management situation with nursing assistant?

Nurses General Nursing

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So I'm a relatively new nurse, been at my facility for a little over 2 years. Not too sure of myself still and not too keen on managing people. The charge nurse role rotates among the nurses on a nightly basis, and I've been CN about 3-4 times a month in the last 6 months. There's no difference in patient load or pay, but the CN is responsible for assigning admissions and is the go-to person for problems that night.

There's one nursing assistant that has asked me if she can leave early, about 15 minutes, at least four times in the last 2 months. The first two times I said ok, as long as your work is done and your fellow nursing assistants are willing to cover you. The third time another nursing assistant complained to me that it's not fair that she "constantly" gets to leave early. So the last time she asked I said yes just because it was busy and I didn't want to deal with it but I found out the reason why is that she wants to catch an earlier bus home. I thought about it later and wrote an email to her stating I will not be letting her leave early as her shift ends at midnight and if she needs to be home at a certain time she will have to find alternative transportation. Once in a while is fine but not on a regular basis.

She approached me after that and said she only asks to leave early once every 3 months and no one says anything when she doesn't have time to take a break or cuts her break short because the other nursing assts are late to work. If she takes the next bus, she has to wait 40 minutes. I don't know what to do. I don't know how often she's asking the other CNs to leave early; she says "everyone else" lets her leave early.

Is this something that should be brought up with my manager? Just this past month during evaluations my manager told me as a nurse I need to supervise the NAs, no matter that they're older than me, been there longer than me, etc. What's the next step if I want to be be diplomatic but keep good relationships? If one NA is already complaining about her leaving early, I don't want it reach my manager's ears and then be held accountable as to why I let it happen. Thoughts?

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, MedSurg.
So I'm a relatively new nurse, been at my facility for a little over 2 years. Not too sure of myself still and not too keen on managing people. The charge nurse role rotates among the nurses on a nightly basis, and I've been CN about 3-4 times a month in the last 6 months. There's no difference in patient load or pay, but the CN is responsible for assigning admissions and is the go-to person for problems that night.

There's one nursing assistant that has asked me if she can leave early, about 15 minutes, at least four times in the last 2 months. The first two times I said ok, as long as your work is done and your fellow nursing assistants are willing to cover you. The third time another nursing assistant complained to me that it's not fair that she "constantly" gets to leave early. So the last time she asked I said yes just because it was busy and I didn't want to deal with it but I found out the reason why is that she wants to catch an earlier bus home. I thought about it later and wrote an email to her stating I will not be letting her leave early as her shift ends at midnight and if she needs to be home at a certain time she will have to find alternative transportation. Once in a while is fine but not on a regular basis.

She approached me after that and said she only asks to leave early once every 3 months and no one says anything when she doesn't have time to take a break or cuts her break short because the other nursing assts are late to work. If she takes the next bus, she has to wait 40 minutes. I don't know what to do. I don't know how often she's asking the other CNs to leave early; she says "everyone else" lets her leave early.

Is this something that should be brought up with my manager? Just this past month during evaluations my manager told me as a nurse I need to supervise the NAs, no matter that they're older than me, been there longer than me, etc. What's the next step if I want to be be diplomatic but keep good relationships? If one NA is already complaining about her leaving early, I don't want it reach my manager's ears and then be held accountable as to why I let it happen. Thoughts?

As a new nurse it is hard to manage experienced healthcare workers. To groom yourself adequately, find an experienced RN to mentor you. Someone that you can get advice from and talk to in confidence. Preferably an RN not at your current work location and someone you can bounce ideas around with. In the meantime, feel confident that you can take uncomfortable situations to your supervisor. Personally, I would elevate to the supervisor and ask for assistance. You stated you are a new nurse and with that you are expected to have challenges in your current role. Practice makes perfect and leadership is learned over time and not overnight.

