New Nurse having trouble with Techs

[Dramqueenie1]

Ok so I finally got hired as a Critical Care Nurse for a residency program. The program sends me through three months of classes, alternating a few days on 6 different floors of the hospital to give me experience everywhere. After the classses are over I am supposed to either choose a floor to stay or stay in the pool and go anywhere. I am really liking almost everything about the job except the Techs. In my facility are CNA are called Patient Care Techs. I was a tech for over a year on a different part of the the hospital so I know their jobs and their responsibilities. I keep getting these techs that look at me when I ask them to do something as simple as assist me with a lift up patient in bed and they say things like...'I'm too busy, ask someone else.'...or....'that's not in my job description.' What the ??????!!!! The last brush off I got was when one tech told me that she was too busy to transport a patient off the floor to xray and I would have to do it myself. I had three other patients and was running late on my med pass! What am I supposed to do. They don't respect me and I feel as though they are trying to set a precendent so that later they won't have to listen to me or do what I ask. I am in no way being mean to them when I ask them to do stuff for me. I try to help them because I know they are an important part of our team but I am getting to the end of my rope and I am about to report them to my supervisor. But I dont want to be the whiney new nurse that can't handle the techs.

How would you seasoned RN's deal with techs who don't want to be delegated to?

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Welcome to nursing! I'd bet the farm that this has been going on the whole time you were a tech, but you didn't notice it because you weren't the nurse. Maybe you never behaved this way toward the nurses, but the same techs giving you grief now probably give all the nurses grief, and have always done so.

My advice is to pick your battles. An xray can most likely wait just a few minutes while the tech finishes up whatever they are doing. Try to give them a heads up as far in advance of any such requests as you can, so they can work it into their schedule. There are very few things that are a matter of life and death and can't wait just a little bit.

A couple of things that I do are:

Ask them if they're busy. That way, if they are, I can look for another tech or another nurse to help me. If they're not, then I ask them to do whatever it is.

Preface requests with "When you get a minute, could you please...". This gives them the opportunity to prioritize their work, and by asking nicely, you are showing respect for them.

Give them a warning as far in advance as possible of anything like transports to diagnostics, discharges, etc., so they can plan on fitting it in.

As you know, techs are busy too, and if you acknowledge that and give them the benefit of the doubt that they really do want to help you, you might get better results.

Now, having said all of that, this only works with the aides/techs that take their job seriously. I have worked on a unit where none of that worked, because there was a longstanding workplace culture where the CNAs were extremely uncooperative to the point where our unit's CNAs had a bad reputation on every other unit in the entire hospital. If you are floating around the entire hospital and having this problem with the aides everywhere, then it's not as likely that this is your problem.

[Dramqueenie1]

So far the problem has only been on one floor. I asked the other RN residents and the only ones that are having the same problem as me are the ones who used to be techs as well. The other new RN's that came from other hospitals are getting the respect that they deserve. It feels as though the techs are mad that I graduated and got a job and they are still techs. Like I turned my back on them or something.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

The other new RN's that came from other hospitals are getting the respect that they deserve.

That statement right there stands out for me. I'm hearing that you expect to be respected by the techs simply because you are a nurse. This could be part of your problem. From their point of view, you used to be their peer, working shoulder to shoulder with them, and now you are acting like they are your subordinates. Perhaps they don't feel particularly respected either. Maybe you could try a different strategy. Try explaining to them why you can't do a certain thing, like "I would take Mr. A to xray myself, but I have to do x, y, and z. Do you think you could do it when you have a moment?"

[Dramqueenie1]

Maybe your right, maybe I should take a different approach with them. For instance maybe I should remind them that even though I used to do the exact same thing as they do I am not one of them anymore. I paid alot of money and went through alot of trials, tests, school, etc. to finally be a RN. I earned that title and I realize that CNAs are important to the team. I respect them but they should respect me. I was only asking for ideas and advice on how to deal with CNAs (techs) that do not want to do anything I ask of them. I have never ordered anyone around in my life and I am not about to start now. I may be a new RN but I am no spring chicken and I have dealt many a time with all types of different people. This is just my first experience being in a position of authority. After all is said and done I am responsible for the well being of my patients. When I was a tech I took great pride in having one of the RNs look to me and say, "Thanks I really appreciate your help." I have been waiting to instill that same sense of pride in another tech but have yet to have the chance.

[Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I may have read things wrong, and I'm not the greatest at "writing out my true meaning, but here goes,lol---One does NOT earn respect, by Initials--in this case RN. People are not going to respect some one just because they have a fancy title. One doesn't get respect, just because out forked over $$$$$$ to get their degree. Big degree does not equal all empowering knowledge, nor does it make one a great nurse, doctor, lawyer, etc etc! Respect has to be earned!! Now Should the techs be listening to you yes, do they have to respect you? no! I bet some of your problem is that u were a former tech, and I bet their is a bit of jealousy! From my reading on this board, it seems many techs that become RN's do prefer to leave that floor/hospital so they can start fresh. I'm a new RN so I don't have a lot of great advice, but if I have a bit of free time, I give the techs a hand, could me something as small as going and filling up the water jug, or help clean up a patient! People tend to help others that lend a hand to them. I come from a military background, and the best bosses I had were the ones that got their hands dirty as well. People would go the extra mile for those guys. Best of luck

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

"Should" they respect you? Yes, of course. But the ideal and the reality very frequently do not match up. This is true not just in nursing, but in life in general. I did not say that you are ordering people around. What I said was that maybe that's how the techs perceive it, and perception has more bearing on how they will behave than does your expectations of how things should be.

That being said, there are aides that are just sour and nothing you can do is going to gain their cooperation. My first two years were spent on a unit where that was the case (I know it was not just me, because it happened to every single nurse on the unit; the only nurses who didn't have a problem with it were the ones who just didn't care anymore). I recently transferred to another unit, and believe me, I did not walk into there with a "you should respect me because I'm an RN" attitude. I want those techs to be my allies; to have my back and be there for me in a pinch. You can bet I ask them to do things when they have time, say please and thank you, and listen to them when they tell me I've done something wrong (and even laugh at myself about it).

The message that I would be taking from their behavior, were I you, would be that they are not going to just hand you their respect because you worked hard to become an RN. You can either be angry about that and refuse to bend and continue to have an antagonistic relationship with them, or you can do what needs to be done in order to earn their respect. The choice is yours.

[nursenewbe]

I may have read things wrong, and I'm not the greatest at "writing out my true meaning, but here goes,lol---One does NOT earn respect, by Initials--in this case RN. People are not going to respect some one just because they have a fancy title. One doesn't get respect, just because out forked over $$$$$$ to get their degree. Big degree does not equal all empowering knowledge, nor does it make one a great nurse, doctor, lawyer, etc etc! Respect has to be earned!! Now Should the techs be listening to you yes, do they have to respect you? no! I bet some of your problem is that u were a former tech, and I bet their is a bit of jealousy! From my reading on this board, it seems many techs that become RN's do prefer to leave that floor/hospital so they can start fresh. I'm a new RN so I don't have a lot of great advice, but if I have a bit of free time, I give the techs a hand, could me something as small as going and filling up the water jug, or help clean up a patient! People tend to help others that lend a hand to them. I come from a military background, and the best bosses I had were the ones that got their hands dirty as well. People would go the extra mile for those guys. Best of luck

You are right, Instead asking a tech to get some vitals, I might get them myself because I need a b/p before I pass a Lopressor or something. You help them they will help you. It works all the time.

[earthcrosser]

Finding ways to help them out works well. Our techs have a baby from four different nurses, so they've got quite a bit of work to do. If I can warm up the milk for them before a feed, change a diaper, or put the BP cuff on in order to lighten their load, I do. They work hard for very little pay and get screwed around with often, so finding ways to treat them nicely and show them that you appreciate having a tech is always nice. (I know I'm hurting the nights I've got four busy babies and no tech!)

They may not say "Thank you" or fall all over themselves because you did something nice, but that shouldn't be expected anyways. But, if you need help, they will be more inclined to help someone who is helpful to them.

[nurselori001]

I work on a very small unit and we rarely have a tech. When one walks on our floor to help, I almost kiss their feet! I don't look at it that I am the RN and they are the Tech., we are both a member of the same team with the same goals. I carry this attitude with me to other floors as I am frequently pulled. I have had no problems with the techs, even those with the worst reputations. I would like to add that I was a Unit Secretary for 13 years so I sort of know where you are coming from but I have the utmost respect for the ancillary staff and don't expect anything in return. Sometimes all that you need is someone that will run when you yell "HELP!!!" because you have a patient falling on the floor. Please, PRIORITIZE! If you are worried about respect instead of your patients you have too much time on your hands.

[Katie5]

. Please, PRIORITIZE! If you are worried about respect instead of your patients you have too much time on your hands.

I think the poster needs encouragement.Sometimes that is all it takes

[honeymist]

This may not be the popular opinion but I think that when the OP is asking a tech to help her with something, she needs help, she's not asking so they can kiss her butt or somehow to make them feel like she's superior. Regardless of the fact that they may not like it, she is an RN now and because of that she has certain responsibilities and has the right to use a tech for help, correct? Enough massaging people's feelings, what - now the OP is going to be afraid to ask a tech for something unless she's majorly sucking up first? That's garbage. The ones who have the problem here are the techs, in my opinion, whatever their insecurities are, the ones who will suffer in the end are the patients who don't get the care needed in appropriate time.

I'm not saying anyone should be demanding or rude to anyone else, regardless of each others positions. But I don't think this OP was rude to anyone, certainly doesn't seem that way.

She's using a tech, a CNA, because she needs ASSISTANCE with patients. What does CNA stand for???