Nurse forced to work as a tech/CNA

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I work in inpatient rehab PRN. We’ve been super short staffed. They brought in a bunch of travelers so we have enough nurses for now. But we only have 1/3 of the CNAs/techs we’re supposed to have at night. I offered to work a couple shifts as a CNA/tech to help out a few months ago. Ever since then, they’ve been putting me down as a tech almost every time I work there which is 1-2 shifts a week. I understand that the travelers won’t work as CNAs so I’m pretty much their only option but how is that fair? 
 

I don’t even mind working as a tech but the only reason I work at this facility is to get some experience AS A NURSE in that specific setting! Is there something I can do about this without coming off as whiny?

Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.

This makes one wonder, if they are paying you RN wages to fill a tech slot in the schedule, why they don’t just make that an RN slot and increase the level of care. After you get another job, ask that in your exit interview. 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in oncology.
3 hours ago, Curious1997 said:

Very mature indeed! 

  • I will give you this retort: You got "hoisted on your own petard",

What advice would you give the OP?

 

On 4/9/2021 at 6:49 AM, Curious1997 said:

Personally, I wouldn't care because I would prefer no responsibility for an RN's wage. 

Your responsibilty is still at the RN level.

On 4/8/2021 at 1:46 PM, Jedrnurse said:

You would be held to an RN's level of responsibility with your patients however.

 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
5 minutes ago, londonflo said:

I will give you this retort: You got "hoisted on your own petard",

What advice would you give the OP?

 

Your responsibilty is still at the RN level.

 

By your logic, if I'm working as a tech, I suddenly devolve and lose my RN abilities? 

That has to be some phenomena and I will remember in the future to be extremely vigilant re the draining of my capabilities when I am working as a tech. 

Do you have any recommendations? Any devices that I can store my RN abilities until I need them again? Is there a pill to reduce or nullify this experience in your opinion? 

What do you use when it happens to you? ??

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in oncology.
7 minutes ago, Curious1997 said:

By your logic, if I'm working as a tech, I suddenly devolve and lose my RN abilities? 

I said the opposite. You are responsible to the same standard to care as an RN no matter your "role".

 

21 minutes ago, londonflo said:

Your responsibilty is still at the RN level.

 

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.

Not an atty and this is not legal advice. However. Legally, no matter what job you're doing, even if it's housekeeping or kitchen wench, if the opportunity presents itself you WILL be held to the practice standard for which you are licensed. That's not a hospital's decision, that's the BON's opinion, because they gave you the license and they expect you not to disappoint them by showing they were wrong to do that.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in school nurse.
1 hour ago, Curious1997 said:

By your logic, if I'm working as a tech, I suddenly devolve and lose my RN abilities? 

That has to be some phenomena and I will remember in the future to be extremely vigilant re the draining of my capabilities when I am working as a tech. 

Do you have any recommendations? Any devices that I can store my RN abilities until I need them again? Is there a pill to reduce or nullify this experience in your opinion? 

What do you use when it happens to you? ??

"Very mature indeed!"

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
1 hour ago, Curious1997 said:

By your logic, if I'm working as a tech, I suddenly devolve and lose my RN abilities? 

That has to be some phenomena and I will remember in the future to be extremely vigilant re the draining of my capabilities when I am working as a tech. 

Do you have any recommendations? Any devices that I can store my RN abilities until I need them again? Is there a pill to reduce or nullify this experience in your opinion? 

What do you use when it happens to you? ??

You got it backward. The poster is saying you are held to the highest credential you hold. So you can be a tech or a cook, but you are always an RN and expected to be able to perform as such when needed.,

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Educator, COVID Paperwork Expert (self-taught).

I think all of us are willing to fill in when there are multiple call-ins or staff can't get to work (floods, snowstorms), but it it becomes an on-going issue, I won't continue to fill in. Unfortunately, if we continue to fill in, it enables administration NOT to address short staffing and hire enough staff.  OP is also making it easy for the scheduler to put him/her where other CNAs may prefer not to work, or at a time when it's difficult to get CNAs to work. I'd talk with the scheduler and nicely explain that as you were hired as an RN, you want to work in that position.  

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

There is no such thing as "CNA duties" - they are all nursing duties, and there are just some tasks we are able to delegate to others. In many areas of nursing, there are no CNAs and the nurses do all of it. Just saying.

6
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
13 minutes ago, klone said:

There is no such thing as "CNA duties" - they are all nursing duties, and there are just some tasks we are able to delegate to others. In many areas of nursing, there are no CNAs and the nurses do all of it. Just saying.

good point. In OB we did total care and it does not sound like much, but sometimes it really is, especially immediately post partum. Lots of clean up. It was an all RN floor.

1 minute ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

good point. In OB we did total care and it does not sound like much, (compared to M/S or ICU),  but sometimes it really is, especially immediately post partum. Lots of clean up. It was an all RN floor. We also did not have a tech to answer the phone at night albeit we had a surgical tech but she was busy doing surgical tasks.

 

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I wonder if the travelers have something in their contract that prevents them from being assigned in a different role?

I don't think it's whiny to ask that a rotation list be made so that other staff nurses take turns being the tech and it doesn't all fall to you.

To look on the bright side, it will be good for you in the long run to get the tech experience as well as the licensed nurse experience.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I think most of us consider it a gift to have only tech responsibilites while still earning RN wages.  I agree that there is no such thing as "CNA/tech work" since these are only the aspects of our jobs that we can legally delegate.

I do understand, though, that this "gift" might be getting a little old for the OP.  She wants to work primarily in the role for which she was hired.  A possible rationale for this:  maybe it's just the path of least resistance to assign this to OP.  She might need to have a talk with TPTB and offer to rotate vs this being a regular thing.  As far as travelers -  they are tragically expensive so maybe the hospital just can't justify paying traveler money for a tech.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment