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 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.
We've already established that patient care is a team effort. The topic of this thread is not whether nurses should help the CNAs, but the fact that many of us work with CNAs who do not pull their weight. Does this sound like teamwork to you?
And then there was the incident that happened tonight.... The nurse helped me with a patient who hasn't had a BM for several days... so tonight was the big night. Nurse and I were in the room getting everything cleaned up. The nurse cleaned while I held. I thanked her after and said next time I would clean. She got miffed because I said to her that I felt it was the tech's job to do the cleaning. She feels it's the nurse's. I told her I know she had more important things to do than to help me clean up a patient. A lot of my nurses are willing to help me in this situation, but I still feel that it's my job to do the actual cleaning.
Along the same lines, last weekend at work, the CNA and I went in together to do the final fluffing and puffing on a LOL with a hip fracture. We turned her, cleaned her, positioned her. It didn't matter to me who did the cleaning, but I wanted to see her bottom anyway, so I did it. Afterward, as we were bagging linens and leaving the room, the CNA thanked ME for helping HER. At first I was a little flustered, as I'm not used to being thanked by the CNAs. I'm usually the one doing the thanking. I was duly impressed with this one, and I hope she sticks around.
ETA: Usually when I have a turn Q2, I have to make sure the turning gets done. This time, every time I went into the room, I noticed the patient had been turned, and I hadn't even had to ask for it to be done. It was awesome.
Yes, your words are my feeling towarding NAs. other word taht you expressed exactly what I feel to aids. I have been suffering deal with aids for long time. They don't want to clean patients, turn patients, take vitals, get water, help patients to the bathroom, answer call lights, or anything! Instead of hiding in void pt's room and watching TV ,or just pretend bing a deaf mute. There were so many events complaining by patients due to aids behavior. More then two times I begin my shift and walk in pat' room at 7 pm,pt were upset and said that adis put bedpan the left and never came back. Then I found the person who put bedpan was sitting in a void room behaind the curtain. I was looing for vital sign device at 6.40pm......ect...I tried do my best to takd good care of my patients but patients needs those basic care. Sometime they donot konw what is RN and aid title, they just think nurses are not good. [ My friend told me that her mother was in a hospital { not my hospital where I am working} a nurse has bad attitude and cold face when you ask for help...water and turn..ect.] I told her that she was not RN I am sure she is a aids.. because I am always warm and caring my patients. I do all those aids thing... clean patients, turn patients, take vitals, get water, do I/Os, help patients to the bathroom, empty urinal...................ect...but what aids do ? do nothing? Personally,I am always warm toward to aids but some of them are cold.
I registered today after I read your article .It give vent to my feeling about ...
Specializes in Emergency Dept., Critical Care Transport.
and
I think that being a CNA in a nursing home and a CNA in an acute care setting are totally different worlds. From experience with both it seems to me that the the CNA's Tiger is working with are all lazy and have become complacent and need to be written up and their "certification" threatened. Bad patient care and neglect should reflect them as well. In a Nursing Home the CNA's with 7 patients maybe well over stressed but on an acute care its more like two or three total cares if that and a few assists. Instead of hoyer lifts and shower chairs. You are guiding someone to the shower or handing them a face cloth. A very easy day for a paycheck CNA makes the bad qualities come out more and they really shouldn't be allowed to work there. Makes me pretty mad when people like that take up space and a position that someone who really cares and wants the experience should get. Nursing is team work and every member of the team is responsible for the patients... OK now I'm venting.. lol
AZMOMO2----
you sound like a wonderful CNA to work with (a great attitude and excellent insight into why all of us have chosen patient care as our careers). I've held positions as a Home Health Aid, an LPN and then a RN --- so I know the challenges at every level of patient care. I've worked with CNAs that don't even earn the space they take up in the chair they're sitting in and others who deserve the highest of recognition (which I made sure I gave to the Nursing Supervisor, before leaving the hospital the next morning) That situation involved me being sent by a Nursing Agency to fill a staff RN position for one shift (11:00PM till 7:30AM) at an oncology hospital, where I had never worked before. It was explained to me that it would be myself, an experienced Staff RN and (3) CNAs caring for very ill cancer patients on IV meds on a med/surg wing (??18-20 pts.) This was