New LPN would like CNA input please

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2009

Great thread. :up:

roses246 · Mar 9, 2009

I used to work for a LTC where the LPN's would look for you up and down the halls to tell you your Pt call lights were on. One time my supervisor saw a pt sliding out of a chair, she checked to see who he was assigned to. She came down the hall to find me in another pt's room with my glove hands full of doo- doo, only to tell me the pt was sliding out the chair. I don't think that made any sense whatsoever.

Now that I am in a hospital setting, working as a PCA while going to shool for LPN, there is a huge difference in how the patients are being cared for. Every one answers call lights,:chuckle from CRT, Monitor Techs, EVS even the nurse in charge.

aerorunner80, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Mar 11, 2009

I've never worked in LTC but the one thing that really helps is when the nurses and I work together on a bed bath. It goes so much faster with two of us which helps free up more of my time and the nurse's time.

NM nurse to be · Mar 11, 2009

I had to ask one LPN to change a bandaid on a man's arm. His room was the very last one on the short wing. The man was dressed and ready to go, except I'd left his arm out of his sleeve for the dressing. LPN waddled down and changed the bandaid after much grumbling. THen waddled ALL the way to the room where I was at that point, the very last room on the farthest hall... to tell me I needed to go put the guys arm in his sleeve. Come on, really? You came all this way to tell me that???

k-t-did · Mar 12, 2009

When I come to you to report on a patient, as we are told to do, please don't roll your eyes when I report "mundane" things, like someone needs the podiatrist, or their antibiotic has caused thrush in their mouth. And telling Mrs. Smith that her poop will come out if she just sits there long enough, when she hasn't gone for 3 days.....that is so frustrating. :) Thanks for asking.

egreen42 · Mar 13, 2009

I agree with NM nurse to be, treat us like we are people too, and said hello and thank you. I have been a CNA for two years and only work one year as an CNA, because I had gotten very frustrated with the way some LPN and RN would have such nasty attuitudes, which made me not want to be in the profession. I have work in a hospital and nursing home, I had an incident where a patient had diarreha, :banghead:the LPN came out of the room to find me in another patient room changing their diaper. And she asked me to help her take the patient gown off, when I step in the room the patient have feces on the floor the chair all down her leg, just everywhere. After helping the LPN get the patient gown off, she left the room and didn't ask me if I needed help or thank you or if she could reach me something, nothing at all.

That very act made me not want to continue in nursing, but I knew I could not let that stop me because I love helping people. That was a learning experience for me; when I do become an LPN or RN I will know that I should treat people the way I want to be treated. :cry: I find that most people that make good nurses have been CNA. Also, I had an LPN that was very helpful amost to helpful, she was a CNA before she became and LPN, but I can tell you they are very rare. I understand why they say it takes a very special person to be a nurse, because it truly does; :nurse: they have to be special. I feel that lots of people are in this profession for the, and that the wrong reason for being a nurse.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 13, 2009

I echo PsychWannaBe...I think bringing in some donuts, bagels and coffee with a card for the floor to say 'thank you' is nice. When they do things, tell them 'thanks' and also explain to them why certain things have to be done, so that they see the importance of their skills and talents. An example of that is "Vital signs have to be done by a certain time because I have to administer BP medications. If their BP is too low, it is not safe to give".

I agree with Valerie; this is a nice thread.