Nurses behavior towards CNA's?

[x0xerika]

So i have a question; the other day I was having a pretty hectic shift. I had a total of eight patients, three of them were brand new admits that were just coming onto the floor. I also was told to move two of my patients to other rooms because they needed to move an unstable patient closer to the nurses station. That meant moving four different beds, plus the patient's belongings. I had to get my admit kits for two of the patients that had arrived, when the third one arrived. The nurse was in there with the patient, doing her assessment on him. She asked me to take his blood pressure, but I also had to check three of my patients sugars before they ate their dinners. The nurse got upset that I didn't check his BP when she had asked. I went in there and took it, while she was in the room with me. Isn't that something that she could have done, seeing that I was busy running around like a chicken with my head cut off? It's like she didn't even care that I was busy, she just wanted to tell me what to do, and for me to do it when she had asked. She then asked me to recheck his BP at a later time. During the time she had asked me to recheck his BP, he needed to use the bathroom. He was in there for a minute, and when he was finished, he needed my help, so I helped him clean up. While I was doing that, I noticed a stage II/III sore on his bottom. I asked him if the nurse had assessed his bottom when she was doing her assessment and he told me no. I told him that I was going to get her so she could look at his bottom and that I was also going to come back and get his BP. When I saw her, she asked me what his BP was and I told her that he was using the bathroom during the time she had asked me to take it. I told her that he had a sore on his bottom that I wanted her to check out and she then said that she wasn't trying to be mean, but when she tells me to check a BP, it needs to be done at that moment. I checked it, and she checked his sore. After that, we didn't end up talking to each other the rest of the shift.

Does she have that right to speak to me like that? Basically like I was her little slave and that I needed to do what she told me to do at that moment? I've never had any of the other nurses speak to me like that, and actually I've had nurses do something for me because they knew I was busy. It's like she just didn't want to do it. What is a CNA's/PCA's/MA's right when it comes to nurses talking down to them? I always do what my nurses ask of me, but I won't lie, there have been a few times where I have forgot something, but had always remembered a little bit later. These were things as small as bring the patient a blanket, or some new socks. Is there a way to handle these situations? Especially since I feel like she completely missed a big part of her assessment, which was the skin assessment, and if it wasn't for the fact that I had helped him in the bathroom, I would have never found that sore.

[NanikRN]

I wasnt there but is it possible she saw more going on? Maybe she was focusing more on the pts overall health status and not immediate tasks?

If she was assessing, she was also anaylizing info . Sometimes ,as Im listening to heart/ lung sounds, if iI think there might be trouble I could see myself asking for a tech to do v/s

We all play an important part in the patient's care. It doesnt sound like she was rude but sometimes you have to be there to hear the tone. Would have been nice if the wording was different but doesnt always happen that way

You sound very caring and i'll bet you're very good at your job And that sound like a very stressful day. ❤️

[x0xerika]

I was pretty busy that I didn't pay attention to everything she was doing, but I do know that in nursing school, we are taught to always do a complete head to toe assessment, which she obviously missed. As for doing the vital signs, no, there was nothing else going on (that I could see) to where she could not do them for herself.

I understand you saying that it doesn't sound like she was being rude, but the way she was talking to me, like her tone of voice, was in fact rude. She never had any manners, she never offered help, and she even got upset with me when I didn't order the patients dinner for him when she had told me to do so (which was when I was in the process of moving two patient's to two different rooms), and said in a snooty voice when I told her that I did not order it yet, 'just nevermind, i'll do it myself'.

I am always looking out for my patient's care. I sometimes don't take a break until I know that all of my patient's are cared for and that everything is settled down. I can't go on break when I have patient's who are eating dinners, because some need to be fed, when glucose checks need to be done, etc. I put my patient's needs before my own because I know that I will be okay if I go another hour without a bite of my lunch, but I'm afraid that if I go on break during a busy time, no one will put as much care and effort into my patient's care as I would do, because they are not 'their' patient.

[BlueDawnRN, BSN]

I'm very sorry to hear you were treated poorly by the nurse. You say you've never been spoken to by other nurses in this manner, which shows there is a right way and a wrong way to speak to colleagues when delegating tasks. The work you do is invaluable and you deserve to be treated like the professional you are. Keep doing what you're doing. You'll be a great nurse someday.

