Lazy Staff

chevyv, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2012

I work in behavioral health and staffing is 1rn, 1lpn, and 3cna's for 22 patients. Our pop can be the worst of the worst so staffing looks good and should be a breeze to get help. Everyday I walk in and hear complaints about the assignment. I finally had to sit down and tell everyone that they have 7pts apiece with one having 8pts. I can count on 1-2 fingers how many need assistance with ADL's and because of this, I can't help but require a verbal breakdown on these complaints. I have the whole unit, paper charting, and dealing with bxs of both pts and staff. Someone....anyone explain the difficulty.

Boy, I sure wish I would have known about the place I work now when I was a CNA! Instead I worked on med surg and then ltc where all of my pts needed assistance! So yes, I have experience and it gets better for a bit after I talk with my staff, but eventually, it goes right back to the original way. I've been reduced to saying, on occasion, how they should all quit and go work in a nursing home then come back and complain about how bad they have it. Usually shuts em up but some huff and puff when asked to walk down the hall and open the door for a visitor. Really!?!

RNperdiem, RN · Apr 11, 2012

Yes, I have worked with the ones who took breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and multiple smoke breaks and hid out in empty rooms watching TV.

I also worked with techs who really cared and put that caring into action. These men and women worked every bit as hard as I did taking care of the patients. Working with them was a pleasure.

If I could have worked every shift with Alice, Titus and Val, maybe I would have stayed in med-surg nursing longer than I did.

Lauryen828 · Apr 11, 2012

I had one of our tech's tell me last night that she was going to leave a patient soiled in bed until I was done passing meds so I could help her change the patient, because Nurses need to know how it feels to be a tech. So I politely told her that I understood how difficult her job was but I would not be done passing meds and doing assessments for quite some time and patients being clean, dry and safe took priority over her wanting to prove a point. I will be the first to say when tech's need help I am the first to help when I can. Also if I go into a patients room for any reason and they need anything from being cleaned up to a boost to a cup of water, I do it, I do not go looking for a tech. She eventually found someone else to help and gave me attitude for the rest of our shift. I told my Nurse manager and nothing was done. It makes me upset because I can only do so much and we are supposed to be a team. I just wish everyone thought this way! :uhoh3:

caliotter3 · Apr 11, 2012

I had one of our tech's tell me last night that she was going to leave a patient soiled in bed until I was done passing meds so I could help her change the patient, because Nurses need to know how it feels to be a tech. So I politely told her that I understood how difficult her job was but I would not be done passing meds and doing assessments for quite some time and patients being clean, dry and safe took priority over her wanting to prove a point. I will be the first to say when tech's need help I am the first to help when I can. Also if I go into a patients room for any reason and they need anything from being cleaned up to a boost to a cup of water, I do it, I do not go looking for a tech. She eventually found someone else to help and gave me attitude for the rest of our shift. I told my Nurse manager and nothing was done. It makes me upset because I can only do so much and we are supposed to be a team. I just wish everyone thought this way!

You should have told her that you could write her up for insubordination if she chose not to do her job and caused further discomfort for the patient in order to prove her point. She was defying you and you let her skate. Decide that you won't take this any more and start to deal with it. One verbal discussion per tech per the next shift as needed, then start with the writeups, and see that they get into the person's personnel folder. Show them that you mean business and they may start to take you seriously.

OnlybyHisgraceRN, ASN, RN · Apr 11, 2012

I know how you feel OP. I recently left a job in LTC due to lazy aides with the worse attitudes. I would try to counsel them on their behavior but nothing worked. I would always thank them, I helped provided pt. care so they knew I wasn't above doing it, I gave out candy and was very supportive of them. I went to management and they did nothing, so I left.

I can do their job but they can't do mine. I got so sick and tired of answering call lights while they were on their 10th break or sitting down on their butts. I was so fed up !!!

I'm looking forward to ICU so I don't have to depend on lazy techs. OAN: I worked with some techs that are awesome. Who came to work to work.

NoviceRN10 · Apr 11, 2012

I work with mostly wonderful nurse aides, thankfully. I am getting better at asking them to get up and get vitals or a cbg for a pt when I need it. I get tired of apparently being the only person who asks pts if they need anything and I'm the one fetching ice, towels, fresh gowns and linens, or anything else they think up. It's either that or the pts like to see the nurses run around, maybe? I work with one aide who doesn't seem to like it when I ask him to do things out of his time frame (he likes to be efficient and do vitals way too early for my purposes (meds) so he can relax the last 3 hrs of his shift). Sorry, but I can't use the 3:30 bp for my 5:30 hypertension med administration. Sometimes I feel bad for asking them to do stuff I can do (which is of course all of it!), but darned if they aren't getting paid to be there and do something too! We have a new aide who I absolutely love, and I know as a newer nurse I can learn a lot from her. Really, I can't complain too much because I think if I were more comfortable in my role of delegating I would have less to worry about :).

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 11, 2012

Old, old, old story. Some techs are absolutely useless, and some are worth their weight in gold. Some can't be found unless there's free food to be had, and some are right there for whatever you need.

Same with nurses. Some are useless, and some are worth their weight in gold...you get the idea.

Merlyn · Apr 11, 2012

This is nursing. Don't her get away with leaving a patient dirty. You have to play hardball with some of the techs. I've been lucky or maybe because I have the look of guy that should have his picture on a Wanted Poster, or that I'm an LPN and the staff has seen me do the work they do. I have had very little trouble.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

We have PCA's that sit at the end of the hall, far away from the confused or frequent callers. Throw in lots of smoke breaks and the patients who wait till you come in the room to give them a med and then of course I have to pee. Oh, I guess I might as well pee now that you're here. What ever happened to using a call light! I spent the last few days on potty patrol! Losing my mind! Can't believe I'm being paid to be a CNA, not the nurse that I am! Some days its just too much!

micheleg1 · Apr 12, 2012

Oh yeah I know exactly what you mean. I have been an LPN for 24 years and have seen so many lazy good for nothing people keep their jobs while management turns a blind eye, while hassling the hell out of some of the really good aides on the floor. I am so burnt out from it all I don't even want to be a nurse any more. I so often think I want my RN license, but then I remember how it is in "the real world". This is just one more of the multitude of reasons there are not enough RNs, or LPNs for that matter.

Hello,
Does anyone else have any experience with having Lazy patient care tech's on their floor. The ones on my floor hide in a back room. If you approach them and ask them for help they get upset. I try not to waste time searching for them but I need their help. If I have a 6 or 7 patient assignment it is really hard to provide all of the patient care, pass meds and do assessments, not to mention charting.

aortas · Apr 12, 2012

my aides on nights are wonderful and really bust their butts. i am lucky to have such good ones. working other shifts though-day especially, there are problematic aides...hiding in rooms on cell phones...that is a total annoyance to me. its also disrespectful!