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 see both sides...but the danger was that if you had left the pills at the bedside to get water and they disappeared, how would you explain that? You do have more tasks to do besides what the CNA does and if the NURSE makes an error, there is more hell to pay than if a CNA forgets to replenish water.
It is very true, where do we draw the line?? We can easily do the vital signs, take specimens and bathe patients, but can they chart, medicate or treat patients out of their scope of practice? I have a very similar situation going on where I work in the same clinic as an LPN as I did when I was an aide. The aides (called patient care associates) are supposed to schedule appointments, do vitals, stamp labels for labs, etc. If the patient needs nurse counseling, they are to bring us the patient. At least 10 times a day, I see that appointments are not made, or made properly within the time span ordered by the physician, no labels stamped, no appointments for referrals, etc. I have to stop in the middle of my patient teaching and do all of this, because I am signing off on that chart. I get B-S excuses for why they aren't done, but if I waste time arguing with them, I could have done it myself and displayed professionalism before the client. Meanwhile, they cannot medicate or monitor any patient for us. This is not flame throwing at the aides; however, the position of nursing assistant/associate/technician is to be of assistance to the nurse. I didn't forget that when I was an aide; but some have forgotten.
You should take this problem to the Manager. If they can't do their job right after multiple times of being educated on how to do it, they should be let go and replaced by competent staff. You are doing the work of 2 people but being paid for 1 and that is BS, pardon my French.:angryfire :trout:
Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
On a personal level, I look at this way. My time is a finite resource. I only have a certain amount of it, so I must prioritize my tasks continually throughout the day. And as all nurses are aware, there is always more work available than time. If I spend my time doing CNA work, than I will have to make up that time somewhere, and it is not appropriate to short-change my patient's nursing care to do it. I have always treated my CNAs professionally and am very respectful of all of them, but team-work means EVERYONE pulls their weight. I will of course fill a water pitcher, or change linen, etc, if I have the time and nothing more urgent is pressing. But, when every room I have stepped into needs water, ice, turned, changed....I can't do it all.
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.
I'm not sure what "nice" has to do with it. Some aides are fantabulous, some are new and inexperienced and just need to be taught, others are sullen, lazy, jealous, bitter, and just need to be corrected - or fired if they are not going to do the work they are paid to do.
I'm sick of having to feel afraid to tell an aide that someone needs VS or H20 or whatever and I'm tired of "the attitude" I sometimes feel from some aides. They are being paid to work, not be on the phone or on the computer or in their cars or on smoke breaks. I refuse to do my own work and someone else's.
While it does all come down to "Be nice to each other", it takes two to do so. If one (be it nurse or CNA, doesn't matter) is surly and rude, don't matter none how nice the other is.
I was once a CNA and had a snotty nurse tell me "it was beneath her to get the pt something to eat" Well guess what. She pulled that team of 7 pts on a cardiac unit all by herself after that little remark. I reported her and was moved to another team and no other CNA wanted to work with her.
If I were your boss and I knew you were refusing to help patients, I'd have you fired. Plus, I'd report you to the state and get you placed on the disqualified list so you could not go near patients again for a good long while.
Work is not about us. We are caring for human lives. You may not be insubordinate and you may not abandon your patients. Such a vendetta negatively impacts patients and creates a hostile work environment. The nurse is your boss, whether you like it or not. I would either get you to very quickly see the wisdom of doing your work and doing it very well or I would show you the door.
Even if the nurse was snotty, you abandoned your patients and that is not acceptable.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
You should take this problem to the Manager. If they can't do their job right after multiple times of being educated on how to do it, they should be let go and replaced by competent staff. You are doing the work of 2 people but being paid for 1 and that is BS, pardon my French.:angryfire :trout:
We have done that...no results. This is a city job with strong unions; therefore people get away with murder, unfortunately. If it were the private sector, we may have had better results.:angryfire
:trout: 
TrudyRN
1,343 Posts
You should take this problem to the Manager. If they can't do their job right after multiple times of being educated on how to do it, they should be let go and replaced by competent staff. You are doing the work of 2 people but being paid for 1 and that is BS, pardon my French.:angryfire
:trout: 