[realnursealso/LPN, LPN]

If she was so concerned about his BP, why didn't she take it herself, especially if she wanted it rechecked. Advise to other nurses, don't be mean just because you can. If I had concerns about a patient's BP, I'd take it myself.

[Momof8CNA]

she probably needed it done right then. honestly, you just have to juggle your tasks the best you can...there are plenty of times that the nurse needs me to do vitals on a new admit RIGHT THEN, even if im in the middle of something else..if its something super important, i tell her that ill be there in a few moments and explain why, but by and large i just do it right then. nurses might not seem busy, or that they arent really doing much,but they have a lot of stuff on their shoulders, which is why they have cnas, to help out! that and she may very well have noticed it, and the guy might not have realized it.

[lucymalfoy]

I was not there and did not hear her tone of voice, but I personally don't think that the nurse acted out of line with you. It's also not something that I think you should take personally. Like you said, you often put your patient's needs above your own. Similarly, sometimes being polite becomes secondary to a hectic day and establishing a patient's stable vs unstable status.

It seems to me that a big issue here was the lack of follow through from you in response to her delegation. For example, when she asked you to order the patient's dinner and you were switching around the rooms. She probably thought you had followed through and ordered the dinner because you hadn't said otherwise until it was too late. I feel like in the future, when you are too busy to take on delegation, it would be helpful to make a statement like "I can't order the patient's dinner right this second because I am switching rooms for the unstable patient, but I would be happy to do that when I am done if it can wait." At least this way you cover yourself by communicating that the delegated task will not be done right this very second so the nurse is not surprised when it isn't done.

As far as the blood pressure goes, the nurse was probably prioritizing the ABCs. Having the new admission's blood pressure monitored was probably higher on the nurse's list of priorities than the blood sugars of the patients that she had already established as stable.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

Hemodynamics, or ensuring that the patient is stable , trumps doing a BS, ordering meals, skin assessments, customer service or moving beds.

If you can not accept direction from the nurse in charge of the patients, you should look for other employment.

[Momof8CNA]

^^that is exactly it. the nurse is the one in charge, period. i know that now days, everyone is more casual, and wants everyone on the same level, but ultimately we all answer to our nurse.

[Missingyou, CNA]

The way I would have handled it:

When she asked me to take the BP when I had blood sugars to take as well, I would have said to her : I also have to take blood sugars now, which do you prefer to have done first, the BP or the blood sugars?

Without knowing the whole picture, (and sometimes as CNAs we really don't know the whole reasons why nurses ask what they do, when they do) they are STILL our supervisors! That doesn't allow for rude behavior but, if you remain professional (such as asking her which task is her priority when you have multiple tasks which seem equally important) then you will be doing your job.

Just as they don't always seem to understand how busy we are, we can't always know how busy they are!

I think you were right tho by telling the nurse your reasons for not immediately doing the BP (patient on toilet). Sometimes you'll still get an attitude or a superior complex, you gotta just let it go. If you remain professional at all times, you will gain respect and such incidents will be less likely to happen....even so, I still brush it off as a stressed out nurse and not take it personally.

It is what it is.

[Kystudentrn]

I'll be honest I've rarely had an RN talk down to me. Actually never now that I think about it. LPNs? Well now that's happened more frequently. It became particularly worse the closer I've gotten to graduating from the RN program. I'm not really sure why to be honest. Nursing is a stressful job and some handle it well, some don't. Some nurses will power trip, some won't. Just do the best you can within your scope and you'll probably be fine.

[NGYSUN, BSN, MSN, RN]

We all have times when we're pulled at different sides at the same time. And it becomes difficult to catch up with what we're supposed to do.

Personally, if I need my pts be ASAP.. I go ahead and take it with the manual bp machine at bedside. I hardly wait on a tech or CNA for that.

I work pretty well with my tech/CNA that if I say I need something ASAP, they know too well that I really do.... I help them clean pts when they're busy.. Afterall they're my pts too... I have worked with RN who will say point blank 'I don't wipe butts'! I like to at least do it once a shift with the CNA for those pts who are always on the bed.. That way I can assess their behind for sores and stuff...

I certainly agree that she could've been more understanding, on the other hand, you may also have to understand that most of her nursing judgement may be based on the Bp she needed ASAP..

Ngysun...