new nurse, cna with attitude

Specialties Geriatric

Published

So I've been working at an assisted living facility for 2 weeks now... my FIRST nursing job. I am the only nurse 1 qma and 4 ra's. I love my job and everyone is respectful and great.. except this one RA. I really need some advise on how to deal with her. Everytime I try to talk to her she turns her back and walks away.. even when I'm still talking. I've never had a real conversation with her because she refused to give me the time of day. I'm so sick of it. I feel so disrespected and frankly it pisses me off... but I keep my cool and stay professional. It all began when I asked her to grab an orange juice and sandwich for a resident that had a bs of 51.. she said, "uh okay" and sat down on a bench in the hallway. I asked again and she didn't say anything and just leaned back. The qma, who has been there for years, finally said something and she went and got it. Ugh. Then the other day 2 hours before the end of shift, she was sitting in the living room watching tv. I told her that she needs to get up and do something if she's still on the clock. She said she had everything done and that I'm the ONLY nurse to ever say she cant sit on the couch and watch tv if her works done.. yeah right. Then as I was telling her that I feel like she need to show a little more respect.. she got up and walked out the door while I was still talking. A little later, in front of residents and all, she was loudly saying to another RA, "well I guess we should run laps around the building to waste time after we put so and so to bed." Then today, I found a resident in the memory unit walking down the hallway alone. This lady is not to walk unassisted (she's fallen a gazillion times). I said (girls name) you need to keep an eye on mrs. so and so, she's not to be walking unassisted... Well I only got out her name when she gave me this "my sh*t don't stink" look and turned away and went into a residents room. I walked into the room and told her to come to the nurses station when she's done, I needed to speak with her. An hour later she walking in and said, "hey you, what's your name, what ya want". I said, "My names Amanda, and expect you to stop and listen to me when I'm talking to you. Not just turn and walk away while I'm still talking." She said, "I nodded, what u want me to do" I said, "I want you to treat me with a little more respect." She said," mmmhumm k, are we done." and walked away.

I understand I'm a brand new nurse, I get it, everyone's gonna push me and see how much they can get away with. The thing is, I'm still trying to feel out the place and I am super nice to everyone and help when I can. But this girl has had it out for me since the begining. I don't know what to do. She is like 7 months pregant, and has a ghetto diva attitude. I have absolutely nothing against her... I don't know if she hates me because I'm a new white nurse or what... I JUST DON'T GET IT.

Please help, I just don't know what to do.... :confused:

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Well, start documenting...meaning give her a warning, then write her up, then whatever is nexts. Follow your facilities protocol and she'll have to deal with the consequences. Don't stop being nice because she is rude, just do your job and continue to tell her when her job needs to be done.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Do all of the above. Also, if at all possible, find something she does right and compliment her on it.

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I agree with the above posts! Good job for standing up for your residents, by the way. I know that can be tough as a new nurse. I would compliment her when I saw that she did something right. Try and respect her as well...this may help gain her respect. If all else fails, write her up.

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Specializes in med surg ltc psych.

I was the unfortunate recipient of this type of "blow off" disregard last December. You described my CNA to a T. I was the 11p-7a LPN on a hall with 52 residents, a lot of which are skilled Medicare folks. Shift begins with 2 CNA's getting first round vitals and documenting them on a preprinted vitals sheet with my hand written entry of the residents names with a star next to the Medicare folks. I need those entries the first and foremost as I mandatorily have to chart and document on them nightly. One CNA picked up the VS sheet I had on the station and promply returned the readings, the other did not get the VS sheet at all. I looked for her and couldn't find her. Now it's 30 min before shift is over and she finally shows up, I asked her if she could please go now and get the VS and return the sheet to me so I can finally document in these charts. She said to me "you should have carried that VS sheet down to the end of the hall and give it to me if you want me to do 'em." Just like that. This is all kinds of wrong. I'm not a post office employee delivering mail. She finally gets the VS (although her numbers were not accurate at all) and slammed the sheet on the counter and said "here, is this the big deal that you want?" Ended up that morning being called into the DON's office and was told "we're going to have to let you go. We can't have tension and animosity amongst our CNA's" I firmly believe what happened here, was racial tension full blown and this CNA just wasn't going to comply with this white LPN's request to perform a task and deliver it to me. And of course she embelished some story to the DON with a negative spin on me and just so happened they were related by marriage go figure. I was FIRED over this. There is no governing board over these CNA's and they know it. They are easily hired and rarely fired. I truly think most all of us nurses make the effort to be decent, non rude and demanding toward our CNA's and they take advantage of that or they fabricate a way to get a nurse fired.

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I am a CNA, and I am DISGUSTED by her behaviour. I say you should pull rank, and tell her firmly YOU are in charge of the floor and she needs to listen to you! If she has any sense, she'll consider that a verbal warning. If that doesn't work, then go to your higher-ups, and document everything from now onwards, in case of a problem later.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.

