How do I deal with "needy" nurses

chivon101 · Jan 16, 2016

I'm so sorry to hear about your frustrations. I was a tech first and now a nurse for seven years. I try my best to help my techs, I would never ask them to go clean someone up by themselves... Especially on a non ambulatory patient. I have never ask someone who's busy doing patient care to stop what they are doing to get someone a blanket. These kinds of nurses drives me insane. When working with needy nurses, I tend to work myself to death because I hate to ask the tech to do anything. And most times the nurse is not charting, they are on their phone, on the Internet or gossiping with co-workers. The cell phones are not just an issue with techs its a problem with all employees.

The techs I work with love working with good nurses and are more than willing to help you when you help them. No they can't do my job of giving meds or charting, but bathing, cleaning and turning patients all day it also hard physical work. I can never say I have ever asked a tech to get a blanket or anything while I'm sitting down doing absolutely nothing, unless they are not busy at all.

It should be about teamwork. We should have respect for each other's job. You expect the physician to respect you as a nurse and you can't do their job, so respect your techs.

%D#2 · Jan 16, 2016

Oh how I feel your pain as I have been in your shoes. Was a CNA for 6 1/2 years before i became a nurse.. Which is probably why I value teamwork so much and it's a pleasure to work with my CNAs and we help each other.

Going off the floor for break is a good idea. I miss being able to do this.. When you're a nurse you may not be able to. Enjoy it and don't allow any interruptions unless it's a real emergency.

If nurses are legit busy and running around it's understandable to delegate these things but it's just plain lazy if someone is pulling you from your own break to take their own.

Prioritize. When someone asks you to do something while you're busy with a patient, ask yourself, "can this wait until I am done?"

It's always best to do one thing at a time of possible.

If you know that someone can do something themselves, say, "I am busy right now,. I will do it as soon as my time allows, if you are unable to,"

You have to set boundaries and I know it's hard because im STILL A WORK in progress after years in this field.

If a nurse is in a patient's room and comes out to ask you to put them on a bedpan, that's plain lazy.. Things like that are just wrong.

It's one thing if a nurse is doing their job and very busy, and delegating tasks to you. It's another thing if they are just delegating whatever they can to avoid doing ADLS and things like that.

Don't let them treat you like a slave. You are part of a team and a valuable asset, not a slave.

O9eleven · Jan 16, 2016

Stop referring to professional nurses as needy for asking you to fufill your job duties.
You were hired to do non skilled nursing tasks.
Its ridiculous that you are offended about being asked to change a finger sensor.
Leave the cell phone in your locker.
Be proactive with meeting your patients needs for comfort, fluids and help with adls.
Arrange for another cna to cover your patients when you take your meal break.

It's ridiculous? Really? You sound just like the nurses OP is venting about. You just don't get it. I imagine you could possibly be the one nurse whom all the techs get a stomach pain when they find out they're working your shift. SMH.

allnurses Guide · Jan 16, 2016

.................Take out time for doing blood sugar checks three times ......take time for taking vital signs three times a shift........

Wow - The facility where I work requires Nurses to do their own Vitals and BS checks when the results are tied to medication to be administered such as insulin and Cardiac medications. Even if they didn't I would do it anyway. It's not that I think the CNA can't do it - we have fantastic CNAs where I work. It's just that the med pass is so important to get right.

Hppy

KenH · Jan 16, 2016

Well it all depends on a few things you need to think about.

Do you want to work there after you graduate?

How hard is it for new grads to get their first job in your area, a future employer may ask why you weren't hired by the unit/hospital that you work at while in nursing school.

How are you going to handle it if a needy nurse is your preceptor.

All the nursing personalities that you see and deal with now, you are going to have to deal with them down the road, needy nurses don't stop being needy just because you are working as a nurse with them as co-workers.

With being a tech in nursing school you may have to look at it as a long job trial/ interview. Use it to your advantage.

No it's not fair ,but it is what it is

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Jan 16, 2016

Stop referring to professional nurses as needy for asking you to fufill your job duties.
You were hired to do non skilled nursing tasks.
Its ridiculous that you are offended about being asked to change a finger sensor.
Leave the cell phone in your locker.
Be proactive with meeting your patients needs for comfort, fluids and help with adls.
Arrange for another cna to cover your patients when you take your meal break.

TROLLING

verb (used with object) 1. to fish for or in with a moving line, working the line up or down with a rod, as in fishing for pike, or trailing the line behind a slow-moving boat.

2. move (the line or bait) in doing this.

Digital Technology. Informal.

to post inflammatory or inappropriate messages or comments on (the Internet, especially a message board) for the purpose of upsetting other users and provoking a response.
to upset or provoke (other users) by posting such messages or comments.

Hollybobs · Jan 16, 2016

I found a way to quietly prevent this being a problem as a first-year student. I find that explaining what task you are currently doing helps e.g..

Nurse: "I need a piece of stock fetching, please"

CNA: "I am currently in the middle of assisting Mrs X with a wash and after that nurse Y has asked me to help shower Mr Z. I can do it after that if you'd like?"

This has the advantage of being honest, polite and assertive. It also allows you to re-prioritize if another nurse asks for another task to be done. It also makes the nurse who needs stock think about how urgent their request is and they often will go and do it themselves if they can as they have a better understanding of how busy you are.

Pulling you off your break is just rude, unless patient safety is an issue. I would probably say, 'I can, of course, help with that task straight away when I am back in x amount of minutes, unless it is urgent?". f it is urgent i'd immediately return to my break after i had helped. You will be doing your job well but not so taken advantage of.

hawaiicarl, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2016

Stop referring to professional nurses as needy for asking you to fufill your job duties.
You were hired to do non skilled nursing tasks.
Its ridiculous that you are offended about being asked to change a finger sensor.
Leave the cell phone in your locker.
Be proactive with meeting your patients needs for comfort, fluids and help with adls.
Arrange for another cna to cover your patients when you take your meal break.

Look, look! I found one of those needy nurses, and you got her panties in a knot! Honestly, nurses like this drive me nuts, so inefficient, takes less time just to do the task than find the Aide and ask them to do it.

Cheers

Jbutterfly · Jan 16, 2016

"Stop referring to professional nurses as needy for asking you to fufill your job duties.

You were hired to do non skilled nursing tasks.

Its ridiculous that you are offended about being asked to change a finger sensor.

Leave the cell phone in your locker.

Be proactive with meeting your patients needs for comfort, fluids and help with adls.

Arrange for another cna to cover your patients when you take your meal break."

You did not just say that. You sound like one of the needy nurses. There are many things that we as nurses could do without calling on the CNAs. We are all here for patient care and if the nurse could take so many breaks he could at least get his own sensor. We are all the same people, not because we have a license means we are the superior set. Let's just all be nice to each other.

madscientist82 · Jan 16, 2016

Some nurses are a little needy. Some more than others. I think the best nurses are the ones who were techs before, but this just comes from my experience. Techs also have to prioritize when dealing with nurses asking for an O2 sensor vs a patient that's about to fall out of the bed while acting crazy. Oh, by the way, the nurse who's patient is falling out of the bed is helping another nurse insert a foley. We all need to be a team and CNA needs to communicate to the nurses just as the nurses need to communicate with the CNA.

canigraduate · Jan 16, 2016

You need to set limits with needy nurses.

Let them know that you aren't going to stop in the middle of patient care unless there is a code and they need YOU to do chest compressions. If they have an urgent need and you are busy, then they will have to get another staff member to help them.

There's no need to be angry or frustrated. Just educate yourself and the nurse on what the correct boundaries are and go from there. This situation is usually due to unrealistic expectations and all it takes is communication to fix it. No drama necessary.

Mia415 · Jan 16, 2016

Here is what I think: 1. You just have to say "I'm sorry I can't do that right because I'm too busy. I could probably do that for you in about 30 min (1 hour, 15 mins, 2 hours, etc) if you still need." I think this is a polite way of asking them to respect your workload rather than just saying "I cant" and many times it is probably a task they they can wait a little bit for, or they will determine they can do it themselves.

2. You will soon learn in nursing school that RNs are SUPPOSED to ask you to do the things they might not have time for so they can prioritize doing something that the CNA cannot help them with - giving medication, calling a doctor or pharmacy, IVs, foleys, lines, etc. We are specifically taught in nursing school, on the job, and even on the NCLEX exam that we MUST learn how to delegate tasks to assistants, so that we have time to do all our rn responsibilities. I say this with respect - that is why a unit needs cna's and assistants of all sorts, and we are encouraged to ask for their help.

3. Having considered #2, of course they shouldnt be rude about it, but chances are that will happen unfortunately. RNs are human too and not always the nicest, or maybe they are just having a really bad day. RNs get pulled off of their breaks too. All the time!

My advice is, if you are truly too busy, follow advice #1 and say you cant right now, and give them a time estimate of when you will be able to do that task. that way you set your boundries, and they can determine if they want to wait for you, ask a different cna, or do it themselves. but if they have a patient who needs their pain medication, yes its reasonable to page you to go get a blanket for one of their patients.

Good luck!