Major venting about some CNA's

[michelle95]

First, let me say that I am not venting against all CNA's or even most...I've been one myself. I know how hard they work. I applaude the good ones.

My problem is the majority of the ones at where I work. They talk back, they leave people in messes...it's really making me mad. Just this morning, I told a CNA that was going to get my blood sugars at 5:30, to wait until at least 6:00 because I didn't feel comfortable giving insulin at 7:00 on a 5:30 accucheck. I had originally told her 6:30, but, after she explained to me that she couldn't at that time, I told her I would compromise and make it 6:00. (Sometimes our patients don't get their breakfast trays until almost 8:00 and 11-7 is responsible for the insulin at 7:00) She flat out refused. She told me that the boss said it was ok. I told her, she's not here right now, is she? You're working on MY license, not her's.

She told me no and went and got them at quarter of 6 in defiance.

I told the 'boss' when she came in, but, this is the same boss that let another CNA get away with telling me to 'shut the hell up', as well as, telling a patient to shut up. (Which is why the CNA told me to shut up...I was getting on to her for doing that)

I am so SICK of not being backed up when I tell a CNA to do something. I know I am just a little 'ole LPN at this time, but, I still expect the CNA's to do what I tell them.

I try to be fair. Like I said, I was a CNA, I know how hard the work can be....but, I didn't talk to my nurses any old way I feel, much less, tell them no when they told me to do something.

If the big bosses won't do anything, what am I to do? Go over their heads?

This is my last night tonight. I've done decided that the next place I work, I am not going to be so nice. I've got an interview tomorrow and I am going to explain to the administrator that I DEMAND back up. If I tell someone to do it, and, they snap off, I EXPECT there to be repercussions.

I hate to be so down and dirty, but, I had an spiritual experience a couple of weeks ago that made me see that every patient I come in contact with, is someone's loved one. I don't expect to see them laying in pee or dried food for hours. That is soooo undignified. If I don't take up for them, who will?

Any advice? Should I go to the ombudsman if the bosses won't do anything about these CNA's with an attitude?

I hope any CNA's that read this don't take offense. If you do your job honorable, I am not talking about you.

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

Originally posted by Sleepyeyes

I couldn't have said it better myself. Underlying all the disrespect is the assumption that not only has the CNA more knowledge, more information, and better judgment than the nurse, and that the CNA has the right to know the rationale behind every request.

Well, it ain't happenin' -- it just ain't happenin'....

I'm happy to share info and teaching with CNA's or students, but not in a situation like this, where the reason that I'm asking is because I don't have time to do it myself. Goes to follow that if I had time to explain, I'd prolly have time to do it without help.

The CNA's who tell me that they don't have time to do something I've asked, but then get their 1/2 hour break, both 15-minute breaks, and then leave on time, while I'm still stuck running around for another hour or hour and a half, and then whine that I don't help them???!! that bugs me, that truly bugs me.

Ahhhhh My God...I feel a huge burden of penned-up Rebel blow-up relieved with your post Sleepy. I can go to work and not trip any CNA's now.....(Just kidding...No horizontal violence in the workplace....

)

[essarge]

Nurs2be,

In our hospital if you are a student nurse and a CNA you operate within each perpective scope of practice. Sometimes you will have a nurse who will let you do things "behind closed doors", but they trust you enough to know that their liscense is not going to be compromised.

I gotta say that sometimes it is very difficult being a student nurse and seeing something happening that is not correct...for instance...a procedure that we are taught that is supposed to be sterile and you see it done with only standard precautions. It is very hard to keep your mouth shut at times!! LOL!!

[MICU RN]

Let me preface my opinion with the statement that I have the utmost respect for any worker if they are doing their job correctly and working hard. This includes all workers not just healthcare workers. Now, for my thoughts on the subject, based on my 4 1/2 yrs. as a RN and 1yr. as a nurse tech. The rule rather than the exception seems to be that most nurse techs or cna's who are also aspiring to become LPN's or RN's work hard and are good team members. However, when it comes to many CNA's or even clerks for that matter, you will find that many have attitudes and are lazy. One of the main problems is that they work under no lic.,so therefore besides firing them there is not much you can use to motivate them. Another problem is that those jobs are very low paying and therefore attract people with very little working skills or education, and the ones who are hard working tend create opportunities to obtain better paying jobs. This problem is universal in this country, i have had many other jobs and have observed it. Mainly that many people who start with entry level jobs have an attitude that since I only get paid a liitle I therefore should not be expected to work hard and show up on time and treat others with respect. The problem with this mentality is that they end up stuck in a series of entry level positions and never create opportunities to do better for themselves. They then feel resentful towards others who they perceive were handed there good paying jobs. I work for a state hospital and am considered a civil servant; the incompetence and laziness is rampant throughout the hospital, not so much with the professional lic. people because they can be held to standards. But rather with the unskilled labor faction. Many of whom would be fired in the private sector. While I have compassion for the working poor who are out there giving it their all, I have little for the ones who are lazy and have attitudes and feel that life owes them something. Well it does not and if you want to be lazy and a smart ass then don't complain that only make 7.00 an hour. I for one am tired of workers in this country who think the job market owes them something, the opportunities in this country are awesome for people who are willing to pay the price for success. I think people who are hired and have no solid work experienc or education should be put through extensive job training, which should include how to follow orders without getting your feelings hurt and how to be respectful to other co-workers and patients.

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

KTWLPN, use the ignore feature. I only have one person in it, guess who?

It is interesting to see in different states what scope of practice CNA's, LV/PN's and RN's have. CNA's here in California don't do accucheck's nor EKG's - Unless they are Certified Medical Assistants. There's a huge difference in training between a CNA and a CMA here, in my area of California.

