How would you have dealt with this situation...

Nurses General Nursing

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Yesterday while I at work, I had a very strange incidet happen. I was in a patients room about to give her a.m. meds, and we noticed that her water pitcher was empty, so I sat her pills down on her bedside table and was about to go fill her water pitcher when the CNA walked in, at this point the patient asked her will you get me some water please. The CNA said "Yes, but she(me) could have gotten it for you too, we work together around here." I told the CNA that I was about to get it, and she said "Well go ahead, they (patients) try to disinguish between who's what, but we work together around here". I did fill the water pitcher, but I think that situaion could have been handled better. I am a very young nurse and I see this type of attitude aimed towards me a lot from older nurses and cna's. I know I need to work on being more assertive ,but it seems so hard to do at times being a shy person, by being afraid to speak up at times. So suggestions are

I have been a CNA, LPN, RN and now have my MSN working on NP. So, I have been through the ranks and you know what?? I still give showers, bed baths, turn pt., etc.. There is NOTHING that is beneath me to do for my patients. And I believe that a CNA can make your day or break your day! So, I would much rather give the bed bath and know that she has my back then rudely tell her that it needs to be done! My biggest pet peeve as a CNA was for the nurse to come hunt me down to tell me that a pt was wet, or needed ice water. How long did she spend looking for me? It would've been quicker for the pt for her to do it, but we know that isn't going to happen! So, I vowed, when I became a nurse that I would never do that and I can HONESTLY say I haven't. I still work with plenty of nurses that will page a CNA to answer a call light..that is absurd to me! I would rather stay 15min late at the end of the shift to make the work easier on the rest of the team!! I love my CNA's and they love me too. Maybe if everyone "pitched in" a little more, the work would get done faster, better and all (staff, pt's families) would be happy!

I am sorry but if it is the CNA's job why not tell her? CAn the CNA do my job? I certainly would not call a cna if I am already in the room just to get a water pitcher for the patient, I would gladly get it but exactly where do we draw the line? I am sick and tired of our job description being everyone elses job included and on top of it we can't say anything about it.

Why do you think there is such burn out in nursing? CNA always get upset if you call them to do something (specially if you are new). I am all kindness but please don't mistake it for lack of assertiveness. If I were you next time I would let her know that it is in her primary job description to get a water pitcher, as well as mine so please no lip about it.

Wake up and smell the coffee, the nurse helps everyone but no one helps us.

this is so true..

Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.
I am sorry but if it is the CNA's job why not tell her? CAn the CNA do my job? I certainly would not call a cna if I am already in the room just to get a water pitcher for the patient, I would gladly get it but exactly where do we draw the line? I am sick and tired of our job description being everyone elses job included and on top of it we can't say anything about it.

Why do you think there is such burn out in nursing? CNA always get upset if you call them to do something (specially if you are new). I am all kindness but please don't mistake it for lack of assertiveness. If I were you next time I would let her know that it is in her primary job description to get a water pitcher, as well as mine so please no lip about it.

Wake up and smell the coffee, the nurse helps everyone but no one helps us.

I completely agree with this. I will not go out of my way to hunt down a cna to do something I can easily do, but ya know what? I should be able to. I mean, I would never let someone be unsafe, or anything like that, but....there is not one other person I can ask to do MY job . Nobody can do a tx for me, nobody can give my insulin, IV's, etc...and the CNA's DO have their job description. Of course I say all this, and I still will stop whatever I am doing to get batteries to change a remote for a TV. Or whatever other trivial question is asked of me.

A nurse is a resp therapist, a nutritionist, a pharmacist, a social worker,etc etc... but can ANY of them do anything for me? NO. I will say it again: NURSING IS A SUCKER JOB>

Specializes in ortho(med surg) and OB, mostly L&D.

I have to say that previously, I was kind of ripping on CNA's earlier and would like to apologize for that. I had a few bad experiences with some of my fellow CNAs and experienced nurses while I was a nurse extern and performing the same CNA duties as my colleagues were. When these situations arose, I always felt like I was in the middle because not only was I performing CNA duties at the time, but knew I was going to be a nurse some day delegating to my CNA. I have done this as a student in practice, but I always tried to help the CNAs as much as possible. I have to say that most of the CNAs I have encountered are wonderful helpers and deserve recognition and I am not just saying this because I was in their shoes. I really think that CNAs should be appreciated for all the hard work that they do because they really do sometimes get you out of jams. So sorry for the previous harsh words and I will try not to be so negative next time! :sniff:

I had a CNA once asked me if I had crushed my patients pills before giving them there was family in the room. She felt the patient would choke instead of arguing with her I went and crushed and placed in applesauce once the patient took the pills she told me now thats better... She was an older woman probably has been a CNA for 30 years... I just looked at her and raised my eyebrows she was mad after that

Specializes in NICU.

