In the past six weeks, only two nurses have thanked me sincerely for doing a good job for them at the end of our shifts together. I stopped in my tracks and was so pleased and moved that I almost cried.
Do you thank your nursing assistant at the end of the day? If not, start now and watch the difference it makes. Look him or her right in the eye and mean it! Your assistant will go home that night feeling it was all worth it. She'll probably tell her husband and kids that she had a great day all because of your sincere gratitude.
"Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the gratefully and appreciating heart." Henry Clay
I always try to thank whoever I am working with for their help. Just the other day, I thanked an LPN that I was working with, she literally kept an eye on 8 of our patients while I spent a great deal of time with a family of a patient that we were sending home on hospice to die (her last wish) If not for the wonderful co-worker, I would not have known that everyone else was okay. Teamwork is not always abundant, and greatly appreciated when it happens.
I always thank the CNA's at the end of our shift. I work night shift and there are only 2 CNA's on my floor that do nights, and they rotate so I'm lucky enough to work with one of them almost 99% of the time. Actually, most of us nurses thank each other at the end of our shifts, too. There is a lot of teamwork on the floor that I currently work on.
I do thank them, but I don't think I have any more reason to thank them than they do to thank me (which they never do). We're a team, but usually they act like they are doing me a personal favor instead of being paid to do their job.
I frequently do the tech work too (bedpan, water pitchers, etc) because the tech is nowhere to be found. I don't mind doing it, but really and truly I usually do NOT have time to do it, and that's why I never get a break. The tech can't come up later and help me with MY work, such as assessments and dressing changes and med passes. But many seem resnetful for even being asked to toilet a patient or see to their needs. I do sometimes feel like saying, "What is it exactly you want to be paid for? You're not a nurse, so you can't give meds, you can't be in charge, and you don't want to do bedpans, vitals or help with transports. So what exactly do you think your role is?"
I would just be interested in the responses from a few of them. A couple in particular seem to think that showing up is reason enough to be paid.
It seems to be a one way street. The nurses are expected to be grateful for the work the CNAs do (which I am, when they do it), but the CNAs never thank the nurses for all we do (and I do a lot for my patients).
I try to thank my cna on every shift especially if one of my patients was detriotaing and i got tied up and they did most of the washes. On my ward nurses help with washes etc.
i do! everytime they help me i thank them. most of the techs i work with are awesome.
i appreciate their helping hands more than they know and i try my very best to make their shift as smooth as possible. i am more than happy to jump in and clean poo, help make beds or take out trash. i am blessed to have them there. my life would be very difficult without the help of the PCT's.....
the time is much more pleasant when you work as a team!
jodi_cmsrn
47 Posts
I always try to thank whoever I am working with for their help. Just the other day, I thanked an LPN that I was working with, she literally kept an eye on 8 of our patients while I spent a great deal of time with a family of a patient that we were sending home on hospice to die (her last wish) If not for the wonderful co-worker, I would not have known that everyone else was okay. Teamwork is not always abundant, and greatly appreciated when it happens.