Rude Cna To Nurses

Nurses Relations

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I am working in a unit with only one regular tech in our shift who is efficient and hardworking, but she has a hell of an attitude. I am barely new to the unit but I think I can't take it anymore. I've discussed about it with my other colleagues who has been working with her for a long time and they would just say that "she's just like that but she's a very efficient one" or "she has a very sad personal life that's why she became like that, but she's a hardworking one". I saw how she treated the old timer nurses, if they asked her to do something and she's in a bad mood, she would just say "NO, that's not my job!" or she would just give them a blank stare as if she heard nothing. I even learned that there was one nurse who left the unit and she's one of the reason. They even told me the reason why she always gets away with that is because the previous NM is her buddy and she has also a great shoe polishing ability skills, which she's starting to do to our new NM now. Imagine how worst she can be with the new nurses.

I could've barely tolerated her attitude since she's been a big help to me with my heavy pt's. Everytime she's helping me with my pt's she would always brag about her technical ability skills like, "How come you nurses don't know how to take the pt's EKG?" Or when we were transferring pt's OOB to chair and I didn't do it the way she does it, she would say, "You don't know how to transfer pt?"

One day while there was a volunteer student nurse observing us, we were cleaning my total care pt. when we noticed that her buttocks were red.. then she blatantly told the student.."Look the nurses don't know how to take care of the pt's skin. Then we have to transfer the pt to a medi-chair, as I was pulling my pt towards me from the sliding board, we noticed that the HOB was a little bit higher than the chair, with her sharp tongue, she sarcastically made a remark, "SMART, WHAT A SMART NURSE! Look the head of the bed is higher". Then she talked to the student in their own language.

I was so furious at that time and I felt that if I confronted her I might loose my composure and that I might shout, cry or even curse her... it was almost the end of her shift. She was off the next day and I did gave ny NM my written report and told her everything this tech has been doing to me. She told me that we will discuss it with the tech the next time we are all on the unit.

I don't know what's going to happen...That tech might retaliate to me by not helping me at all with my pt's. I don't know if my colleagues would support me. But I'm decided that I will give that tech a taste of her own medicine.. No more insulting side comments for me. I am no longer comfortable in my unit because of the fact that me and that tech would have already grudges with each other. I don't intend to work in my unit for long but I just don't want to leave there with them in mind that it's because of that tech. I want to give back that tech all the insults and sarcasm she had on me...I just don't care anymore. It's not right for my colleagues just to tolerate her. Not because she is the only tech in a certain shift and that's because she's very efficient and hardworking that she has the right to be the way she is. I know I will have to endure the days I will be working with her... If you were in my position what would you be doing?

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I still always think that each nurse should work as a CNA one shift every few months, it will not only be an eye opener for the nurse, it would also create a better team environment. Sometimes those of us who were aides before we were nurses forget just how hard that job is. And it is true, some of us get a case of "nursitis" whether we want to admit to it or not. True, as nurses, we are always with our heads on a chopping block, but that does not negate the lack of respect aides sometimes receive.

Hmmmm, what about units where RN's do it all? Like do aide work, do their own labs, empty the trash in patient rooms, in ADDITION to RN work? I already DO aide work, so, no this won't fly. ON that same line, then, should MD's do RN/LPN work to appreciate how hard WE have it? Or should social workers? Pharmacists? No, I do not think that is what it takes to garner and give respect .

I know how hard Aides work. I hope aides also know it's not peaches and cream for RN/LPN's, either. Mutual respect would be nice-----actually it's critical for a well-run unit. I just won't tolerate disrespect from anyone and I won't give it, either. I don't need a "glimpse" into others' work to be a decent human being, I guess. I just do it cause it's right. This toxic aide needs to be stopped, and it begins with each nurse putting her right in her place, telling her he/she won't tolerate it, period and documentation WILL be kept for each incident of abuse she heaps. But EACH and EVERY nurse needs to do this for it to be effective, not be afraid to take a stand against this bully because it's out of HAND!

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
It's not just the aids, or housekeeping, or nurses or docs. We all have a part, we really are part of a team. Nowhere is this more evident in a code situation. If we practiced that level of teamwork on a regular basis, we would fix many of the problems.

I once read a poem about good nursing (can't recall where) that said something about no nurse (in any capacity) having a bad day unless all the nurses were having a bad day.

'Work ethic' is sadly missing among many in healthcare today. This is not directed at you, but rather from what I have observed from working in three different hospitals (all of them v. different).

There are those who are there to collect a paycheck and treat support staff as a means to an end and/or their personal slaves, there are those who are there to collect a paycheck but have a good work ethic, and there are those who think of nursing as a 'calling'.

Personally I like to think that I fall into the second category: I do my job, I expect to be paid fairly and I expect this behavior from others on the floor. That means, if I'm drowning (I work ED, I'm new to the ED, so I drown on nearly a daily basis) I expect, if I ask for help, someone to help me out, without snide remarks or comments. I expect them to ask, "is there anything else I can do?".

