It is me or them!!! I can't stand it anymore!

zimsaint · Apr 30, 2008

You're right it is everyone's job. It's just that in the nursing home I always witnessed the RNs/LPNs paging the CNAs to answer a call light when they could have done it themselves to help us out.

I work in a nursing home at times, and I do page the CNAs to answer call lights. While I do not feel that I am above the task, you must bear in mind that LPNs in nursing home have 30 to 40 residents that they have to pass medications to, do g-tube feeding, wound care and chart on; not to mention any acute happenings. I never even get to each lunch when I work. So, sorry if CNAs are insulted, but that is why you are there, TO WORK. :mad:

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2008

Vent away, Tiger. I know it's frustrating. It's one thing if the CNAs are slammed, but if that's not the case, then there is absolutely no reason for an uncooperative attitude.

zuzi · Apr 30, 2008

Is passed by midnight and yup I am really sad reading what you say.

You know what are the real problems: COMMUNICATION and MONEY!

And belive me is not as much about the money how much is about communication.

So your CNAs are lazy, yuh????? Did you ask one moment why? Did you stayed one second in their shoes? Why they are lazy, because they have 2-3-4 childrean and they are the only one who work in family, or because last night her husband abused her, or because is depressed because her husband was died and her only child for who sacrifice her own life is on drugs now and she is old and tired enough to fight with life... and others 100000 life scenaries?????

And yes.... without good feelings and logical thinking you will never ever be able to build a strong team.

Why they let you to do everything.... is easy because are TIRED or over loaded or don't like you how you behave with them, is human!

I am tired also to talk again and again about so easy thinks...just BE A TEAM, is not so hard to undersand IF you have and mind and soul.

Hope that you will understand somenthing from my "foreign" english and could help you ! Just be good!

nyapa, RN · Apr 30, 2008

She has every right to vent her feelings on this. Sounds like she's been much more tolerant of this nonsense than I would have been.
Heck, they could make it a licensed position so this way, if they goof up and hurt someone, it won't fall on the RN(at least not 100%).

Witchy I totally agree with the first statement. To quote myself:

Perhaps they may have an attitude at the particular facility the OP works at, and she/he has every right to vent.

And I actually like your suggestion re: the second. That actually outlines people's responsibilities, and give both nurses and CNAs guidelines as to who has what role. It also clarifies the CNA's worth...

We have only one CNA during each shift. And they do not do observations, BGLs etc. And they are not on at nights at all. They are too busy running ppl to procedures, assisting with patient care, ensuring beds are ready for the next patient, and they kick in wherever they can. They work really hard. And you know when they are not there...

schizo_maja · Apr 30, 2008

We have an AIDE kicked off last week, we tried to work things out with her but still, she do 1:1's away from patient on her celphone, takes over nurses desks so she could log in the internet, gives me an open box of gloves when I told her specifically to get in from the supply room... and makes my tiny triage are shrink because it has become too heavy to work with her... we had to report that and let her go without replacement. I would rather do work alone than to work with a tech that you have to tell her nth number of times to repeat temp to these kids we have... i'd rather stand up and do my vitals alone than to get her, take 10minutes and no respiratory rate (she told us only nurses know how...) its tougher to work in an environment that you worry about my job and worry about her job...

I was screamed at by one tech the other day when she saw that the adjacent bed in my pt's room (ER) was with a lot of stuff (resident trying to do ABG) which isnt my fault and screamed on the top of her lungs "DID YOU DO THAT? I'M NOT CLEANING THAT UP! YOU HAVE TO CLEAN THAT UP YOURSELF" I was like? Whaaat??? (just to myself) and calmly asked her "DID I TELL YOU TO CLEAN IT UP? I am very much capable of picking after myself... later that shift around 7 in the am she was bugging me about something and I just shrugged my shoulder and say "I dunno" to every questions she asked, she then picked up my pt care sheet and read whatever it was there and still bugs me questions, she was at that time behind me while I was cleaning my patient who just threw up charcoal and she was on my way... told her, if she don't wanna help get out of my way... i wanted to say that she has nothing to do with my parient care sheet that she's a tech and I'm the RN, but that would be too mean and I don't really wanna stoop low her level... and when she asked what's wrong, just told her flat out that I don't appreciate being screamed at... and the nerve she has to say that "this is a hospital and i can say whatever she wanna say..." again... I just don't wanna stoop down her level

schizo_maja · Apr 30, 2008

I have this urge to give out job description copy every time I ask something of them...

