Message from a CNA - part 2

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Okay so I started a little bit of heat, and I'm sorry I wasn't more available to respond to the threads. Heres the thing, first off I don't think nurses are lazy. Second I don't think what nurses do is unimportant. Third I understand that your job requirements include charting and what not. Fourth and most important I give the nurses a lot of respect, their my superiors and they deserve it.

Let me explain that what I was trying to get across wasn't that all nurses do these things, its just that some do and thats what I was upset about. I have some nurses that I work with that will pick up CNA shifts because they like the patient interaction better, they are right there helping me wipe up BM. But I do have nurses who will go out of their way to get me to do something that if they would have just done it themselves it would have been quicker and better for the patient.

The main point of my thread wasn't that the nurses don't do anything, its that sometimes they don't listen. Granted a nurses job requires more paperwork, and less hands on patient care. But that means the CNA is the one who does the hands on patient care and knows the resident best. I work in an locked alzheimers unit, and I know these residents inside and out, I know their behavior, when their hurting, what to do to calm them down, what not to do, I know how they brush their teeth, I know what they wear to bed, I know why they cry and how to help them, I know how often they have BM's, I know their children, I know them! Thats what I was trying to express, these patients I take care of are not blurred faces that come and go in a couple of days. I take care of these residents from the day they arrive here till usually the day they die. I've held their hands as they took their last breath, and wished them into the hands of god. These people are my family and I love them just as much.

So all I was trying to say is that I would just like it if the nurses and the administration took my knowledge of these residents into account when I give advice. It hurts when what you say just gets brushed off because your just a CNA. Its a trade off being that I might not have your education, but you probably don't have my knowledge of the patient. So shouldn't we be able to work together to find the best solution as to how to best help the patient.

I also want to say I'm sorry, my words came out to harsh, and I made it sound as if I didn't think a nurses role was valuable. And that I did all the work, I know thats not the case I was just frustrated.

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Okay so I started a little bit of heat, and I'm sorry I wasn't more available to respond to the threads. Heres the thing, first off I don't think nurses are lazy. Second I don't think what nurses do is unimportant. Third I understand that your job requirements include charting and what not. Fourth and most important I give the nurses a lot of respect, their my superiors and they deserve it.

Let me explain that what I was trying to get across wasn't that all nurses do these things, its just that some do and thats what I was upset about. I have some nurses that I work with that will pick up CNA shifts because they like the patient interaction better, they are right there helping me wipe up BM. But I do have nurses who will go out of their way to get me to do something that if they would have just done it themselves it would have been quicker and better for the patient.

The main point of my thread wasn't that the nurses don't do anything, its that sometimes they don't listen. Granted a nurses job requires more paperwork, and less hands on patient care. But that means the CNA is the one who does the hands on patient care and knows the resident best. I work in an locked alzheimers unit, and I know these residents inside and out, I know their behavior, when their hurting, what to do to calm them down, what not to do, I know how they brush their teeth, I know what they wear to bed, I know why they cry and how to help them, I know how often they have BM's, I know their children, I know them! Thats what I was trying to express, these patients I take care of are not blurred faces that come and go in a couple of days. I take care of these residents from the day they arrive here till usually the day they die. I've held their hands as they took their last breath, and wished them into the hands of god. These people are my family and I love them just as much.

So all I was trying to say is that I would just like it if the nurses and the administration took my knowledge of these residents into account when I give advice. It hurts when what you say just gets brushed off because your just a CNA. Its a trade off being that I might not have your education, but you probably don't have my knowledge of the patient. So shouldn't we be able to work together to find the best solution as to how to best help the patient.

I also want to say I'm sorry, my words came out to harsh, and I made it sound as if I didn't think a nurses role was valuable. And that I did all the work, I know thats not the case I was just frustrated.

I have no idea what it was to frustrate you so, but something must have happened.