Tonya, I am sorry but I will page my CNA if my patient is soaking wet and needs a brief change. I have 6-7 patients on a busy medsurg floor and if I spent my time doing a full linen change and bath on my patient I would never have anything done on time. They hunt me down when my patient is in pain, has a question, ect. Which is fine b/c that is my job. It is also my job to do basic care. I don't mind doing basic care. I will walk someone to the bathroom, put them on the BSC, do vitals if i need extra, but somethings HAVE to be delegated or I would be behind all day.

And I can't stand it when I have a CNA who gets an attitude about this. I worked at a patient care tech for a year before I became an RN (on the same floor as I'm on now). I know what it is like to be an aide, and I know what it is like to be an RN. I respect my aides but we have to delegate! I don't think it is beneath me to change a brief or do a bath. But I will call my aide in the room to at least help me so it can be done faster.

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

There are dozens of nearly identical threads about who does what/ cna/ rn/ ice/ briefs. So do a search here and read some. It all comes down to just BE NICE TO EACH OTHER. Golden rule, more flies with honey than with vinegar etc.

Most of the time I just used the call light and said I need help in here. On our unit someone always came.

Specializes in vascular, med surg, home health , rehab,.

I have worked with CNAs, many, worth their weight and then some. If their struggling, fine, I am there. Not above doing anything for a pt. But have also come across, the "chip on the shoulder", CNA that push as much as they can on the nurse and god forbid you interrupt the personal phone calls, the cigarette break etc, you go from "nice Nurse", to the nurse whose pts, they are always "too busy" to answer the lights for. Someone mentioned staying 15 mins late to take care of the pt, but when its to 2-3 hours late every shift, when its become normal, yes I will have a problem. Dealing with this every day, and it seems to be acceptable.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Call Center RN.

I would have taken the meds with me, filled the pitcher and then come back in. Made sure the patient was taken care of first. You had to stay there to watch the patient take their meds anyway right? Yes you need to be assertive, but you also need to pick your battles. Filling an ice pitcher right outside the door is not one of them. Now if this CNA makes these types of jabs all day, I think I would have a sit down and find out what is going on with them. Maybe there are home problems, she doesn't feel well, showing concern for her might break the ice to a better working relationship. All of my CNA's know they can come to me when they have home/work issues.

Specializes in Diabetes ED, (CDE), CCU, Pulmonary/HIV.

The CNA was coming into the room for something..... As soon as I saw her coming into the room, I would have said (with a smile on my face & in my voice)Angie, would you please fill Mrs. _____'s water pitcher for her. Then turn to the patient and start to talk to her about the meds, or ask about pain, or some other item you might need for your charting.

Thank the CNA when she returns and give the meds. Of course you can fill the pitcher if CNA not available, but if she's right there, by all means, delegate.

As many have said, the nurse can do everything. But we shouldn't be expected to. At the hospital where I worked my first 9 yrs as RN, all the CNA's would be standing in front of the time clock waiting for it to read 7:23 so they can clock out and leave. The RN's are still trying to finish report, finish charting, finish what they should have been doing when they were "helping" the CNA. Then it's the nurse who takes the heat from mgmt. about unnecessary overtime and poor time management.

When we had 1 CNA on nights, of course the RN's worked with the CNA and did more for the patients. However, when staffing was increased, and we started having 4 CNA's at nights, the CNA's could look to each other for help first--then go to the RN.

The CNA should be held accountable for doing his/her job. It is not out of line for nurses to expect them to do it. The nurse does not have to prove to the CNA that she can do the CNAs job. To be a good nurse, you don't need to work as a CNA first.

I don't need to be liked by everyone I work with. I work conscientiously, and I expect everyone to do so as well. If a CNA left me alone to take care of 7 pts (to teach me a lesson), s/he would be written up because there is no excuse for insubordination or punitive treatment of a coworker.. And yes, I have looked for the CNA....to do her job. If I found her asleep in the lounge, or in a pt's room watching TV with a coworker who's working private duty, or sitting in the stairwell making personal calls on a cell phone, you bet I would have her come back to the floor, take the pt off the bedpan, and start making hourly rounds.

Specializes in Med Surg/ Pedi.

You all are so lucky! In my hospital we have NO aids. It is only us nurses and we do it all. The hospital I work for takes pride in the fact that they only have RN's, I guess it looks good for the magnet status they are trying to get. Anyway if it were me I would do the "kill em with kindness" stuff it usually works with the support staff, RT, PT ect.

This is an ongoing, never-ending problem. This aide was "lippy" and she lipped off in front of a patient. Not OK.

I would have ignored it at the time but talked to her later, maybe, although it probably would have done no good. Everyone is so into self-pity and feeling like they are personally being dumped on and taken advantage of ad it seems to do no good if you try to rationally explain how you can do the aides's tasks but they cannot legally do yours.

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