Interesting.

Then there's the CNA's that bed-bath's, peri-care, emptying foley's, vital signs, meal tray's and other basic CNA functions are forgotten as their scope of practice and basic job duty. Those are the good for absolutely nothing one's that collect a paycheck for what reason I can't tell you. Granted, there are slacker's in every discipline - THEY ALL SUCK. But when I hear comments from CNA's like "Nurses just sit on their a$$ all day and write..." I want to tell them "Then you administer meds and assess and monitor patients while I turn, bathe and offer peri-care to patients. You document everything appropriately with your scope of training, so I can take my a$$ home 15-minutes before off duty time....Like you do".

Grrrrrrrrr......

OK...I can understand how this might offend TRULY GOOD CNA'S, and I am definitely not addressing you. Hat's off to you...LOVE you. So I ask a question to all disciplines.....

"How do we work together as a team"

I've heard a solution from CNA's that suggest to help them as much as possible. But what that turned into me doing a majority of CNA duties while keeping up with my duty. It simply ain't gonna work. So now what?

I've heard the argument "Don't bark commands at me"...I don't, and still I cannot give you direction. So now what?

I've heard CNA's say "My workload is too heavy".

At my facility in med-surg, the new ratio's of 1:4 for RN's has been initiated, However to make it work, RN's can be assigned two or three patients and cover two or three LVN patients. CNA's began to compare this ratio and scream unfairness, because they felt it was "unfair workloads" for the CNA to be responsible for up to 20 patients. I agree, it was a bit much for 1 CNA to handle. So instead of adding an additional CNA, management decided the 1 CNA can be assigned up to 9 patients. Whatever patient isn't assigned to the CNA the assigned nurses have to take care of (total TOTAL care). Footnote: Basic work STILL does not get done by CNA's. And they pass a piece of paper with all the vital signs written on them, and suggest for us to write them down for them. *%+#$@...!!!!!!!!

SO NOW WHAT!!!!!

[Flo1216]

Maybe Ktwlpn and rebel should get together and go bowling.

[Flo1216]

Well, I don't know anyone who has respect for lazy good for nothing workers, regardless of their job title. I'm just glad that when I graduate in June and become an RN, I will have been a CNA and can see both sides of the spectrum.

[jacolaur]

This thread has been all over the place. Even my computer was sssmmmokkinnn! :chair:

[Ortho_RN]

Rebel.. I agree with you 150%...

Luckily the floor I work on we all help each other.... If I am busy and can't get something then the nurse has no problem getting it for the patient.. And that is the way it should be... I help the nurses as much as possible, but then again they trust in me a lil more than they do some of the other PCA's. HOWEVER when we have a pulled PCA you can tell a big difference... An IV starts beeping and they don't even go see WHY it is... they just tell the nurse "the IV is beeping", so if Im not busy I usually go see what it is, and yes there are times I can't do anything about it... I have had more problems with fellow PCAs than I have ever had with any of the nurses..

Only had one problem with a LPN, who gave a patient insulin, who SHOULD NOT have gotten it... And she was just gonna ignore the fact that she did it.. And I am talking about a MAJOR dose, it was like 40 units.... The patient brought it to my attention and said "why did I get insulin" and I was like HUH?? So I went to the charge nurse and told her and she went to investigate and this LPN said she did not give it.. She said the patient and the aide don't know what they are talking about... Well it became a big ole mess... LPN jumping on me telling me I was just trying to start trouble.. UMM NO, I was trying to take care of my patient... Well this smart LPN had labeled her syringe with the dose the patient in the next room should have got.. Well she was busted, and guess what she got fired.... But I was the one who felt like shit for ratting on an employee..

Don't know what this has to do with anything, but :)

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

^5 nurse2b.

(Eyes shrugged in absolute dismay)....Yes...40 units of insulin is an unusually high amount of insulin."

(Thinking to myself...It couldn't have been 40 units. Then again.....).

[Flo1216]

NURS2B....it is not the responsibility of the CNA to troubleshoot the IV pumps. It is up to the nurse to figure out why it is beeping. CNAS aren't supposed to be messing with the pumps anyway, so why is it wrong to merely inform the nurse the pump is beeping? The nurse has to go in there to fix it so I am sure she will figure it out.

[Ortho_RN]

Well Flo.. I don't fix them.. But it isn't going to hurt for me to go and see what the problem is... If it is just a distal line occlusion I am capable of looking for the kink then restarting it... I think it is just laziness for them not to go and see what the deal is and SILENCE the dang pump..

And Rebel.. It was 40 units.. The lady that was suppose to get this stuff weighed almost 400lbs.. But the LPN gave it to a 145lb lady... That ladies blood sugar dropped to like 70 by the end of my shift, but we were making her eat so it wouldn't bottem out.. She ended up being just fine..

Flo.. Are you a nurse or student?? Just curious?

[Flo1216]

CNAS in my hospital are not even allowed to do that(silence the pump). Sure it is a courtesy to tell the nurse why it is beeping but it isn't a requirement. Maybe you have more of an incentive to find out what's wrong since you are a student and will eventually have to deal with this problem yourself. I know I do. Also, however, in a CNA'S defense, oftentimes, the call lights will go off in response to an IV beeping and the CNA will inform the nurse who in turn, ignores them. So then of course the lights continue to go off until an angry patient or family member starts wigging out. Even though the CNA knows the light is ringing because of the beeping, they still have to go answer it and take the abuse even though there is nothing they can do. I try to see both points of view since I will be an RN soon and it is defintely a 2-way street.