOUR JOB as best you can, and go home knowing you did! I'm an agency nurse now, and go into a facility with NO orientation, NO prior knowlege of the residents, and NO respect as the professional I strive to be. I always do my work, get my charting done, and assist the CNA's wherever I can.

I've been talked down to, blamed for another (staff) nurses mistakes, and treated like a piece of crap, but I LOVE nursing, and strive to be my best in my field. I have never heard of a complaint against me from any facility I've been to, and usually after a while, I get personally requested to come back and work because they know I try my best.

Laziness doesn't belong in nursing, but unfortunately, there are people that just look at this job as a paycheck. Hold your head up and do the best you can, and go home knowing that you did!

I love nurses like you!

[banditrn]

I've been there myself, and there's nothing you can do but DO YOUR JOB as best you can, and go home knowing you did! I'm an agency nurse now, and go into a facility with NO orientation, NO prior knowlege of the residents, and NO respect as the professional I strive to be. I always do my work, get my charting done, and assist the CNA's wherever I can.

I've been talked down to, blamed for another (staff) nurses mistakes, and treated like a piece of crap, but I LOVE nursing, and strive to be my best in my field. I have never heard of a complaint against me from any facility I've been to, and usually after a while, I get personally requested to come back and work because they know I try my best.

Laziness doesn't belong in nursing, but unfortunately, there are people that just look at this job as a paycheck. Hold your head up and do the best you can, and go home knowing that you did!

John - can I adopt you?! ;)

The ICU I worked in for many years was so good with teamwork, that you never had to ask someone for help - we just automatically worked together. I was an idiot for leaving, but I guess I assumed it would be that way everywhere - NOT!!

I really don't want to go back to that area, I got tired of it after 10 years, and felt that I was getting too OLD for it - but I sure miss the people that I worked with.

I now work in a LTC setting, and don't mind the work at all, but have had major problems with one CNA who felt it was my job to do half of the CNA chores at nite, in addition to all my nursing work. I noticed when I was on orientation, that the nurse helped him with all his rounds, then while he sat and relaxed, she had to try to play catch up.

I told her then that the situation was BS, and that I wasn't doing it that way. On my first nite on my own I told him to group the patients together that he needed help with and to come and get me then. He didn't like that, and tried to tell the DON that I was lazy, etc. Didn't work - she knew me from the hospital and knew how I worked. I've also been doing a lot of things that have been pushed off onto days because the nite nurse was so busy doing other things, like gathering pitchers, etc.

I admit that most CNA's work hard - and I feel that they should be respected as the professional's that they are, and paid accordingly - but a lot of them have no idea what my job entails. Now I get to work with this wonderful lady CNA and we coordinate our chores together - and I have asked them to clone her!!

[JohnBearPA]

John - can I adopt you?! ;)

The ICU I worked in for many years was so good with teamwork, that you never had to ask someone for help - we just automatically worked together. I was an idiot for leaving, but I guess I assumed it would be that way everywhere - NOT!!

I really don't want to go back to that area, I got tired of it after 10 years, and felt that I was getting too OLD for it - but I sure miss the people that I worked with.

I now work in a LTC setting, and don't mind the work at all, but have had major problems with one CNA who felt it was my job to do half of the CNA chores at nite, in addition to all my nursing work. I noticed when I was on orientation, that the nurse helped him with all his rounds, then while he sat and relaxed, she had to try to play catch up.

I told her then that the situation was BS, and that I wasn't doing it that way. On my first nite on my own I told him to group the patients together that he needed help with and to come and get me then. He didn't like that, and tried to tell the DON that I was lazy, etc. Didn't work - she knew me from the hospital and knew how I worked. I've also been doing a lot of things that have been pushed off onto days because the nite nurse was so busy doing other things, like gathering pitchers, etc.

I admit that most CNA's work hard - and I feel that they should be respected as the professional's that they are, and paid accordingly - but a lot of them have no idea what my job entails. Now I get to work with this wonderful lady CNA and we coordinate our chores together - and I have asked them to clone her!!

I know what you mean about the CNA's not understanding our job. My partner is a CNA, and he had NO idea that I had all the paperwork, assessments, discharges, admissions, med-passes, etc, etc, that we all do every day. Sometimes they (CNA's) wrongly assume that when we're sitting at the nurses station reading or writing on a chart, it's because we have nothing better to do. I've ALWAYS worked closely with my CNA's, and have garnered their respect by helping them when they needed it. After all, it's EVERYONE'S job to answer those call-bells and change those briefs. I think educating them on exactly what a nurse does goes a long way, and certainly applaud you for your action with your CNA! Teamwork makes all the difference, and most of us are in this job because we LOVE IT, and usually, that shows!

[grace90, LPN, LVN]

I know exactly what u r sayin' I was on PCU (Patient Care Unit) floor and the RNS ordered us around like us CNA'S recuits in the Marines or something! I will never again work in a hospital and stick with ALF if that is how we get the treatment we DONT deserve since it seemed that we did ALLLL the hard stuff and they sat on their buzzucas and were determined to get fat.:angryfire

I do hope you realize that not all hospital RN's order CNAs around like slaves. I try not to. I help my aides with bed changes, code browns, etc., especially since there is only one on night shift for 20-30+ patients.

I just recently became a float in the hospital I work at, after working on Ortho/Neuro for 2 years because some of the nurses I was working with were/are SO lazy. It just got to the point where I was dreading working because I didn't want to deal with them night after night. Talking to them is useless, too, I've tried. Complaining to management- yeah, right. It was just time to get out of Dodge. Now I still get floated there sometimes, but at least I have some variety now.

[abrainerd]

God bless you nurses who really care to make a difference. For someone like myself who is considering nursing, it makes me a little scared. I want out of corporate America b/c I am tired of the politics and attitudes. It is also scary for those of us who will end up in a hospital w/one of these 'lazy' nurses.

I thought about getting into nursing b/c I want a career change. I have never been treated so well both the times I was in labor and delivery. I never wanted to leave the hospital b/c the nurses spoiled me and treated me so well. I thought, I want to be one of those nurses.

If I choose nursing, my plans are to become a L&D or neonatal nurse!!

[End Game RN, RN]

..................Kill them to open up another FTE. Hopefully the replacement will work out.

Way to much energy is wasted on this issue.

If one on one discussion with the nurse in question fails to resolve the problem, then administrative action should be considered. Peer pressure, non-confrontational, may be helpful prior to administrative intervention. Honest discussion with the nurse in question should be attempted prior to further action.

Or, back to the first option...

End Game RN

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I make sure that i always stay busy, which i never have to try to do. I want to be busy, it shows that there is a reason i'm there. Then usually there isn't much time to notice the lazy people.

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

Marie LPN,

Good to see you back ~ we missed you !

_______

Praiser