will it be bad?

we only ask them what they have to do anyway... because some of them just don't know what the **** they're supposed to and have to be constantly reminded

MichaelFloridaRN · Apr 30, 2008

sounds like you guys are under-staffed. it's very hard to do everything..answer call lights, turn patients, take residents to the restroom when you don't have enough CNAs. I got sick of all the pressure and don't plan on going back to another nursing home. I will be doing Home Health work from now on for this very reasons. CNAs are over worked and under appreciated

Most LTC facilities are understaffed. And both CNAs and Nurses there have hard jobs. I did LTC for 6 months and have to say I hated it. There are good CNAs, and they are worth their weight in gold. But there are also more lazy CNAs then nurses. And to be honest, lazy aids is the main reason I left my part-time position after 6 months. I loved to residents and even the families were OK. But the attitudes from staff, the constant negative stance from at least half the aids made me sick! :nono:

MichaelFloridaRN · Apr 30, 2008

This whole thread is one of the primary reasons why I love to work in ICU. There I am responsible for and have the time to provide for my patient. I give the bath at night, empty the urinal, get the patient his soda if not NPO/Vent/so on, and I know my patient is taken care of the way I myself would want to be cared for. And if something does go wrong I have nobody to blame but myself.

We do have one aid at night, but she/he is our assistant, meaning when I give a bath that I am doing the work and she/he helps me hold the patient. All our nurses in my ICU live be the motto poop side toward the patients primary nurse! And we all love our job, and so do our CNAs, as evidenced by all 3 of them being there for 5 or more years and almost never calling in!

Ginger45 · Apr 30, 2008

As a fromer Director of Nurses, I have seen those attitudes. I cannot stand them either. I am thinking, "Why did you go into this field???" I have made round during mealtimes and found lots of residents who needed to be fed in their rooms and then CNAS sitting on their butt in the small dining room. They are supposed to help fed on the floor after they are done. I have learned over the years to be very stern and direct with the ones with an attitude. They scatter when they see me coming and get busy. It took me a while to get there though. There are however some really great CNAS who do not have an attitude and want to care for their pts. My solution was to meet with each one of them individually and let them know that the attitude stays at home. I was paying them to work. They could either get with the program or leave. Two or three left but the rest of them stayed and did leave the attitude at home. I also backed my nurses 100%. I told the CNAS that the nurses had the authority to send them home if they were insubordinate or refused to do their job. I know that at times it is tough to get everything and as nurses we do have to pitch in and help them. I am not above that. That is part of pt care. Not if they are sitting there doing nothing though.......Good luck!

MrsMommaRN · Apr 30, 2008

So sorry about your problem. I feel for you. We have a similar situation on our floor. The CNA complains to everyone that will listen how lazy the nurses are and how no one does anything but her. She has gone as far as to say the only difference between her and a nurse is she doesn't draw blood. :down: :madface:

I hope things get better. :bugeyes:

oramar · Apr 30, 2008

Personally I think this is a managment problem. Managment is happy if it has a body in the slot. If managment doesn't also act to make sure it is a body that does it's job this is what happens. However, I have worked with many, many aides that went beyound what their job description actually called for just because they were good people. I kiss their feet.

nurseby07 · Apr 30, 2008

As a former CNA I have had the chance to work some wonders of cna's on our floor. I have to say to Tiger, give them a break! It is really hard work for our cnas to have finally found the South African homepage soccer results and to be rudely asked if the cbg's were done. Do you know how difficult it is to get up from your 2.5 hour nap in the breakroom to do vitals at 4 am? And what about having to stop snooping in the ER log onine just to assist you with that code? Not to mention when that guy FINALLY writes back on your myspace account and now you want me to help you with a bedbath.

Let's give 'em a break, please, it's a long, long 12 hour night shift and the internet connection was pretty slow tonight.