I want my co-workers, whatever their capacity, to be polite, considerate and to clean up after themselves. I want them to acknowledge a fault and fix it. I want them to come to me, f2f, and acknowlege any fault/problem/issue/omission of mine, workwise, so that I am able to fix it, instead of going behind my back to the NM or CN. I do not want to be the target or receiver of gossip and backbiting. I want to be part of the solution, not the problem.

How we go about doing that is more of a topic for a Ph.D. dissertation than a quick fix on a BB, but maybe here's a good place to start.

What we need is for each of us to go to work today tomorrow and every day with a decision to help each other out when possible, to can the 'tude, to speak kindly to and about each other. Also, to confront appropriately and kindly with the idea that you're giving an opportunity to improve rather than to cut someone down.

Call me a Pollyanna, call me naive, but what really matters is doing our jobs with the end in mind -- good patient care. I enjoy my job, I want to enjoy my co-workers, but often it's difficult. IMO if I work in this capacity, then I can set my own tone and feel good about the way that I perform my job. At the end of the shift, that's all I can really do. Know that I did the best I could, and that I helped someone or made a difference, however small, for someone else. And did so without participating in the 'eating our young' that has become so obnoxiously prevalent in healthcare today.

JMHO. :)

I like this better than your "whup orifice" post. Sometimes, nurses have an easy shift while I'm getting killed, sometimes it's the other way around. I will always help anyone who needs it, but they may have to let me know they need it. I have had nurses call me for things like they dropped a piece of cake in the report room and could I come clean it up? It's usually the same nurses who get irate if I get a personal phone call while on duty (something I discourage, but it happens). That said, I like my management, I like my job, and most of "my" nurses are my role models.

P.S. I started nursing school for your second reason, but darned if it isn't turning into the third.

what exactly does that mean when someone says, "nurses eat their young"?

do doctors "eat their young" too?

im young and i dont like the sound of that:uhoh21: :uhoh21:

RN34TX...To read your post you are of the opinion that "all CNA's are jealous and have low self esteem" and that there is some reason why they did not become nurses.

Although I agree with everything else, to state the aforementioned is stereotyping CNA's. There are some that simply choose to be CNA's while other's may become nurses, phlebotomist or flip burgers. It is possible that some stand in awe of nursing (nurses) without being "jealous" .

[i did not say ALL CNA's are jealous and have low self esteem. I was afraid that someone would rush and read it that way but I did not say that. Remember that I used to be one myself. I made a clear distinction specifically singling out those CNA's that behave that way (trying to run the floor) and are rude and inappropriate to nurses, or any staff for that matter.

Yes, if you are making a point of making peoples lives miserable at work everyday by publicly and rudely pointing out mistakes and putting them down in general, you are attempting to feed your ego and make yourself feel superior to them. In many facilities, nurses do it to each other. How many nurses have you worked with that thrive on combing through someone's charting or MAR just thrilled to find some error that they can go to the staff and management and say, "Thank God I'm here and caught this error, the patient could have been harmed."

We all know they do it for attention, they want everyone to think that they are great nurses for finding the errors of the "incompetent" staff.

Interestingly enough, on several occasions I have brought errors to their own attention as no one is perfect. But I do it in private, and if the patient wasn't actually harmed, I leave it at that. Just a reminder to be careful next time. But it's funny that those types of nurses don't appreciate their own mistakes being brought to attention even though they thrive on humiliating others when it's someone else.

And yes, when I was an LPN I got a little offended at times because people seemed to believe that all LPN's wanted to be RN's. I would hear "you're going back to school to get your RN soon, right?" from nursing and the public alike and I would think to myself, "Yes I want to get my RN eventually, but if I wanted to stay an LPN, what would be wrong with that? Why do I have to get my RN?" So I understand that some people stay where they are for their own reasons.

I'm talking about the CNA who is trying to run the floor and intimidate people, basically trying to be the charge nurse but he/she has every excuse in the world why they are not an RN but will make every attempt to act like they are your boss and that they are more skilled and knowledgable than you.

Believe me, I live by the phrase "It's not how much education or training you've had, it's what you do with the education/training you've got."

I know CNA's I would rather have taking care of me than some BSN prepared RN's.

QUOTE=Justus]RN34TX...To read your post you are of the opinion that "all CNA's are jealous and have low self esteem" and that there is some reason why they did not become nurses.

Although I agree with everything else, to state the aforementioned is stereotyping CNA's. There are some that simply choose to be CNA's while other's may become nurses, phlebotomist or flip burgers. It is possible that some stand in awe of nursing (nurses) without being "jealous" .

Before I read anyone's post let me say this- I have a smart mouth. I don't take crap off of anyone. Matter of factly when I talked to the nurse advisor she told me that it was a characteristic that would get me a long way in this type of field. She explained that you wouldn't always work with the most respectful people and when I had to work with mean people I would know how to demand respect. I would tell the disgruntled winch-"If you are so smart, and know so much- why are you a cna and not a lpn or rn?" Make sure you say it in a smart a!! way.(not in front of students) That might work and if not - try this- " No matter how I do it, as long as it is correct , I still get paid and trust it's way more than you" Only use that as a last resort. Grow a thick skin and don't let anyone (boss, doctor, CNA) talk to you any kind of way.

