This is my second year as an RN and my first job was at a psych facility. Now I work at a Rehab/LTC center and I like what I do, but the CNAs have the worst attitude! I am having a hard time dealing with them and I would like your advice. It's been almost a month since I started, and I already had 2 conflict situations with the CNAs. The problem is, there is no chain of command in this facility like there is one in a hospital. The CNAs and LPNs and RNs are all considered equal, and the charge nurse or DON or the assistant DON can say something to those who are not doing their jobs. It's a problem because a lot of times the call bells are not answered because the CNAs are sitting around doing nothing, while I run around like a mad woman taking care of 30 patients, and it drives me nuts when a patient tells me she needs help changing her diaper when I need to give meds to 20 other patients and do the dressing changes. If I dare tell the CNAs that the call bells are on and ask them very nicely to answer them, they bark back at me, or they bark at any other LPN or RN that dares to tell them what to do. Or they simply ignore you, while the others bark at you saying that I am being "disrespectful."
I also have to say that I am one of the only 2 white nurses in the facility, and the CNA tend to take everything as a racial discriminative comment even if it is not the case at all. They are extremely defensive and behave like they are the victims of the "racist empire" of some sort, and cannot understand that some criticisms are just plain criticisms of behavior that has nothing to do with their race. If anything, I feel discriminated against by the CNAs because I am the only white nurse on my floor. At least the LPNs and RNs are nice to me.
The patients, the DON, and the assitant DON love me and they are on my side. I spoke to the DON and the assitant DON about my concern, and I was told that unfortunately in a LTC type of a facility, the CNAs get away with a lot of bad behavior towards coworkers as long as they are good with the patients because there are not many CNAs and they know they can get away with it.
I feel it is unfair that I have to pick up their slack, and my license can be at stake if the CNAs don't do their job, and I don't even get the authority as an RN that is backed up by DON to tell them what needs to be done so that my license is not in jeapordy.
I documented a complaint today against 3 CNAs and I hope something will be done, but I don't have high hopes because I've seen the CNAs bark back at DON, and it seems that there is no authoritative figure or respect towards people in higher positions in the facility...
When the CNAs bark at the DON and you are told by mgmt that nothing can be done because of the shortage of CNAs, then you know you are in a losing battle. Find a new place of employment before it is too late. At some LTC facilities the DON has a backbone and won't tolerate this type of behavior. That is the type of facility you need to find. It might not be too much better, but any improvement will help your nerves and place you in a better position to keep your license intact. Good luck.
caliotter3
38,333 Posts
When the CNAs bark at the DON and you are told by mgmt that nothing can be done because of the shortage of CNAs, then you know you are in a losing battle. Find a new place of employment before it is too late. At some LTC facilities the DON has a backbone and won't tolerate this type of behavior. That is the type of facility you need to find. It might not be too much better, but any improvement will help your nerves and place you in a better position to keep your license intact. Good luck.