totally out of my expertise ---- I work ER/trauma, but they were desperate -- so I agreed to take the shift. I arrived at the hospital ---only to find out that the experienced staff RN I was to work with called out sick. I said, "Oh. no no no I'm not doing this ---I've never worked here before --- I don't even know where the bathroom is"---to which they replied, "You'll be fine - the three CNAs have worked here for years and they'll help you" -- I can feel myself panicking -- thinking "But CNAs can't give meds --they can't do sterile dsg chgs and I'm picturing losing my Nsg License"---Anyway, there was something about the pathetic look on the Supervisor's face as she said, "But who will take care of these sick pts. if you leave?" ---So, I accepted the shift -- I met the CNAs. who did assured me that they wouldhelp me. These (3) CNAs were the best I have ever worked with --they knew their jobs, did their jobs, and didn't need to be told what to do. The patients received excellent care and I felt the full satisfaction of working as a team. I apologize for being so long winded here, but this experience was so uplifting for me, I thought it was worth sharing with you. I can remember working with Rn's, when I was a LPN, who just sat at the desk smoking cigarettes (smoking was permitted then -- even though I am highly allergic to cigarette smoke and spent the whole shift coughing, eyes watering, blowing my nose --- to which the Nsg Super. responded, "I can't tell them not to smoke") Amazing --- Isn't it??? Memories like that
I keep on a Rolodex in my head --- I use it as reference of what not to do and I try not to make the same mistakes ----Nobody should be sitting idle while other staff members are running themselves ragged trying to care for patients. Patients are the ones who benefit from good team work and that's why we're all here -- Aren't we????
I think you are trying to redefine the roles of an Aid and a nurse. An aid assists the nurse so that she can do her work (medical). A nurse does not assist the aid to do her work (personal care). A nurse may help if she likes.She may even have some personal care responsibilities but I have yet to see that. Dont expect her to do your job and hers too. I have yet to see an "Aid" do her job AND the nurses job too.Yes, the Aid is there to assist the nurse but what your getting confused about is yours and her job description. She has her stuff to get done. Why would you expect her to take on more . She doesnt expect more of you than what you are suppose to be doing. Why are you expecting the nurse to do her work and yours too? You have other aids to help you. There are more aids than nurses . Ask another aid for help. Aids ought to help eachother out. If the work is too much for you, find another line of work. You shouldnt be needing the nurse to help you do your job. Its pretty basic. Busy yes but thats the nature of the work. If you want better pay and more interesting work then go back to school. The nurses did!! Quit griping about your job. If you dont like it ,leave. I dont work in convelescent homes because it is too hard for me but I have big boned strong woman friends who like their jobs because its not physically taxing on then . They are strong girls. Thank GOD for them. They dont complain that the nurses dont help them do their work. They (the aids ) help eachother and if they have an aid who wont help out then they dont help her either when she asks for it and eventually that aid will quit cause she is being shunned for not being part of the team. Teamwork between the aids makes a successful atmosphere for the residents. If you cant work as a team and handle interpersonal problems on your floor, dont gripe about the nurses not helping. Go to the DN and ask for some problem solving help and advice to get the aids working together.. These nurses are getting few and our state is in trouble. Support them. Dont pile on their backs problems that are not theres. April
This is such a long thread I doubt anyone will read it to the end but here are my two cents: If you were bright, motivated, self starter with a vested intrest in patients' well being why would you settle for a career as a NA. Lets face it-people that make that job a career are the ones that find working in fast food too stressful and can't stand on thier feet long enough to be a clerk/cashier at the local A&P. I have met 1 or 2 very good aids in my long career but for the most part the ones that did a good job always seemed to move on to other positions or become nurses. It's a lousy, back breaking job that would burn most of us out if we did it the way it should be done for long. The only aids that can stand to stay in it for long are the ones that don't actually do the job.
I didn't say they became RNs just that they go on to something else or nursing-you are a nurse. I'm sure there are exceptions to my statement but it would take an exceptional individual to make a career out of CNA and be able to do it well without being crippled by the workload if they did a good job of it. I couldn't. I would be one of those lazy NAs that never get thier work done, my back and legs would never stand the load the NAs I have worked with are expected to do day in and day out.