:uhoh21: Are you SERIOUS? You've got a lot of growing up to do, dear. I hope this was a joke. In not, please don't come to work in my hospital. Thanx.

Specializes in Case Manager, LTC,Staff Dev/NAT Instr.
what exactly does that mean when someone says, "nurses eat their young"?

do doctors "eat their young" too?

im young and i dont like the sound of that:uhoh21: :uhoh21:

I take it as when you have a new inexperienced nurse come on board instead of helping him/her out the more experienced nurses (SOME) not all usually runs them off by creating a very stressful enviroment. As for doctors basically I don't know, but from what I have seen (MEN) seem to help one another alot more better than women helping one another in the healthcare field.
Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
I take it as when you have a new inexperienced nurse come on board instead of helping him/her out the more experienced nurses (SOME) not all usually runs them off by creating a very stressful enviroment. As for doctors basically I don't know, but from what I have seen (MEN) seem to help one another alot more better than women helping one another in the healthcare field.

Yay for us guys! I wonder if that's because work has pretty much always been a collective activity for men, but traditionally more individual for women? Not that I would begin to claim it's a hard and fast law. Many women are very supportive, and some men are definitely, er, rectally gifted?

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Originally Posted by lisadlpn2brn

I take it as when you have a new inexperienced nurse come on board instead of helping him/her out the more experienced nurses (SOME) not all usually runs them off by creating a very stressful enviroment. As for doctors basically I don't know, but from what I have seen (MEN) seem to help one another alot more better than women helping one another in the healthcare field.

Yay for us guys! I wonder if that's because work has pretty much always been a collective activity for men, but traditionally more individual for women? Not that I would begin to claim it's a hard and fast law. Many women are very supportive, and some men are definitely, er, rectally gifted? > endquote

NO WAY! :angryfire Us girls have to help each other out!!! I hope I can pass this mentality along when I get into the nursing field.

Mike, is this something you've seen too at work along with lisad and if so, do u think it is because men tend to think it is better to focus on being cool :smokin: and more impersonal with each other and women tend to try to get into each others personal lives too much and feel accepted and thus end up getting catty and jealous?

Ive worked and seen men help each other out more and this is the reasoning i assume why they feel like helping each other out more. Maybe it would help if women acted more impersonal at work too?

I certainly agree with all of you who feel your education should entitle you to NOT have to work as a CNA again. I too, am often floated from telemetry to ICU where we do all of our own pt. care, and I have no problem with that, especially since the ratio of patients makes that viable. There have been times when I have gotten to work and our load of total care patients was heavy, yet the census did not call for an aide. So, staffing, in apprehension of possible admits, would have one nurse act as the aide. As I said, it does tend to remind someone of how difficult the work can be. Some nurses who have not played the part of one who ONLY cleans people, fills water pitchers, etc. tend to get lazy and call on the aide to "take towels to the pt. in such and such room" even though that nurse is standing next to the linen cart and has much more time to do something so simple herself. I see this nonsense way too often. And, yes, there is NO excuse for laziness or disrespect on anyone's part. Often the only way to change another's behavior is to modify our own. It is amazing the results one can see. I have always lived by the motto, (an old song), "Before you criticize or accuse, walk a mile in my shoes".

Re:RN34TX

I had to reread your post(s) and must admit you were somewhat right about "haste". To conserve space I won't quote the posts in their entirety. It is so hard to tell on b.b. when one is being a smart a$$...truely I'm not. I mean this with the utmost respect and seek only enlightenment on that which eludes me. So here goes:

"They all have 2 things in common...." - this is stereotyping. The only commonality that is shared in this context is they are bullies, manipulators etc. and need to be reminded of their limits. And that those limits must be enforced.

"These types could prob. function much better if they went back to school..." - Why? Wouldn't this only make for licensed bullies, manipulators etc.?

"...I've tried diligently to encourage them to go back to school and better themselves and show everyone what they know"- If in the context of this thread, wouldn't it be better if they were re-educated in their current position first? If this post was in referece to only the toxic CNA as you say, then here again I must wonder what difference would be made?

"When I was an LPN I got a little offended..." - Why? Did you feel like you / your accomplishments weren't valued by those around you?

"But try to encourage your co-workers to go back to school...every excuse in the book" - Obviouslythis applies to more than toxic CNA's, so is that to say that you must have a formal education to validate your position or knowledge? By who's standard? If you understand that "some people stay where they are for their own reasons" and you have already been in their shoes...then how is this any different?

Specializes in Renal, Haemo and Peritoneal.

Professional behaviour is all that is needed to combat this type of rubbish.

If I have a problem with someone I initially talk to them in a courteous manner in private. If that doesn't resolve the issue then take it as high as you need to go! At all times remember that you mustn't reduce yorself to operating on the same level as the problem person. If you rise above it you will get more satisfaction in the long term.

A lot of people seem to have an Us vs Them attitude. I never look down on any other staff who have less qualifications than I have. My unit cleaner is married and has 3 children after coming to Oz from a remote island to escape the poverty there, and make a better life. Have I lived through her experiences? No! Life experience is also important. All staff of every unit are part of a team. Never forget that. If there is a cancer..............cut it out.

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