Hi everyone! This is my very first post...(after being a follower/reader of posts for a while!) I am a fairly new grad and have worked on a hectic med surg floor for about 7 months. Everyday is filled with the struggles of being a new nurse: time management, prioritizing, handling emergencies, making sure pts receive the correct medication ON TIME, & putting out fires in every direction with unhappy pts/family members/doctors. The list goes on and on. I truly feel like I am doing the best I can (and trust me I am my own worst critic.) I always make sure all my pts needs are met before I chart/take a break. Most shifts I miss my lunch and am lucky if I am able to use the restroom! This being said, there seems to be a new motto on my floor.."The RNs are lazy and think they are too good to do the CNA's job." We just had a staff meeting (with all CNAs, LPNs, and RNs), which, in a nutshell, bashed the RNs ONLY for not answering call lights, leaving pts dirty, and refusing to toilet them. My manager was ALL ABOUT this, nodding her head and agreeing with the cnas who were complaining. She's now put into place a rule that no nurse can walk past a call light, beeping iv pump ect. and if it is witnessed one can get written up. Doesn't matter if I am on my way, narcotics in hand, to medicate a pt, or en route to hang blood, I have to not only answer the call light, but meet that pts need, meaning taking away care from my own pts. I completely understand the need for call lights, and that it could be something very important. Truth is though, that each nurse is only one person, has their own huge pt load and the cnas are there for a reason...to assist the nurses! Now I can only truly speak for myself but I know my fellow RNs on the floor are for the most part on the same page. We actually do spend a huge amount of our shifts doing cna work! I toilet pts, empty ready to burst foleys, I never leave a pt dirty unless it is to get a cna to help me clean then up. I had a pt who definately needed two people to help clean him up, boost and turn him. I asked a cna to help me (very politely) and all I got was eye rolling. She even said "I have too many pts and don't have time." And walked away. So I had to get another RN to help me. The part that infuriates me most is that said cna, (and honestly most of the others ones) can be seen talking on their cellphone, hiding in various spots on the floor, and they NEVER miss a break or lunch, and in fact take extended lunches! Most of the RNs including myself have gone to our manager recounting this behavior and NOTHING gets done. It is to the point now where its just a waste of time to complain and I just suck it up, keep my mouth shut, and do my job. Does this sound familiar to some of you or is this something unique to my floor? I in no way think I am above doing to basics of caring for my pt and I hope I am not coming off that way. I am just sick of running around like an idiot all shift! Am I wrong for thinking every worker should be accountable for completing their job responsibilities? On my unit, however, it seems to just be up to the RNs to do everything!!
- I don't recall seeing this much animosity between RNs, LPNs/LVNs and CNAs. It seems to have devolved into a de facto caste system.
This is what I was thinking. I get along great with my aids. I will jump up and grab a call bell if they are busy rounding or something, but I will occasionally do it if they are sitting down taking a break, but when I get busy with my work, I don't have the time to do it. Someone (sorry, I didn't get your name before I started this reply) posted about their nurse taking more time to hunt them down to do something, than just doing it themselves. I have done this before, but I am usually sending a message. If I find something that should have been done, and it is a repeat problem, I may spend time tracking down an aid to make her go fix the problem, as a "gentle" reminder that it needs to be done all the time.
Back to the original poster. You said the aids have been talking on cell phones, hiding out, etc... and it hasn't been reported, well maybe it should be. One or two bad aids can throw a lot of extra work load on your good aids. I have a great team, and if I get a "bad apple" I jump right on that problem so they don't throw extra work on my good aids and upset the team. If all your aids are working like they are supposed too, then the work will get done and there might be less griping.
This is what I was thinking. I get along great with my aids. I will jump up and grab a call bell if they are busy rounding or something, but I will occasionally do it if they are sitting down taking a break, but when I get busy with my work, I don't have the time to do it. Someone (sorry, I didn't get your name before I started this reply) posted about their nurse taking more time to hunt them down to do something, than just doing it themselves. I have done this before, but I am usually sending a message. If I find something that should have been done, and it is a repeat problem, I may spend time tracking down an aid to make her go fix the problem, as a "gentle" reminder that it needs to be done all the time.
Back to the original poster. You said the aids have been talking on cell phones, hiding out, etc... and it hasn't been reported, well maybe it should be. One or two bad aids can throw a lot of extra work load on your good aids. I have a great team, and if I get a "bad apple" I jump right on that problem so they don't throw extra work on my good aids and upset the team. If all your aids are working like they are supposed too, then the work will get done and there might be less griping.
Just a thought.
I was thinking of that as well....."if it had been done, I wouldn't have to find you to tell you to do it"
I have 2 personal rules that I stick by so I would have to think about resigning from your place if I were there. I NEVER go into another patients room with blood in hand. I also NEVER go into another patients room with narcotics in hand. There is just too much room for error. This rule has served me well. Some nurses at our place stick narcotics in their pocket, forget it is there and go home, then have explaining to do.
I was thinking of that as well....."if it had been done, I wouldn't have to find you to tell you to do it"
seriously, when an aid has 20 patients and a nurse has 3-4 there are obviously going to be times when a patient takes a pee and sits the urinal down AFTER the aid has already tended to them and the nurse is going to notice first. i have gone into rooms, filled a pitcher, helped to the bathroom, gotten a cold rag, fetched a jello, and then asked, "do you need anything else" only to be told "no" and then see the light going off above the nurse's head less than two minutes later. i have actually (recently) dealt with a patient who was in isolation that i'd tend to and ask twice if they needed anything and only AFTER i took off my PPD she'd say, "well, i guess i might try to use the bedpan since you're here." if i had to guess, i'd say lots of patients are too timid to speak up and say what they REALLY need because they get put off so often by nurses. in reality, patients have a hard time distinguishing between the nurse, the CNA, or the housekeeper for that matter.
seriously, when an aid has 20 patients and a nurse has 3-4 there are obviously going to be times when a patient takes a pee and sits the urinal down AFTER the aid has already tended to them and the nurse is going to notice first. i have gone into rooms, filled a pitcher, helped to the bathroom, gotten a cold rag, fetched a jello, and then asked, "do you need anything else" only to be told "no" and then see the light going off above the nurse's head less than two minutes later. i have actually (recently) dealt with a patient who was in isolation that i'd tend to and ask twice if they needed anything and only AFTER i took off my PPD she'd say, "well, i guess i might try to use the bedpan since you're here." if i had to guess, i'd say lots of patients are too timid to speak up and say what they REALLY need because they get put off so often by nurses. in reality, patients have a hard time distinguishing between the nurse, the CNA, or the housekeeper for that matter.
If you have 20 patients, I would think your quarrel should be with the schedule, not with the nurse.
just because they are begging doesn't mean the nurse hasn't addressed the issue...perhaps it is too early or the nurse is calling doc for new order.
that definitely happens, but once again you underestimate. i know when a patient asks for meds to help them sleep and there isn't an order for that med and when a patient asks for pain meds and asks for them again 30 minutes later because the nurse doesn't get in a hurry for a "drug seeker" or a "baby" that's interfering with the blackberry.
If you have 20 patients, I would think your quarrel should be with the schedule, not with the nurse.
it's not "if" it's when and that would be on a regular basis. but if we're going by that logic, the quarrel shouldn't be with the aide, but with the schedule, correct?
This sounds like a good setup. When I worked on the floor, the team nursing would allow for me to have responsibility for 8 patients. Some of them were quite sick and should probably have been on a stepdown unit, but they do not have that in this VA. Sounds like you stay busy which certainly makes the night go faster:up:
I was on a med/surg floor at a local VA until moving to my current facility. I now work on a cardio/thoracic stepdown floor and I am loving it. Such a different culture from the VA I left.
That article could have been written about SOME of the nursing assistants on MY unit in MY hospital!! I once asked an CNA to clean up an incontinent patient. She looked at the clock and said, "Sorry, I'm going home!" Keep in mind this was 12 minutes before she was to clock out. The 3 CNAs stood at the nursing station talking with each other until they were able to punch out! I am the kind of nurse that does NOT think anything is "beneath" me. I will help out anyone. What infuriates me is that I can help them do their job if they're busy but we all know it is not in the CNA's scope of practice to help me with my job. For example I can not ask a CNA to change a dressing, push a med, hang an IV, start an IV, assess my patient, chart on my patient, call a doctor for a stat med order, pick up orders, do my 24 hour med checks, hunt high and low for supplies, look up labs, take report, give report, do a complete admission, medicate for pain...I think you all get my point. I especially love when I ask a CNA to assist an 80 pound 90 year old patient from the chair back to the bed or clean up a soiled patient and he/she answers, "Ok, but you have to help." If I have to help and waste my time going in there then I may as well do it myself...which 9 out of 10 times I do. Oh, by the way when I ask for help and get the eye rolling or tongue clicking, I feel that by them helping the patient (which is their job) cuts in on their texting time or their facebook time! Yes, they all get the talking to but nothing is ever done. I will never understand this! Let's face it, we are ALL busy. We ALL need to do our job not only to help out our co-workers but more importantly for the safety of our patients!
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
nice attempt, but you don't even make sense. plus, it's than - not then. i beg to differ about who doesn't know enough.
I think this means that (and I wasn't aware of this until recently) many facilities have policies restricting the perusing of charts to people who need to document things in it, or need access to the information contained therein to do their job. Perhaps as a consequence of HIPAA. A CNA might not know the patient's diagnosis for the same reason.
your manager, frankly, sucks. Drop whatever you are doing and answer a call bell? But you also can't take meds into another patient room, right? YES, it's everybodys job to answer call lights/toilet/etc, but not whilst in the middle of something else. That will just lead to rushed care.
The CNA who refused to help you sucks. I have had to, a couple of times, say to another NA or a RN "I just need to get a patient off from a bedpan/check a blood sugar real quick. Get everything ready and by that time, I'll be there". Her attitude needs a big adjustment.
I think this means that (and I wasn't aware of this until recently) many facilities have policies restricting the perusing of charts to people who need to document things in it, or need access to the information contained therein to do their job. Perhaps as a consequence of HIPAA. A CNA might not know the patient's diagnosis for the same reason.
Exactly. On my floor, all of our CNAs/techs like to think they're entitled to much more information than they actually are. A couple of them go so far as to look up labs (and attempt to explain the non-wdl ones to nursing students.. that gave me a laugh after a long night) and read the H&P and progress notes.
mikeicurn, ASN, RN
139 Posts
This is what I was thinking. I get along great with my aids. I will jump up and grab a call bell if they are busy rounding or something, but I will occasionally do it if they are sitting down taking a break, but when I get busy with my work, I don't have the time to do it. Someone (sorry, I didn't get your name before I started this reply) posted about their nurse taking more time to hunt them down to do something, than just doing it themselves. I have done this before, but I am usually sending a message. If I find something that should have been done, and it is a repeat problem, I may spend time tracking down an aid to make her go fix the problem, as a "gentle" reminder that it needs to be done all the time.
Back to the original poster. You said the aids have been talking on cell phones, hiding out, etc... and it hasn't been reported, well maybe it should be. One or two bad aids can throw a lot of extra work load on your good aids. I have a great team, and if I get a "bad apple" I jump right on that problem so they don't throw extra work on my good aids and upset the team. If all your aids are working like they are supposed too, then the work will get done and there might be less griping.
Just a thought.