Documentation. Dates, times, exact words in quotation marks.

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Yep. NOTHING can be accomplished in regards to reprimanding her if there is not a paper trail. Granted, it's awful to have to write someone up but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. If that resident falls and breaks a hip, you have documentation to show that you TRIED to do something to prevent it. They did to replace her with a CARING individual. Geez. :uhoh3:

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You know what it sounds like to me? It sounds like she's TRYING to get fired/laid off so she can collect unemployment and get out of working before FML would take effect. Just something to think about. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

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So I've been working at an assisted living facility for 2 weeks now... my FIRST nursing job. I am the only nurse 1 qma and 4 ra's. I love my job and everyone is respectful and great.. except this one RA. I really need some advise on how to deal with her. Everytime I try to talk to her she turns her back and walks away.. even when I'm still talking. I've never had a real conversation with her because she refused to give me the time of day. I'm so sick of it. I feel so disrespected and frankly it pisses me off... but I keep my cool and stay professional. It all began when I asked her to grab an orange juice and sandwich for a resident that had a bs of 51.. she said, "uh okay" and sat down on a bench in the hallway. I asked again and she didn't say anything and just leaned back. The qma, who has been there for years, finally said something and she went and got it. Ugh. Then the other day 2 hours before the end of shift, she was sitting in the living room watching tv. I told her that she needs to get up and do something if she's still on the clock. She said she had everything done and that I'm the ONLY nurse to ever say she cant sit on the couch and watch tv if her works done.. yeah right. Then as I was telling her that I feel like she need to show a little more respect.. she got up and walked out the door while I was still talking. A little later, in front of residents and all, she was loudly saying to another RA, "well I guess we should run laps around the building to waste time after we put so and so to bed." Then today, I found a resident in the memory unit walking down the hallway alone. This lady is not to walk unassisted (she's fallen a gazillion times). I said (girls name) you need to keep an eye on mrs. so and so, she's not to be walking unassisted... Well I only got out her name when she gave me this "my sh*t don't stink" look and turned away and went into a residents room. I walked into the room and told her to come to the nurses station when she's done, I needed to speak with her. An hour later she walking in and said, "hey you, what's your name, what ya want". I said, "My names Amanda, and expect you to stop and listen to me when I'm talking to you. Not just turn and walk away while I'm still talking." She said, "I nodded, what u want me to do" I said, "I want you to treat me with a little more respect." She said," mmmhumm k, are we done." and walked away.

I understand I'm a brand new nurse, I get it, everyone's gonna push me and see how much they can get away with. The thing is, I'm still trying to feel out the place and I am super nice to everyone and help when I can. But this girl has had it out for me since the begining. I don't know what to do. She is like 7 months pregant, and has a ghetto diva attitude. I have absolutely nothing against her... I don't know if she hates me because I'm a new white nurse or what... I JUST DON'T GET IT.

Please help, I just don't know what to do.... :confused:

I AMOST FELT BAD FOR YOU UNTIL I GOT TO THE END OF YOUR POST

She has a ghetto Diva attitude, and your the NEW WHITE NURSE. are you serious. You couldn't just say she has a poor attitude, and your the New RN who she doesn't seem to want to take orders from. That comment right there ummmm I can't even begin to understand why it was even necessary to include. POOR POOR CHOICE OF WORDS. Maybe it is you.

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yea, I don't think color got anything to do with her attitude. She's 7 months pregnant and the last thing she wants/needs is a new nurse playing perfect. Leave her alone to do her job..................there are some things u were right to point out like she, keeping an eye on the patient who's fallen a gazillion times. Other than that, I think she has been there for years because she knows how to and does her job. I know I don't need someone breathing down my neck every second telling me do this do that. Give her a break and also follow the advice on SOME of the previous posts.

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yea, I don't think color got anything to do with her attitude. She's 7 months pregnant and the last thing she wants/needs is a new nurse playing perfect. Leave her alone to do her job..................there are some things u were right to point out like she, keeping an eye on the patient who's fallen a gazillion times. Other than that, I think she has been there for years because she knows how to and does her job. I know I don't need someone breathing down my neck every second telling me do this do that. Give her a break and also follow the advice on SOME of the previous posts.

ahhhh, I see according to your screenname, you are RNTOBE.....I think that says it all. There is no "breaks" because you are pregnant, if you can't do your job, then quit. No one should be watching TV on the job except on scheduled breaks.

And why is it offensive if could be a racial situation? We aren't there to be witnesses, so it could very well be a racist CNA. I know I have worked with some racist people, white and black. And people with racist attitudes are very very difficult to work with, especially if you are the one they are racist against! The OP may have used a poor choice of words, but that doesn't mean she is in the wrong.

And I prefer my RN's to "play perfect," and you should too.

:nurse:

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