I didn't read every single post on this thread but I am convinced that the above poster is the only one on this thread who "gets" it. The OP originally stated "It's me or them". Well I suggest that you dust off your resume because your problem will never change. It's the nature of the job itself......to quote suanna, it's a lousy, backbeaking job (and low-paying).......that does not attract the type of humble, meek, silent go-getter that so many nurses wish for. You can be more assertive and "*itchy" if you prefer and that may get some results but not much. You either have to accept it or move on. And yes there are some career aides who are self-directed and who take pride in doing their job well but as already noted, these people are exceptional...... and rare.
I work with lazy ones... and I also work with RN's that I absolutley love, but can be aide hogs. They won't let you go about the rest of your day until THEIR patients are all bathed, changed, etc. This leads to a lot of frustratration, and also the other nurses complaining that I'm not taking care of their patients. (Which is true, and I feel badly about it, but I can't get away from aide hog nurse).
When I tell them I have to get on to other baths, I get the "It will just take a minute, I need to assess skin. I need you to hold them" thing. Ok, fine... then when I get in there, it's "As long as you're here, we may as well get them washed."
It never fails.
I know nurses who act exactly like this. You bring up a good point. Also many of you have stated that the "good" aides are negatively influenced by the "bad" aides. That is patently untrue. The so-called "good" aides are always influenced by the nurses. Once someone is identified as a "good" aide then they are worked liked a slave while the other aides get away with doing nothing. And it is never enough, the harder you work the more the nurses will ask of you while not bothering with the other aides because of attitude. It doesn't take long for someone to reach the conclusion that they are being taken advantage of and thus the necessary change in work ethic. I don't know why nurses do not understand this.
Also many of you have stated that the "good" aides are negatively influenced by the "bad" aides. That is patently untrue. The so-called "good" aides are always influenced by the nurses. Once someone is identified as a "good" aide then they are worked liked a slave while the other aides get away with doing nothing. And it is never enough, the harder you work the more the nurses will ask of you while not bothering with the other aides because of attitude. It doesn't take long for someone to reach the conclusion that they are being taken advantage of and thus the necessary change in work ethic. I don't know why nurses do not understand this.
That's a good point. When I was an aide, there were certain nurses who did exactly that. They worked me to the bone, because they knew that I was a hard worker and would do whatever they asked and not give them any guff.
Well here I go again. Sorry. I have been a CNA since 1989. I only worked full time for 4 years as a CNA and then only very part time afterwards to be home with my kids. Now I am 39 years old and no way will I go back to full time. I remember I use to put up with a lot as a new CNA. When your identified as a good CNA you absolutely do get run ragged but I also didnt know how to say NO then. Now I do but not at work so much as how much I work. I am moving on to pediatrics so I can up my hours and not hurt my back. It is imperitive that CNAs know their limits so they dont get to the point of being overworked. You must speak up. If you dont, you will get taken advantaged of in some ways. But over all you must do your work and be efficient and thorough and not compromise patient care. It seems the aids who are posting negatively about their experiences are allowing nurses or their place of employment to run them ragged. Maybe you just work at an understaffed place. I would leave. I would make sure the DN knew why I was leaving and let her know what it would take for me to stay. Lower patient to Aid ratio if its too high and compromising patient care.We have the power to change things. We are much needed and if we speak up intelligently we may get listened to. My apologies to the aids who do their job but cant do it thoroughly because of understaffing. Still, its your responsibility to fight for changes. I have been overworked once and I left . I found a better job in home care. The ratio of patients to aids can be staggering. I saw in waterbury ct a convalescent home that was 13 patients to each aid. Why would you even take that job in the first place? But girls do and then wonder why they cant do it. Nobody could do it! Dont take those jobs. CNAs are a valuable part of the health care team, dont let people abuse you and dont take jobs that will hurt you. Hopefully some day these homes will get the message and hire more aids. Even part time during busy hours. But you have to speak up and make it known. Then leave if its not remedied. Nothing changes if you put up with it and then complain about it after work. The fact is, your still going there and allowing others to take advantage of you. I wouldnt break my back over such low pay. Maybe there needs to be a CNA shortage before this ratio problem is taken seriously. Thank you for being specific about what your work day is like. I wouldnt work there. April
:redbeathe
Virgo_RN, BSN, RN
3,543 Posts
We've already established that patient care is a team effort. The topic of this thread is not whether nurses should help the CNAs, but the fact that many of us work with CNAs who do not pull their weight. Does this sound like teamwork to you?