I am so sick of hearing attitudes from aides. I'm sick of it up to my chin. I can't hear it anymore. I think if an aide gives me attitude tomorrow I am going to flip out. I don't know what to do. They don't want to clean patients, turn patients, take vitals, get water, do a blood sugar, do I/Os, help patients to the bathroom, answer call lights, or anything! I shouldn't have to remind them to do their job... Oh but when I do because it isn't done all I get is attitude. All day with my 6 patients I did my job and I did their job. When I page them over head they don't answer. So i have to stop what I'm doing to put the pt on the bedpan, take them off, get water, ect ect.. I don't mind helping out.. I help out more than most nurses!!! But yet they still give me crap. Most of these aides have been working here for years.. Instead of setting a good example for the younger aides they are teaching them how to have an attitude..
I'm going to my director tomorrow. I can't put up with it anymore.. Either something has to change or I'm leaving. I love my job.. But I hate dealing with this everyday... Every nurse is sick of it.
They aren't even giving baths!! It is absolutely absurd. We've had this problem for a while.. The DON will talk to them and they'll act better for maybe 2 weeks, then it is back to the same ol' attitude.
Are there not any good CNAs anymore? Where are they?
I am a CNA since 1989 and I have seen aids who dont do their work and I also hate that because they dont want tohelp you when you need help with someones transfer. All I can say is...why is it that you have put up with it to the point of anger and frustration? Were you tryig to "be nice." Nice gets you nowheres in life. I think the aids know you will do their job for them so they take advantage of it. They sound smart although lazy. It is you who are at fault for not properly supervising and manageing your aids. Sorry. But untill you put the blame where it belongs then you will always have this problem. Aids who take advantage of you. You are a nurse, act like a nurse. That doesnt mean you have to be nasty or insulting to the aids but it does mean you have to take the time to write someone up if you need to and also not to overend yourself into their job description so that you are doing there work for them. If you have the time to do their work for them then you have time to write someone up. I think your just afraid of your job title and responsibility that comes with it because you may not be assertive enough. This is work, not friendship and family. Certain things need to be done and are expected of each person. You should not be doing someone elses job because you will only burn out and become bitter and lash out when fed up. So now that you know its your fault, change your behavior. Dont get mad. Dont quit your job. Just do your job and know what exactly it is and isnt and expect the aids to do the same. They are getting paid to be there to assist you. Your the nurse. If they would like to be a nurse too then they can pay the money and take the time to go to school like you have done. You sound like a frustrated nice person who gets taken advantage of at work but remember one thing. No one can walk all over you unless you are lieing down. Take care. Nurses are great!! Dee
I agree with a lot of what you are saying. My problem lays with the fact that the higher ups enable these CNAs. Its sad because I see the CNAs that work their butts off and do their best, while a select few do what they want and bring down the morale. It is great to just do my job and expect these aides to do the same..but when the job doesn't get done, its my license. We also are unionized, so it is harder than heck to get someone fired. I work more than I need to because I want to help the other CNAs that are taking up the slack and I want to to make sure my resident's are taken care of.
It really depends on management and the facility you work in on whether or not you can put your foot down.
