I am fed up with PCT position...

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2014

Asking a CNA to do something is not being rude. If I do everything myself, then there is really no reason for you to be working.

CNA's are always stretched to the limit. There are some nurses who are just darn lazy and won't lift a finger to help out Period and this is unacceptable. They are just contributing to the poor care the patients receive but all they care about is the charting looks nice and pristine but its the CNA who did all the work. There certainly needs to be more collaboration.

cd365c · Oct 4, 2014

Nurses are stressed and don't know how to deal with it without taking it out on others. it really depends who and where you work because I get treated so well on orthopedics, but not in telemetry. It just depends.

funtimes · Oct 5, 2014

I think one answer is for PCTs to be required to undergo formal schooling and testing to become a PCT, like CNAs do. I'm not saying it has to be this really long school, a few months on top of CNA would be sufficient, but the problem is that many RNs are obsessed with pecking order, and see PCTs as being beneath them because they aren't licensed. Requiring licensure or certification would bring a little more parity and improve patient care.

It would also dramatically ease the stress of being a new PCT. I was disgusted when I first started out as a tech at having to learn almost everything on the job, while new RNs had many hours of training(sometimes for doing the same tasks). No classroom training for the techs at all. It was see one do one. Sometimes it wasn't even see one, but just do it while another tech quickly coached you through it. This is a horrible way to learn.

Not everyone has the money and time to go to RN school, that doesn't mean they should be punished. In some cases you have perfectly qualified techs who have no desire to be RNs and are going to school for something else(like me). I've worked with techs who are now PAs or in medical school, I have to wonder if they are intentionally going to give RNs crap to take revenge on them for their time as a tech lol, im sure it might be tempting.

Most RNs aren't like this, but the ones who are cause a lot of problems and don't suffer any consequences for it, and on some units its the norm. I vent on here occasionally, but in person when an RN gets an attitude(which is often) I totally let it go in one ear and out the other.

funtimes · Oct 5, 2014

Asking a CNA to do something is not being rude. If I do everything myself, then there is really no reason for you to be working.

That's fine, you can ask if you like, and the tech should prioritize your request along with their other requests and duties and if it cant be done in a timely manner because of what else is going on, they should inform you of such.

The same should go if a tech requests something of an RN.

Also, the mindset that techs should thank their lucky stars the RNs ask them to do stuff because otherwise they'd be out of a job is similar to comments some patients make that RNs should instantly carry out their every demand and request and be in the room the second a call light goes off because the RNs wouldn't have a job otherwise.

Techs don't work for individual RNs, they work for the hospital, and as hospitals continue to look for ways to cut costs its not likely Tech positions are going to be eliminated any time soon. It might be feasible in the ICU where many of the patients are 1 to 1, but you probably aren't going to find a hospital in America that doesn't have techs/CNAs on non critical care units(and most ICUs have some form of tech anyway).

funtimes · Oct 5, 2014

If I ask a PCT to do something I don't expect to get attitude or back talk, and as a PCT you should not expect to be talked down to or taken advantage of.

If you ask me to do something you wont ever get back talk or attitude, and the vast majority of the time I will say yes, or ok ill get to it as soon as possible, but if I don't have the time I will say I don't have the time, and I don't expect an attitude or "backtalk" from the RN either. Give me an attitude and Im a polite person by nature and will likely just smile and try to defuse the situation, but there are techs who will give attitude right back, and are perfectly justified in doing so as long as they arent being lazy or incompetent(and I don't always trust the judgement of many RNs who've never been techs to determine when that is the case).

