CNAs are very disrespectful to LVN, that is me..

jamangel · Nov 10, 2006

Yea, all CNAs must be terrific! There are no bad ones like you all say!

I don't believe anyone is saying that. I think they we're trying to understand the scenario in which it happened. There are really bad CNA's and really good ones and some good ones having a bad day. Yours may have been either having a bad day or they could have been bad CNA's. They were rude without a doubt. I 've had all types of CNA's. What I do know is they have the worst job in nursing (worst meaning dirtiest work without acknowledgment or obvious appreciation).

I'm not excusing them, but I'm wondering are they like that ALL the time. I've had NA's who felt like I should help them on the floor and when I could I did and when I couldn't I didn't. You can't make them all understand that you can help them with their work but they can't help you with yours. They get to walk right out the door while you're there reporting off, doing count etc.

I've known CNA's that have "keyed" other nurse's cars, slashed tires etc so we know there are bad people period in ALL professions to include LPN's and RN's.

No one is blaming you, just trying to understand. From most of our experiences, the CNA's have behaved this way to someone who they feel have wronged them. But they can also have preconceived notions about us being lazy and sorry.

Just my opinion.

Lisa CCU RN, RN · Nov 10, 2006

Yea its all about respect. Im a CNA and a new LVN, I been a CNA for about 7 years and the problem i had was the way a LVN or RN aproached me when they want me to do something. If it was a (could you or would you do this or that) when you get a chance (with a please or not ) also when you are done could you please give or do this for me. I would do it with no problem. but dont come and tell me or give me orders to do sometmething in a matter of fact with a tone. This one nuse irritated me as well as others because its the way she asked you to do something, one day she grabbed my arm and ask me did she do something wrong. I guess she seen the expression on my face and i told her the truth(she dont know how to ask for help ) she was a new nurse she wasnt aware she was doing anything wrong but she new not to many people liked her. She lighten up little i talked to the other nurses when negative words were expressed about her, they agreed about her beening new at giving orders and that made things not so hard for her or us. LoriRN2B was right i would of looked at you crazy if you were trying to give meds while Im cleaning or changing a diaper and i liked what Mel1213 had to say it made a lot of sence. See we(cna) have or own duties to do then we have to assist the lvn or Rn when they need help. We are all over worked.But let me say this, you would want your cna to like you,and be in your corner, respect you as a nurse, that would make your job less stressful and you know your patients are well taken care of.

:yeahthat:

vampiregirl, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2006

Have you addressed your expectations to this CNA (in private), behavioral and quality of work? I have seen nurses allow this type of behavior, by responding by snapping back or even yelling back. Maybe just having a role model who displays professionalism (you!!) is part of what is needed. Even if you don't have luck with one particular CNA, you can bet that the other CNA's are watching all that is going on, I know I do. As a CNA, some of the new nurses that I've gained the most respect for are the ones that deal with adverse situations professionally and gracefully. Unfortunately, occasionally there will be a CNA makes the rest of us look bad. Please remember that this isn't how all CNA's are.

valifay · Nov 10, 2006

Simply put, if you want respect from your CNA's you need to show it first. CNA"s are over worked, under paid, peons in the nursing world...I am one of them. Also, use good judgement and common sense. If the CNA's are in a room cleaning a resident of BM, don't come in and try to give meds. Move on to the next resident and come back when the aids are out of the room. Day shift aids will be more rough around the edges than evening shift because they have a heavier workload along with family and management nit picking their every move. But, the majority of them are darn good workers! If you knew how much crap CNA's took, you would understand why we can be so grumpy sometimes. Underneath it all we are very caring individuals. Otherwise we wouldn't have chosen the job. But don't knock all CNA's, you'll grow to appriciate them eventually. We are VERY hardworking people!

nursesaideBen · Nov 10, 2006

Like Marie said, no one here is saying that all CNA's are good or bad and as other posters have said you really need to take control of the situation, don't be a dictator but don't take their rudeness either. There is no excuse for any CNA to yell at a nurse or vice versa no matter what kind of day they have after all all you did was walk in the room. Also, I'm sure you're already doing this but saying please and thank you is music to the ears of most of us CNA's best of luck to you.

solidergirl · Nov 10, 2006

Hi, I am a new grad..I thought working in like a nursing home is like a team environment..And I thuought CNAs would want to assist the nurse but in reality, in the place I work I get the opposite..I got yelled at by a CNA for coming in the room while they were cleaning poop..I wanted to give him meds and he told me to get out in a mean tone..Geez, guess I was always right about CNAs being that mean and disrespectful..And I asked the other CNA about something and he barked at me like a dog..
Geez, thought they were labeled nursing assistants rather than nuring aggressors..

I understand where you are coming from..I am a new grad to and when I was in school I could not believe what was going on..It was like the cna's were on one team and the nurses on the other...I was in school trying to help the cna's and they would look at me like I was crazy..I was suppose to stick with the nurse's (Is how they were acting)...I asked the nurse I was working with Why was it like that...And she couldnt give me a answer...So even as a nursing student I got barked at...

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 11, 2006

Yea, all CNAs must be terrific! There are no bad ones like you all say!

Did you read my previous post meticulously? I stated that I have encountered some CNAs that are lazy, annoying, and mean-spirited. I never once stated that all CNAs must be terrific. It would be greatly be appreciated if you did not twist my words to fit your personal agenda. :)

covu · Nov 11, 2006

i think u have the wrong perception of cena's. ive worked with many through the years and most are among the most compassionate and caring people i know. their job is one of the toughest around...they put up with verbal and physical abuse at work and most just smile and laugh and brush it up as another day done. if u treat people with respect they usually will return it. if they have a bad attitude and some of them do..dont worry they wont last in the profession too long.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Nov 11, 2006

I was a CNA, and it is hard, back-breaking work. It does not excuse rude behaviour, but, I can understand a bit how they feel. The approach by the nurse is important, I would try and speak with them privately to find out what their issue is. There are some folks that are not approachable, and always look for an argument, no matter how respectul and tactful you attempt to be.

Also, consider that those that are not in nursing school may have a different perception of why they are being called upon to do certain tasks...they are not trained the rationales of why, in most cases, and it may be of benefit to try and include them by saying why their help is needed; how it benefits the patients and the facility.

I returned to the same place I worked at as a patient care associate, and there was one aide that really went out of his way to assist me, by bringing me all of the charts that I needed, etc... I made it a point to go to him and thank him at the end of the day for his assistance.

There are many reasons, some may be jealous, others are just in pain or tired from working so hard, then, there are others that are just screwed up people that just want to make lives miserable...but that is not because they are aides, it is just their personalities.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Nov 11, 2006

I don't believe anyone is saying that. I think they we're trying to understand the scenario in which it happened. There are really bad CNA's and really good ones and some good ones having a bad day. Yours may have been either having a bad day or they could have been bad CNA's. They were rude without a doubt. I 've had all types of CNA's. What I do know is they have the worst job in nursing (worst meaning dirtiest work without acknowledgment or obvious appreciation).
I'm not excusing them, but I'm wondering are they like that ALL the time. I've had NA's who felt like I should help them on the floor and when I could I did and when I couldn't I didn't. You can't make them all understand that you can help them with their work but they can't help you with yours. They get to walk right out the door while you're there reporting off, doing count etc.
I've known CNA's that have "keyed" other nurse's cars, slashed tires etc so we know there are bad people period in ALL professions to include LPN's and RN's.
No one is blaming you, just trying to understand. From most of our experiences, the CNA's have behaved this way to someone who they feel have wronged them. But they can also have preconceived notions about us being lazy and sorry.
Just my opinion.

I have known many people; CNAs, LPNs and RNs that have done things such as key cars, beat up each other, set each other up...so I hear you on that one. ALso, it is true that the CNA cannot do all that the nurse has to do, and that has to be understood. I am a new LPN, and worked in med-surg for 2 months before I went to my regular assignment in the previous clinic I worked at as a patient care associate (sort of like an advanced CNA). I HAD to go in and medicate patients at the same time that they were cleaning a patient. What I would do is explain to them that I needed to medicate this person, and they usually seemed to understand. I have had them ask me to help them to bathe a patient, and unfortunately, I had to say no, but would tell them that I will assist them in lifting and moving them once the patient was ready. Why...because it may take as long as 1/2 hour or more to assist in bathing them, and yet, I would be behind in medicating the rest of the clients, the head nurse would yell at ME, and I was in orientation...I had to learn MY responsibilities as a nurse. What can happen, unfortunately, is that some aides may begin to expect for you to drop each and everything you are doing EACH TIME to assist them, and that can slow down your personal pace, which can be determental to patient care as well, because patients are not treated on time.

I think that it can start by the approach of how we communicate with the aides, first, and then, those that are resistant may be dealt with, but begin privately. Just know that we have the same issues between LPNs and RNs. Many LPNs also feel disrespected by RNs because they feel dumped on as well. I remember many a day, hearing that the LPN does the work, the RN pushes papers. What I had to do is try and imagine being in the other person's shoes, may it be the RN who has major responsibilities, as well as the aides, who perform backbreaking work. We have to try and pull together as a team.

Laught3r · Nov 11, 2006

I was a CNA, and it is hard, back-breaking work. It does not excuse rude behaviour, but, I can understand a bit how they feel. The approach by the nurse is important, I would try and speak with them privately to find out what their issue is. There are some folks that are not approachable, and always look for an argument, no matter how respectul and tactful you attempt to be.
Also, consider that those that are not in nursing school may have a different perception of why they are being called upon to do certain tasks...they are not trained the rationales of why, in most cases, and it may be of benefit to try and include them by saying why their help is needed; how it benefits the patients and the facility.
I returned to the same place I worked at as a patient care associate, and there was one aide that really went out of his way to assist me, by bringing me all of the charts that I needed, etc... I made it a point to go to him and thank him at the end of the day for his assistance.
There are many reasons, some may be jealous, others are just in pain or tired from working so hard, then, there are others that are just screwed up people that just want to make lives miserable...but that is not because they are aides, it is just their personalities.

Very well written. I started as an aide at sixteen and On July 13, 2006 I passed my boards as an LPN. I knew aides that thought that the nurses didn't care about the residents as much as they did because all they did "was push pills and play on the computer (computer charting)". But more often than not, the aides I worked with were great and got along well with the nurses and other staff. I learned alot from one nurse when I started nursing school. I asked her why she never went to nursing school. She stated " I don't like paperwork, I like people." I would advise Bela to definitely pull the aides you are having problems with aside and ask them if there is something you are doing to upset them because you would like to change it. Not saying that you are doing anything wrong. My first days on the job as a nurse I made it a point to go to all the aides that I work with and asked them to tell me if they noticed me making mistakes. I was very serious because most of them had been there alot longer than I had and they knew where everything was and how things were done.

soiwanttobeanurse · Nov 11, 2006

I completely agree with you. I am currently a CNA in a LPN course. WIll graduate in the spring. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But what you said is true.

There are good CNA - BAD CNAs

There are good LPNs - BAD LPNs

There are good RNs - BAD RNs

Treat me with respect and I will do the same to you.