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.
That part where you say we shouldn't have to explain ourselves to Cnas. Technically this is true. I just really hope you don't actually say that. I've never had an RN say something even remotely close to that to me and after I graduate I wouldnt say it either.
I would never actually say that. I work very closely with the CNAs where I work and trust most of them very much. I even go into detail that technically should not be discussed such as medications. I only write that technically we don't have to explain our rationale to a CNA if in the extreme case of a CNA trying to argue back against doing something I'm delegating to them.
I quickly say, for example, pt. x is experiencing high BP. I'm collaborating with the dr to try and get it back down to safe levels. So before showering pt y, will you please check pt x's latest BP while I do such and such.
If I'm met with unprofessional resistance, I say, no, it is necessary this is done now. Then I'd report the CNA for insubordination.
I think you were both stressed. 3 admits is alot for a nurse because the admission takes hours to complete...and she had 3!
I know you were busy. If I had been you I just would have said "sure" and got it when I found enough time, (and quickly as I could, no doddeling around) and got the vs. Then when I reported to the nurse I would apologize for the delay. Mind you though, it might have only been 10 min after she asked me to get the vs.
You are only one person, so just do your best.
I don't think she was rude, I just think you were both under alot of stress.
I have to agree it sounded stressful on both your parts I think we fail to realize is that maybe the nurse was abrupt with her request but as she is breathing down your neck she probably has a Dr breathing down hers you know the saying..poop rolls down the hill, don't take it personal everyone has those days, maybe there was a time you spoke abruptly with no harm intended at some one , it happens, don't hold grudges it makes the work place uncomfortable for all especially the patients.
Thank you! And there are many times where I have forgotten to even get vitals at the request of a nurse... We have residents/patients talking in our ears, requesting countless things and really their requests are top priority in my CNA mind. So I'm going to forget to do something or not think to do it right away because this person needs this or this person wants to go to bed and this person still needs their bath... For a nurse to tell me that I'm not good at prioritizing...why don't you do what I'm doing?
Every nurse I've seen that has done an aide's work doesn't do very well.
I did aide work for years before getting my RN. To say you prioritize patient requests over a direct order (oh, excuse me, request) from the nurse shoes gross disrespect to the nurse and a deep lack of understanding of what exactly nurses do, aides do, and the importance of collaborating.
I had an aide once flat out tell me she "doesn't do" blood sugars. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I smiled and said I understood. After all, I don't do peri-cares or bed changes. And then I flounced.
i think the lines can be really blurred sometimes. i had a nurse call me on the phone and ask if a certain patient could have a sandwich..i was pretty taken aback, as shes the nurse, aka the one in charge! that sort of thing sets a nurse up to be known as a pushover, and there are so many cnas that will latch on to that and use it for their own advantage. i really like the team atmosphere now days, but i think there definitely has to be that boundary, and if a nurse gives you an order or assignment, our job is to be respectful, get it done, and learn to multitask, because we dont always know the reasoning behind things.
I think the aid/nurse relationship is going to vary where you go. As a Cna in a ltc it was horrible on a great day. Lpns just simply didn't want to get their hands dirty. Many of them made that explicitly clear by stating that they are nurses and that wasn't there job. Fast forward a few years and now I'm a nurse extern and I'm a month away from finishing nursing school. Once I left the pca role my treatment changed. It's a world of difference. The rns will help, they are professional, and...they teach! As a student they are always asking how my school is going and showing me things. In ltc I was treated as just a butt wiper. In the hospital, as a future colleague. I think a lot of it is environment.
I don't agree with a lot of posts here, a big problem is communication. Remember cnas work with different nurses and they all have they're priorities. When the nurse communicates to me their priorities for their patient things tend to go more smoothly and quicker. What if two nurses are asking a cna to do something immediately? Obviously one of the requests is going to be pushed back. I think health care need to learn how to communicate better.
I'm a CNA and future RN as well. I'll graduate nursing school in '17 (so excited) and have worked LTC a lot. When it comes to nurses I have the same philosophy as anyone else I work for: you respect me, I'll respect you. I'm always willing to help and I have no problem doing what they ask of me, I love and respect all my nurses. That doesn't however mean that I'm gonna tolerate disrespect just because you hold an RN or LPN license. We are all there for the same reason, to provide care and compassion to the residents. I have no problem politely letting someone know that I am NOT the one- regardless of what title they hold.
That being said, I understand it goes both ways because I have seen plenty of aides be very rude and nasty to nurses as well as residents. I can't stand CNA'S like that. If you don't wanna be here you have a choice: find another job. No matter how much you hate where you work, there's no excuse to be disrespectful or abusive, especially to vulnerable residents who can't defend themselves. I do agree with the work conditions and pay issue, but to me that is NO EXCUSE. I'm gonna treat everyone the same, whether I make 9 or 15 dollars an hour.
That nurse sounded like a dumper and not a deligator. Like some people have said if that BP was so important she would have gotten it herself. It's a waist of time for you to do it then find her and tell her when she could have done it right then and there.
Or you could have called the other nurses you where assigned to that you couldn't get to those blood sugars because u had to get this very important BP that only techs can get... post like this makes me so grateful I left adults and went into pediatrics.
Half the time I can't take my own vitals because the CNAs like to hide the machines. They snag the ones they like and play keep away from the other CNAs. I'll find them tucked away in a room behind a curtain charging. :)
:)
SleeepyRN
1,076 Posts
I would never actually say that. I work very closely with the CNAs where I work and trust most of them very much. I even go into detail that technically should not be discussed such as medications. I only write that technically we don't have to explain our rationale to a CNA if in the extreme case of a CNA trying to argue back against doing something I'm delegating to them.
I quickly say, for example, pt. x is experiencing high BP. I'm collaborating with the dr to try and get it back down to safe levels. So before showering pt y, will you please check pt x's latest BP while I do such and such.
If I'm met with unprofessional resistance, I say, no, it is necessary this is done now. Then I'd report the CNA for insubordination.