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Having been a nightshifter myself and realizing how difficult it is to find transportation at night, I first have to commend this individual to even be willing to ride the bus at night. Everywhere I have lived, one takes one's life in one's hands when they ride the bus, especially at night. I would ask your boss if you could require this person to make up the 15 minutes on the day shift by coming in 15 minutes early. I also wonder why she only does this occasionally. If she really needs to catch the earlier bus, I think it would be a better long term solution to get her to rearrange her time accordingly. There is such a thing as having odd hours from the other people on the shift. This should all be discussed with your manager and a satisfactory solution arrived at. Otherwise, I would tell the complaining CNAs to worry about their own schedule and keep out of it. This CNAs timecard is none of their business.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

No No NO

Quit letting this person go home early, her transportation problems are not yours.

This person is not keeping a good working relationship by asking you if she can leave early

you go to work to work, not make friends, the next time she asks you if she can leave early,

you must tell her NO.

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Thanks for the replies. I think I'll speak to my manager when I get back to work. The NA says it's only every so often she needs to catch that bus because while she usually has a ride home, that ride is sometimes not available. I haven't been keeping track how frequently. It just feels like it's more often than once every 3 months. I guess I was really wondering if this was something I could handle on my own.

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Specializes in Med surg, Hospice, Geriatrics, AL, LTAC.

IMHO, if this person is a good aide and an asset to your facility, she may need to just tweek her work schedule a bit. You should bring this issue to your UM's attn and discuss it together with her and the aide, if necessary. Sometimes we need to make concessions for people who demonstrate an honest effort to get to and from their job and perform well while on duty. Remember, everyone is dealing with something and we can all use a little compassion and understanding.

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Your staff should feel lucky to have someone like you to work under...you seem to have compassion toward your staff. If the story is legit---i agree with the comment made that maybe she could start her shift 15 minutes early. But if you think that she may be taking advantage of your kindness, then i would go to your supervisor and let her/him make the decision.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

ultimately it is the nursing supervisor or your DON who can make perm time changes like that. If i were the don for this ltc facility, i would want to talk to this cna and see if we could accomodate her, if not she has the option of working somewhere else. I am always skeptical when someone wants to leave early, does that mean they are leaving work that has not been done that they could have done. Before all the haters bounce me, i worked as a cna in a NH, i know it is hard work, but if that 15 mins means she is going to let a person sit in a diaper full of stool for 45 mins, then NO.

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Specializes in Gerontology.

If all her work is done and none of the other CNA are upset, I'd say don't make a big deal out of it.

I take the bus home - on Sundays and Holidays the schedule is different. The last bus is at 11:30 pm - shift ends at 11:30 pm. If I stay to the end of the shift, I have to take a taxi home. If I leave just a little bit early, I can get the bus and safe money.

Is work being left undone? Or is everyone just sitting, waiting for the next shift to arrive?

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I also have to commend people who take public transportation at night. Depending on where you live, bus stops are dark, cold and isolated. Does this CNA ask the other nurses as well or just you? I would find out a bit more about her issue and take it to the powers that be. Also, observe her work habits. Are her patients well care for? Is she a trouble maker or team player? She may have a legitimate reason to worry. Many times, we are concerned about people while they are on the clock, but know nothing about what it takes them to get to work on time, what bills they have to pay... Maybe she has a babysitter who will charge extra if she is too late...who knows?

I would bump it up to the nursing supervisor to see if her hours can be accomodated, if that is possible and if she deserves it. I'm not so quick to want to throw someone under the bus in this economic crisis unless they are completely dead weight. She may actually be worth the investment to work with.

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Personally I don't see a problem with a person leaving early if all thier work is done. If she doesn't take her full breaks and stuff like that why can't she leave early. It sounds like you just need to run it thru your boss since its not just a one time thing so then they at least have an idea whats going on and how often

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

I'll admit...she does have a point.

A CNA isn't a nurse and therefore, in most states, she is entitled to breaks, lunches, etc.

If they get cut short, then she is entitled to take the time elsewhere. However, I think there is a better way.

Why not a compromise? If she only needs to leave 15 minutes early, can she not START 15 minutes early so she can catch the bus?

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