I understand that you know the residents very well within your job, but the nurses also have a knowledge base of these same residents that you don't have.

Maybe the advice you tried to give was not appropriate within that resident's plan of care. There could be several reasons why your advice was not followed.

In your first thread I got the impression you were frustrated because the nurses were not helping you do your job by helping with cleaning of bm.

We're all overworked. There is a nursing shortage in many areas right now and the predictions are that it is going to get worse before it gets better.

In my post to you on the other thread I referenced some of the responsibilities that have been placed upon me and my co-workers.

Just to give you an idea of what is going on on my job, we just recently lost one LPN on my shift making us short staffed. And I know you won't believe this, but Thursday night at work, I took a hard fall, by tripping over a stool chair leg that was where it shouldn't have been. I fell and dislocated my elbow, and was taken to the ED, and now I'm off work for at least 3 weeks, the doctor said. So now we are even more short staffed than before. So with short staffing, and the new way of getting the medications in, from the pharmacy, it is a horrible situation. I talked to one of the nurses tonight and she's threatening to put in her notice. Others are threatening also. If we lose anymore nurses, by some quitting/retiring, whatever, I don't know what my department will do. Nurses are not knocking down the door to get hired at this job and, also, we are increasingly being forced to take on non nursing duties, thereby decreasing the amount of time nurses can spend with patients.

I don't know what the specifics are on your job, these are just some of the problems we are encountering on MINE, and most likely this is probably the norm in alot of places. Short staffing already in existence, and employees off sick makes it even more short and with added responsibilities frustrations run high. Just some things to consider.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I understand. But as one who as received the "why didn't you do it yourself, in the time you took to find me it could have been done" lecture from a CNA, I"m still a bit stung. LOL :)

Seriously, I hear you loud and clear, there are nurses that think just because their a "licensed professional" some things are beneath them. It's very frustrating working with them.

If working extra shits as a CNA were an option where I worked, I'd jump on it because I'd appreciate the patient interaction. Plus, it would give me an appreciation for what the techs do.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
If working extra shits as a CNA were an option where I worked, I'd jump on it because I'd appreciate the patient interaction.

Me too! There's really better opportunities to get to know your patients when you're actually doing patient care. I so wish that TPTB would understand that nursing is more than passing pills and clerical duties.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I will repeat myself:

Respect is a two-way deal.

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From what I'm learning, it's a difficult situation.

Every facility here is severely short-staffed and everyone is overburdened, resulting in everyone being exhausted and cranky all of the time.

But what I find interesting in CNA's plea is something I've heard from nurses, as well. I have friends who have been royally irked when the doctor just blew off their observations, and I imagine that this is the same thing CNA is feeling when the nurses pay no attention to hers.

And please, no one is saying ALL nurses and ALL CNAs. CNA is just venting and trying to find a venue in which she can express her frustration to people who might actually have a clue as to what she's saying.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Aspentree13, thanks for taking the time to clarify the points from your original thread. As I replied in your original thread, many times emotions expressed are covering up something else. Just continue to focus on what we are all (hopefully!) in the medical field for... to provide the best possible care for our patients.

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Okay so I started a little bit of heat, and I'm sorry I wasn't more available to respond to the threads. Heres the thing, first off I don't think nurses are lazy. Second I don't think what nurses do is unimportant. Third I understand that your job requirements include charting and what not. Fourth and most important I give the nurses a lot of respect, their my superiors and they deserve it.

Let me explain that what I was trying to get across wasn't that all nurses do these things, its just that some do and thats what I was upset about. ...all the work, I know thats not the case I was just frustrated.

Hello Aspentree,

Welcome to the working world, not every shares the same work ethic let alone the same humanistic or moralistic viewpoint. From working in various fields I have noticed this in all, yet in hands on caregiving it really stings because your work involves patients as people versus a stack of "products who have no feelings or needs."