Sounds like you are a great CNA and worth you weight in gold..can you come work with me. :wink2:
Wow, I see your dilemma there. I too cannot stand to see patient care decline but I had to learn how to back off because I was burning myself out. Nomatter where you go there will always be slackers but it seems to be at its worse in convalescent homes, which I can not work in any longer. I do home care and am taking extra courses in pediatrics so I can be done with the heavy transfers. I forgot that a nurse has her licence to protect. That never even occurred to me so sorry I wasnt more understanding of your situation. You are in a stuck spot and only you are going to be the motivating factor to dig out of it. Your job is an important one and I just want to encourage you to brainstorm with others who may be able to help come up with a solution to this problem. I've seen it a lot too. CNA work is a laborous job and understaffed usually. Attitude is the first thing to crop up when your overworked and underpaid . You know that firsthand yourself which is probably why your so great at helping out but when your being taken advantaged of, thats a whole other problem and I just urge you to try and find a solution to minimize that. My best friend is an RN and she is burnt out after 8 months. I told her to cut her hours for a while if she can because with the nurseing shortage our state cant afford to lose a great nurse like her to stress illnesses. Shes already needing sleeping pills to unwind after 2nd shift. Shes a great nurse. Smart. Nobody wants to upset the CNAs and have them walk out so maybe you can look at it from another angle. You've been frustrated by the circumstances and in order to protect your licence you felt you had to overextend yourself. You chose to stay at that job and respond in that way instead of leaving the job. It was your choice to respond in that way instead of leave. What Im getting at is trying to get your frustration off of the Aids and into a problem solving mode. Then you wont need to vent because you will either come up with an idea or you will leave. Unless you choose to stay there and work under those conditions but it will all be your choice. No one elses. I wouldnt want to work like that but if I chose to stay and couldnt change anything at least moving into acceptance of how things are will reduce your stress. We need great nurses. I support their mental health 100% because without them what would happen to us all . We'd be in very very big trouble. Dee:)
I am so sick of hearing attitudes from aides. I'm sick of it up to my chin. I can't hear it anymore. I think if an aide gives me attitude tomorrow I am going to flip out. I don't know what to do. They don't want to clean patients, turn patients, take vitals, get water, do a blood sugar, do I/Os, help patients to the bathroom, answer call lights, or anything! I shouldn't have to remind them to do their job... Oh but when I do because it isn't done all I get is attitude. All day with my 6 patients I did my job and I did their job. When I page them over head they don't answer. So i have to stop what I'm doing to put the pt on the bedpan, take them off, get water, ect ect.. I don't mind helping out.. I help out more than most nurses!!! But yet they still give me crap. Most of these aides have been working here for years.. Instead of setting a good example for the younger aides they are teaching them how to have an attitude..
I'm going to my director tomorrow. I can't put up with it anymore.. Either something has to change or I'm leaving. I love my job.. But I hate dealing with this everyday... Every nurse is sick of it.
They aren't even giving baths!! It is absolutely absurd. We've had this problem for a while.. The DON will talk to them and they'll act better for maybe 2 weeks, then it is back to the same ol' attitude.
Are there not any good CNAs anymore? Where are they?
Tiger
first of all i would just like to say that i can understand your frustration but it is not their job the cna do the best they can and when all is said and done its your licence on the line the fact of the matter is they are they to assist you and you should really look at working as team
I worked with an all RN staff. It was wonderful!! Then the "buy out" came. The new company was more interested in making money than patient care. Therefore, some RN's were replaced with CNA's. The attitude and patient care dropped to sub-standard level in a couple of months.
first of all i would just like to say that i can understand your frustration but it is not their job the cna do the best they can and when all is said and done its your licence on the line the fact of the matter is they are they to assist you and you should really look at working as team
What is it that is not their job? Giving baths? Taking vital signs and reporting them promptly? Is is their job to sit in the corner and talk on their cell phone, or "disappear"? If they are there to assist me, why do I have to pull teeth and put up with attitude when I ask them to do something that they are getting paid to do?????
