lunch time insubordination

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 15, 2008

Oh, and just to comment on the fact that you hope you have another good RN-coworker to help you....
I'll just throw in my ...I was working Friday, night shift, and went to walk a pt to the restroom. She got out of bed, took 3 steps and collapsed...completely out. The way I "caught" her, I could not get back up without injuring her leg. I screamed, and I mean screamed "Help, I'm in XXXXX's room" MANY times, at least 6. After about 3 minutes, another CNA from the front of the building came running, and the nurse that was sitting about 4 doors down at the nurses station, finally came in behind the 2nd CNA and said, "oh, I thought that was so-and-so yelling" (another resident) I looked at the nurse and said I don't really care who you thought it was, when someone is screaming like that, you need to find out why!!!!! So, it's not just the CNA's, and Im not 'one of those' CNA's. Im one of those people who will stand up for the CNA or the nurse, whomever is right!

That is true; this is why I say that we need a good team! There is no way I would have let ANYONE, may it be a patient, CNA or nurse scream bloody murder and not go to see what actually happened. Sometimes, the titled person you expect to give you the most support is the one that may ignore what is happening at all. I'm sorry that happened to you.

coltsgrl · Jun 15, 2008

That is true; this is why I say that we need a good team! There is no way I would have let ANYONE, may it be a patient, CNA or nurse scream bloody murder and not go to see what actually happened. Sometimes, the titled person you expect to give you the most support is the one that may ignore what is happening at all. I'm sorry that happened to you.

Thanks pagandeva...I agree. I think we, especially at LTC, need to work as a team more. It just makes it harder on everyone when it's a dictatorship. I know my policy at work says that everyone! is to answer call lights...ummmm, I'll leave it at that. :stone

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 15, 2008

My friend, who is an LPN worked in med-surg told me a few weeks ago that she did rounds and discovered a 93 year old naked woman on the floor next to her bed. She called for help and she said that the two RNs took more time than a turtle to get there, then, to say "Oh, she looks okay to me-get her up". This was not right. What if the woman was injured? And, why should the LPN possibly cause further injury to the patient or even to herself by lifting her alone? No assessment?? Insane! She said she had to 'make them' help her lift this woman. Now, how fair was this to anyone?? Horrible!

nightnursecupofjava · Jun 15, 2008

Our CNAs have to punch out for brakes, If they come on the floor and get injured, its not covered. Just another thing to think about

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 15, 2008

Our CNAs have to punch out for brakes, If they come on the floor and get injured, its not covered. Just another thing to think about

That is true, and something I didn't even think about!

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2008

I think, just my opinion, that ones half hour of lunchbreak should be their own. Also, they should get two other breaks in 8 hours that are their own goof off time. I also think that they have a right to walk through the nurses station without being obligated to help out with work during their break time.

cursenurse · Jun 15, 2008

i am a young charge nurse in a facility... everytime i ask them to do something like one example...
i was dcing a pt. pt ask if someone could help them go to the car.. i asked my cna to help them to the car she said no im busy while just standing in the hall way saying shes waiting for the pt to finish up in the bathroom is this right? and sometimes in lunch time they come back from lunch early and just ask them to assist a resident and they tell me their on lunch.. i mean wth?? a resident needs help... is that an excuse to not help them?

Now in my experience with delegating, esp with CNAs/techs, the first thing I do is ask "what are you doing right now?" If they are not doing anything then I tell them what I need them to do. I think it is the wrong thing to ask them to do what is in their job description. I believe in directing, not asking- dont offer a choice where none exists- they dont get to pick and choose what duties they are going to perform. If they are doing something I will decide whether what I need them to do is of greater priority than what they are currently doing- that is the job of the nurse, not the cna. Afterall, the nurse is responsible for making sure that the plan of care is correctly executed. I have a problem with the CNA telling a nurse "no" when being told to do something. What she should have said is that she currently had Ms Jones on the toilet. This problem could have been easily solved by the charge nurse telling the CNA that as soon as she helped the pt in the bathroom, her next task is to take the d/c'd pt to the car. I don't understand why this had to be an either/or issue. You finish one task, get started on the next. The pt waiting to be taken out to the car would have to wait 10 minutes.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2008

So staff's breaks are not important and they are expected to be in two places at the same time. This perspective is a perfect illustration of why health care is going down the tubes and we are all so disgruntled.

cursenurse · Jun 15, 2008

i am a young charge nurse in a facility... everytime i ask them to do something like one example...
i was dcing a pt. pt ask if someone could help them go to the car.. i asked my cna to help them to the car she said no im busy while just standing in the hall way saying shes waiting for the pt to finish up in the bathroom is this right? and sometimes in lunch time they come back from lunch early and just ask them to assist a resident and they tell me their on lunch.. i mean wth?? a resident needs help... is that an excuse to not help them?

In regard to the lunch situation- I'm a bit confused b/c you said the person came back from lunch early to the floor, then told you that they were on lunch. Perhaps the person left the lunch room early and decided to roam and chit chat while on break, I have personally done that. In that sense then yes the person is still on lunch and should not be assigned duties unless there is some kind of emergency.

Poochee · Jun 16, 2008

I recall, while working in a LTCF, I was sending out a pt. to the ER. And you all know how hurried you are to copy things out of the chart, and still assist the pt., well I had all the paperwork, pulled out of the chart, I asked a aide to please make copies, she said, "I don't know how to make copies"

cursenurse · Jun 16, 2008

I recall, while working in a LTCF, I was sending out a pt. to the ER. And you all know how hurried you are to copy things out of the chart, and still assist the pt., well I had all the paperwork, pulled out of the chart, I asked a aide to please make copies, she said, "I don't know how to make copies"

I cant stand when people feign ignorance to get out of doing something.

litbitblack, ASN, RN · Jun 16, 2008

hmmm my 2 cents.....do the bathrooms not have call lites? sorry I don't have time to just wait for someone to finish the bathroom IF they are with it and not confused. The cna could have taken that pt out and whoever was on the floor could have assisted that pt back to bed. sorry but there are to many "I am not or can not or do not have time to do this or that " from cna's. what happened to the respect that nurses recieved way back when. I can understand the lunch thing but I have now gotten to think like if its good for me its good for you. My staff have no problem pulling me out of lunch to take care of something but then get upset if I interupt them. Nope it goes both ways.