Glycerine82, LPN · Oct 5, 2014

I was a CNA in a hospital, and I got along great with my nurses. How much experience do you have? My advice is to find out if things aren't going the way they're supposed to. It could very well be that they have different expectations than you. Make sure everyone is on the same page. You may have more patients, but they have much more in depth work to do, which is why you're there. Try to prioritize and do multiple things at once, if you can. (Make a bed while someone is using the toilet, etc. )

If they're truly being rude to you for no reason, I'm sorry. Thats not right or fair. I do think the best thing to do is just to go directly to them and find out what you could be doing differently.

d_gonzo24 · Oct 5, 2014

I also work as a PCT in a hospital, I'm sorry that this is going on. Not calling you a liar but there is always 3 sides to the story. In saying that, I will add that if this is in fact is going on you should really speak to someone about it. I understand that nurses have much more responsibility than a PCT does, but the more a nurse disrespects a PCT the less they are going to want to do for them. I have also had this situation happen a few times to me as well, but refuse to let someone break me. You just need to stand your ground and tell the nurse to either help you if they want it done quicker or get someone else to help you, and stop complaining. There is nothing wrong with telling a nurse to do at least that for you if you in fact are extremely busy. Nurses may have the emotional stress and the headache of dealing with all other aspects of patient care, but the tech has the physical stress of the job more than nurses do with transporting patients off the floors, cleaning, boosting, ambulating, just general physical patient care. It's a TEAM effort, not a slave ship. Shame on any nurse who disrespects another person just because their position is "higher" than a techs.

cdsavannah59, CNA · Oct 6, 2014

Laura52, its not about being asked to do something by one nurse, as a PCT we work with several of them at a time, and its about trying to satisfy all their requests in a reasonable time. As a nurse you an be assigned four patients while the PCT has 12-25 patients she's trying to assist the nurses with. Yes your busy, and so are PCT's. True if you did everything yourselves you would not need us, but by how some PCT's are treated when they can't help you out I would rather you do it yourself and find me a more satisfying job. Nurses treat your PCT right or you just may someday have the privileges of doing it yourself, your pay is worth it, PCT wages are not.

brittany1111 · Oct 24, 2014

Exactly. Like I'll be rushing around with my 12 patient's and have nurses demand me to do tiny tasks...meanwhile they sit there on their cell phones and gossip with one another while I run around like a chicken with my head cut off. That is NOT teamwork and not acceptable. I just wish I could get some more assistance. I mean I have some nurses who won't even take their patient to the toilet. They refuse. This is not okay either and it directly affects patient care.

btrflieye, BSN · Oct 31, 2014

I work day shift as a PCA on a tele floor. It is always hectic, and sometimes we are short staffed. However, we are NEVER disrespected by the nurses or other staff members because our nurse manager will not tolerate it. I've seen him put patients on a bed pan, assist them to the bathroom or the commode, and even assist in cleaning up a code brown.

At every staff meeting, he will remind all staff that we are all responsible for caring for the patient - even him. If he sees a PCA being treated in an uprofessional manner, he swiftly deals with it. Have you tried talking to your manager?

Missingyou, CNA · Nov 6, 2014

While it may be time to look for a place that appreciates you a little more, it's all in how you respond to them.

I NEVER tell a nurse no when they ask me to do something. I may say I'm doing (such and such)can it wait til I'm finished here?

Once, I had a nurse who had his feet up behind the nurse's desk with arms behind his head ask me (as I walked by with hands full of trash and sweat dripping from my face) to go (in the opposite direction) and bring him a resident so he can give her her pills! :madface:

In my head I thought, get off your butt and bring her the pills! but, I actually said, "sure, can it wait til I finish what I'm doing here?" He said yes, and I continued on my way, never intending to go get the resident for him. About 15 minutes later, I passed him in the hall as he was coming out of that residents room. He said nothing to me about it.

dreamer30 · Nov 22, 2014

I know I'm super late but I quit my job as a PCA back in May because of the abuse. Now im trying to get back in it but I know exactly what floors to go to because of our float policy. Im going to nursing school and I need the 12 hour shifts but It was a well deserved break!

But be firm and tell them that you don't have time. Its ok to say "No". if you feeling used and abused then you should be able to talk to your supervisor. Have you tried going to a different unit? Or applying to another hospital.

I didn't read all the threads so these my be repeat questions.