Wow, I see your dilemma there. I too cannot stand to see patient care decline but I had to learn how to back off because I was burning myself out. Nomatter where you go there will always be slackers but it seems to be at its worse in convalescent homes, which I can not work in any longer. I do home care and am taking extra courses in pediatrics so I can be done with the heavy transfers. I forgot that a nurse has her licence to protect. That never even occurred to me so sorry I wasnt more understanding of your situation. You are in a stuck spot and only you are going to be the motivating factor to dig out of it. Your job is an important one and I just want to encourage you to brainstorm with others who may be able to help come up with a solution to this problem. I've seen it a lot too. CNA work is a laborous job and understaffed usually. Attitude is the first thing to crop up when your overworked and underpaid . You know that firsthand yourself which is probably why your so great at helping out but when your being taken advantaged of, thats a whole other problem and I just urge you to try and find a solution to minimize that. My best friend is an RN and she is burnt out after 8 months. I told her to cut her hours for a while if she can because with the nurseing shortage our state cant afford to lose a great nurse like her to stress illnesses. Shes already needing sleeping pills to unwind after 2nd shift. Shes a great nurse. Smart. Nobody wants to upset the CNAs and have them walk out so maybe you can look at it from another angle. You've been frustrated by the circumstances and in order to protect your licence you felt you had to overextend yourself. You chose to stay at that job and respond in that way instead of leaving the job. It was your choice to respond in that way instead of leave. What Im getting at is trying to get your frustration off of the Aids and into a problem solving mode. Then you wont need to vent because you will either come up with an idea or you will leave. Unless you choose to stay there and work under those conditions but it will all be your choice. No one elses. I wouldnt want to work like that but if I chose to stay and couldnt change anything at least moving into acceptance of how things are will reduce your stress. We need great nurses. I support their mental health 100% because without them what would happen to us all . We'd be in very very big trouble. Dee:)
For now, I'm staying. I totally agree with working on reducing my stress level and have been doing that...one step at a time. One of the reasons why I read these type of posts. I like to hear how others have dealt with this. It is a little reassuring that I'm not the only one to deal with this.
You did hit on a key point, acceptance. Great post..thanks!
in responce to mc3 ... it is absolutely the CNAs job to do personal care for the residents. I am a CNA, that is my job description, not the nurses. Yes I am there to assist the nurse with her treatments or whatever else she needs me to do but personal care is all mine. Not hers. Not the nurses. She has other responsibilities for which she has been trained to do which she needs to get done. If she has to keep doing my work and babysit the other aids then how can she get her own work done. I wonder if maybe you dont understand the job description of a CNA or if maybe you are a CNA that does not do their job. If you are doing the best you can but are not getting the proper care done then you need to let your nurse know what the problem is so a solution can be found or at least a discrepency can be identified. But in no way are you to shirk your work or put it off on the nurses. If its too hard for you then find another line of work. CNA work is physically difficult for many people and you need to be in a line of work that you can succeed in and be an asset to. Not make others jobs more difficult. Dee:nono:
I just hate to see nurses taken advantaged of. You do medical procedures that the patients rely on for their well being and we cant have CNAs slacking off and causing you stress because stress affects YOUR well being and thinking capabilities. A CNA is to be a support to her nurse. I would love to be a nurse but some procedures make me queasy so I assist instead . Its the next best thing.
Wow! Could I re-print this and have my hospital put it the job description for CNA's? Your co-workers and patients are blessed to have you!:redpinkhe:redbeathe:bow:
when all is said and done its your licence on the line the fact of the matter is they are they to assist you and you should really look at working as team
so does that mean the aide should have a crappy attitude because it is not their head possibly on the chopping block? it's ok to not do your job well because it is not the aides licence at stake?
when all is said and done its your licence on the line the fact of the matter is they are they to assist you and you should really look at working as team
so does that mean the aide should have a crappy attitude because it is not their head possibly on the chopping block? it's ok to not do your job well because it is not the aides licence at stake?
i am not justifing anybodies crappy attutide i am simple trying to state that the patient care is a team work if a nurse walks by a call light and there is something they can do why not it would take extra time to go find the pca to do what the nurse could do if time permitted thats all i am saying.
:redpinkhe:redbeathe:bow:
kcochrane
1,465 Posts
I agree with a lot of what you are saying. My problem lays with the fact that the higher ups enable these CNAs. Its sad because I see the CNAs that work their butts off and do their best, while a select few do what they want and bring down the morale. It is great to just do my job and expect these aides to do the same..but when the job doesn't get done, its my license. We also are unionized, so it is harder than heck to get someone fired. I work more than I need to because I want to help the other CNAs that are taking up the slack and I want to to make sure my resident's are taken care of.
It really depends on management and the facility you work in on whether or not you can put your foot down.
Sounds like you are a great CNA and worth you weight in gold..can you come work with me. :wink2: