Nurse helping out Cna at times = they eventually expect the nurse to help them?

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Just wondering if anyone has found that if they helped cna's on the floor with answering lights, assisting them with putting residents to bed with lifts if eventually they expect the nurse to help them. This helping out is done when the nurse is having some down time..

Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.

I've helped out the CNAs so much that my title should be changed from RN to NAA(nursing assistant's assistant). CNAs cannot help me since they cannot give my meds for me, change dressings, call the doctors, etc... It is ridiculous that the aides need so much help from the licensed staff. They should be able to do their own work and not expect help from the nurses so much. It is one of the reasons why i have left acute care and now work in hospice.

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Specializes in LTC.
I've helped out the CNAs so much that my title should be changed from RN to NAA(nursing assistant's assistant). CNAs cannot help me since they cannot give my meds for me, change dressings, call the doctors, etc... It is ridiculous that the aides need so much help from the licensed staff. They should be able to do their own work and not expect help from the nurses so much. It is one of the reasons why i have left acute care and now work in hospice.

You couldn't have said it better.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Neuro, ICU, travel RN, Psych.

There is a big difference between working as a team and helping the CNA, and the CNA basicaly expecting you to do their job along side them. I have always helped out as much as I possibly can. I was one of those nurses who had a hard time with delegating. I did too much myself, causing me to be late.

I think it really depends on the aid. Does the aid appreciate your help? Those are the ones who do not take advantage of it. I've worked with CNA's who are just lazy. They know I will do it if I come across it, so they slack on my patients so they have less work.

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Specializes in LTC.

I'm a CNA in LTC and I've worked with both nurses and CNAs who are team players and those who are not. I think it depends more on the person than their title.

We have a nurse who helps feed breakfast, will style someone's hair, take people to the BR, etc. She likes doing that stuff and she always seems to get out on time. No one expects her to run around answering call lights or anything, and if she doesn't have time to do something she'll ask one of us. We do what we can in the time we have too; I would never leave something hoping the nurse will get to it first. We also have a nurse who won't do anything that a CNA can do and will waste time tracking someone down in the middle of doing care to go get a box of tissues or something. Either way if they're at the desk doing paperwork no one bothers either one of them.

I also work with CNAs who are the same way. Some help out and some won't do anything that's not their responsibility, and it really aggravates me. Like if a resident who's assist of 1 asks them to go to bed they'll go get that person's CNA instead of doing it themselves. It makes no sense to me. If I finish early I'll just go do someone else's work. If I don't finish early, well then I'm not available for that and if someone *really* needs my help with something they'll have to come and find me.

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Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

I always try to do little things here and there throughout the day, take away meal trays when I'm leaving a room after giving meds, bring tissue boxes/supplies, ice water (always have it on my cart) and if it's a one-assist, I'll put someone on the toilet. If a CNA asks me to help with a boost or 2-assist sit-to-stand or hoyer, or whatever, I'll find a good place to stop my pass and help almost immediately. However, I have a LOT of my own work to do, and no one else can do it but me. Plus CNA's will ALWAYS take both 15's and 30 minute breaks, and I'm lucky if I get away for any break at all. If I'm sitting and chatting with the other nurse, or checking my phone in the back room, I consider that a sliver of the incredible amount of break time I've worked through. Oh, and the CNAs' shifts end a half-hour before ours does. Fortunately my staff and I understand and respect each others' work. They are seasoned workers and know their jobs. I do not micromanage them nor do I get on their cases if they are behind. I know I'm lucky to have such a good staff. I try to say "Thank you" to each one at the end of every day. It goes a long way.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

I was a CNA before I was a nurse and the nurses NEVER helped us. They had their jobs and we had ours. I swore I'd be different and I am. I always orient my aides at the beginning of the shift, kind of a pep-talk/info sharing. I tell them about residents and ask if they have any needs or questions. I tell them, "If you need help-ask!"

On the floor, if I see a resident who needs help I look around and if I don't see an aide I jump in. In the dining room I help pass trays, feed etc, I have to be there anyway, I couldn't just sit and watch!

In the resident's rooms it helps ME to help THEM. I get to do an impromptu skin check I otherwise might never see.

I also get to teach or remind the aides, especially if they are new to raise the bed so they don't kill their backs, notice how the depends is causing this skin tear, etc. They show me things---I show them.

The aides are extremely grateful to me. They say no other nurses help them. For me it's a respect thing, they see you are capable of doing the job, you understand that their job is worthwhile and very difficult, and you are putting "money in the bank" so to speak when you need 'favors', like could you please do an extra shower tonight, or mr. so-and-so roamed away can you go find him etc.

It's not hard to carve out 5 minutes here and there. For a busy sweating aide to hear the words, "I just put Mrs Smith on the toilet, or Mr Smith is all done, he's in bed." priceless! No they still don't expect me to do these things, if you are a team, you just do.

Live by the golden rule and you won't ever go wrong!

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Specializes in ICU.

I try to help when I can however, I have to set boundaries. If its during medpass or other time sensitive tasks, I have to pass it along. For instance I work 2-4 hours after the end of my shift to finishing up work, the CNA's always leave on time. If there was so much work for them to do that they need help, they should be staying late. How is it that they are so loaded down that they need help but are miraculously done when its quitting time? I work very hard and I dont think anything is beneath me, but I can assure you that the CNA's wont let me get them behind. They flat out say " I have a lot of work, I cant do that, ask so and so". They set boundaries and so must I. This is not to put down the work that they do. I work 3-11 but easily clock 10-12 hour days. I dont complain because I get paid.

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Specializes in Home health.
I try to help when I can however, I have to set boundaries. If its during medpass or other time sensitive tasks, I have to pass it along. For instance I work 2-4 hours after the end of my shift to finishing up work, the CNA's always leave on time. If there was so much work for them to do that they need help, they should be staying late. How is it that they are so loaded down that they need help but are miraculously done when its quitting time? I work very hard and I dont think anything is beneath me, but I can assure you that the CNA's wont let me get them behind. They flat out say " I have a lot of work, I cant do that, ask so and so". They set boundaries and so must I. This is not to put down the work that they do. I work 3-11 but easily clock 10-12 hour days. I dont complain because I get paid.

Yes, you have to set boundaries, you can't allow yourself to get behind by adding the cna's responsibilities to your own. I have also worked as a cna so, I know their job isn't easy, but neither was mine. The nursing home that I worked in actually had a decent cna/patient ratio, there were many more cna's than nurses but the cna's weren't easily found and the patient care suffered. We had several meetings to discuss the situation, but the cna's were literally running the show. I had many responsiblities as discharge planner/case manager and I frequently answered call lights because the aides couldn't be found.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I have had issues with this lately. I love to help as much as I can, when I can... but now I have an aide who needs help lifting/turning/changing every other resident! Jeez how did he survive before I started working there? A lot of it has to do with lack of team work. I have started to finally say "No I am busy" but I have a lot of guilt doing that, but I am really busy! I honestly don't know what to do to fix this problem. This aide truly does have a tough group.

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When I first started out, I tried to help out all the time. You know what happened? Way behind, no one else can do their job theres only one of me.

That doesn't mean of course that I don't help with the little things or even some bigger things (when I have time!). There are things that can't wait, like making sure insulin is given and blood sugars are taken appropriately before so and so has almost finished their meal. Mrs. Jones may have to go to the bathroom and I wish I could help take her right away but I would much rather deal with that sort of mess than someone in hypo or hyper glycemia.

There are many different examples too of course where if you get behind, the whole shift gets stalled. What if you have a fall/neurovitals? That extra 5 minutes you had to help needed to be used for the assessment etc. Its a hard world. For the most part we have good CNAs, there are a few who feel they are much smarter, and I am not here to argue that or not, but the second they have their own license, then they can question and assess and deal with what happens when you do certain actions a certain way.

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Specializes in geriatrics( ltc snf and sub acute((.

As a cna who works at an ltc, I am always grateful to the nurses who help me

out. Most of the lvns help out whenever we need them, but there is one particular

lvn who thinks it's beneath her to answer a call light. She acts like the cnas are

her slaves. She is always saying to the other lvns they don't know how to handle

their cnas. I find that very degrading. We are supposed to be a team. And get this

she was a cna before she was an lvn!

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Specializes in rehab.

When I can I help out just because I know how busy the aides on my floor are. Everyone is total care and we have 30 on the floor. So I know what it's like to be running non-stop. And why leave a light going off for 5-10 minutes because all of the aides are busy when you are sitting there with nothing to do for an hour or something?

My aides have more or less just been appreciative that I go out of my way to do extra stuff. I guess most don't where I work. Sometimes they do ask me to help like spot them while they use hoyers, or if I can help them turn someone. But no one actually takes it to the extreme.

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