Remember, you would deal with these sort of coworker personality problems everywhere, management, micromanagment, superiorty, subordinates and protocols, red tape, one step forward with two steps back, toxic coworkes, unhappy coworkers, coworkers with personal issues or traits of strong personality disorders, hung over coworkers, over worked coworkers and coworkers who are just outright overwhelmed are everywhere. Its a good idea to figure out how to deal with them rather than to react only to them.

Gen

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I also want to say I'm sorry, my words came out to harsh, and I made it sound as if I didn't think a nurses role was valuable. And that I did all the work, I know thats not the case I was just frustrated.
I can understand your frustrations.

However, your last thread indicated that you have at least 2 college degrees. Out of curiosity, why aren't you using those degrees to obtain a less frustrating job? You do not need to feel compelled to answer my question, but I thought I'd ask anyway. :)

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
I can understand your frustrations.

However, your last thread indicated that you have at least 2 college degrees. Out of curiosity, why aren't you using those degrees to obtain a less frustrating job? You do not need to feel compelled to answer my question, but I thought I'd ask anyway. :)

Hi Commuter,

I hadn't read through the other thread but, after reading your post here it makes sense that possibly some of the ops frustrations have to deal with a chip on the shoulder as well.

Gen

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

One of the reasons, I try to always work Primary care. No griping about who does what. Of course, that decreases positions for CNAs, but also, gets rid of wasted time of one group sniping at the other, and vice versa.

Yes, the RN could do all themselves. But that as eliminates the need for CNAs, whatsoever. There is nothing like going in a room after the Aide has done his/her oh so important vitals (as in, I can't get the light right now...I have Vitals to do), and the urinal will be filled to overflowing, there will be no water or cups, and no one will have let me know about the BP of 210/120 or the temp of 103. So instead of calling the MD or checking for BP meds, I'm emptying the urinal and fetching water to give those pills, while the Aide sits down and starts chatting on the phone.

I will stick to having fewer patients, and do all their care.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Let me suggest that your advice is a stream of input for that nurse, but not the only source of input. And nurses are always prioritizing care, normally about more patients than just lie within your concern. Your concerns may or may not be of concern to that nurse. Your concern may also be of concern to the nurse, but lower down on her priority list than other patients or treatments of which you know nothing about.

Or maybe, in some instances, you're right, she just doesn't care.

In any case, your obligation is to report, and then continue your business. This frustration that you WOULD ACT differently if you had the responsibility will only burn you out. That isn't your role. Either accept your role in the process, or go to school to achieve the role you want.

I'm not bashing CNAs. Their role is important and vital. I'm just saying that you are frustrated precisely because your nurses aren't letting your judgement supplant theirs: they aren't letting you be the nurse. What did you expect?

Somebody said that respect is a two-way street. If you offer that advice the way you do here - my advice is what is MOST relevant and so stop what you're doing and act on my advice this second - I might not ignore you, but I'd be danged if I'm gonna dance this second just because you say dance.

And I'll be honest. Judgement plays here as well. There are some CNA's that I'll drop everything I'm doing and run if they mention that someone 'ain't right', and there are some that can scream the house is on fire, and I'd more likely than not ignore them. Why? Because over time, I have either learned to trust - or not trust - their judgements. And don't doubt that isn't a consideration as well.

But now let me be constructive: how much of what you do in this area has to do with feeling superior because you 'know' more than the nurses (isn't that what you're really saying - I spend more time so I know more and my opinion is more relevant), and how much is truly pt centered? How much of your complaints that the nurses don't help you enough has to do with feeling 'inferior' to them (they're not 'too good' to do this)? You say you have mulitple degrees - that has to burn some, ala 'I have as much education as they do'. I don't know the answers here, I'm not making accusations. I'm saying this is a proper place for self-reflection.

Finally, let me say that attitude is everything when dealing w/ co-workers. And attitude is much more than the words you say, but HOW you say them. It's the non-verbals that'll peg you.

~faith,

Timothy.

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