Puzzled.

[Dempather]

I'm about a year and a half into my first career on a med-surg floor. I work with an aide that I find unapproachable. It's almost impossible to ask her to do anything without having her grumble under her breath and walk away. Many of the other aides and almost all the nurses have warmed to me. I'm NOT confrontational at all... but maybe that's part of my problem because I'm not defending myself.

Last night, this particular aide told me that I don't do any patient care when I asked her to clean one of my patients because I had to help another one whose HR was in the 160's. She then walked away. How are we supposed to have a civilized conversation when she says something like that and doesn't even hear my side of the story? Later, I approached her and told her I do what I can.. but she just grumbled something else and walked away, again. I don't like working with children.. that's why I'm not in pediatrics. So, what's a helpful way to approach this child-like behavior? It's frustrating and I can't believe I have to see this in 40 year olds.

... quick edit: I also want to add that I'm really trying to practice respect. I feel like I could've quickly snapped back something nasty (because god knows she deserves it)... but I always hold myself back. I don't want to earn respect from other people by having to drag a person down... regardless of who they are.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

tait you are right... i think sometimes at work i am to tired to deal with all this extra stuff.. i just get through the shift exhautsed.. but i am going to start spreaking up.. thank you so much for the great advice.. give yourself a big hug for me

Likewise my colleague.

Remember its rough to make a road but once you do it many will follow its path :)

:icon_hug:

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

I really didn't know ALL that nurses do when I started working...even though I'd been in NS for 3/4 of a year...Then I watched everything that the nurses had to do from the start of my shift to the end....so far, I've noticed:

-passing all meds, DUH

-rounding with docs for post ops.

-checking off orders

-completing assessments and solving problems from days.

-ensuring orders are put into system

-paging docs for new orders and patient concerns.

I ALWAYS appreciate the nurses that help me out, but I know it's not their only job. My job is to provide that direct care, and relay messages to the nurse if they can't get there soon. I do NOT appreciate those nurses that hunt me down for bathroom or bedpan, or come to find me to say x is wet, when there is NO other pressing concern at the moment.....those are the times when I say "It is ALL our jobs to provide patient care."

[ASSEDO]

i was taught teamwork and teamleadership, but that the rn (or nurse in charge) should try to keep themselves available for patients that could "go bad" and to be available in a second's notice. tying up an rn for bedpan duty may not always be the safest call for a patient.

of course, the above would be based on medical judgment and this situation may change from day to day depending on the severity of illnesses of the patient load.

yes, i have gladly done my share of bedpan duties, and will continue to do so, but if i had patient with a potential of going bad, then my priority would shift to that patient.

[catlynLPN]

Screw that. Everyone deserves respect for the job they do whether it be cashier at the McDonald's, waitress at the steak house (as I was for 7 years) or the RN trying to keep someone's loved one safe for 12 hours at a time.

Demand the respect, you earned it, you give it, you deserve it.

It is your facilities issue you don't have enough techs, not yours.

Tait

It might be the facility's issue, but if the PTB never step up to the plate to correct the problem of not having enough staff, then it IS the problem of the ones who are there working. Whether there are enough staff or not, the patients......ALL of them....still have to be cared for.

At the LTC I work in part time, we've got an RN who works as an CNA to cover shifts sometimes, another LPN works as a CNA, and I have also done it myself.....I worked on the Alzheimer's unit and did the CNA job along with the nursing responsibility.

I'm not trying to cause an argument here or be offensive in responding to your post, and hope you don't think I am, but when the staffing is short it falls on the ones who are there working.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

I don't ask an aide to do anything that I don't personally have time to do. If I have to "track down" an aide because a patient is wet, it's because I have fifty other things on my plate that are a higher priority at that moment. Getting tied up on a patient room doing a linen change or helping a LOL that is a fall risk to the bathroom may very well be taking me away from other things that I need to be focusing on, that I cannot delegate to an aide. An aide should not be second guessing what I have going on and deciding whether I really need their help or not. If I ask nicely and respectfully for them to do something, I don't expect to be sassed.

That being said, the aides can be incredibly busy and may find themselves in a situation where they have to tell me "No". It happens. But if it is a pattern of behavior and is done with disrespect, then it is a disciplinary issue that the NM needs to be made aware of. Chances are, you are not the only nurse being treated this way by this individual.

[withasmilelpn]

I really didn't know ALL that nurses do when I started working...even though I'd been in NS for 3/4 of a year...Then I watched everything that the nurses had to do from the start of my shift to the end....so far, I've noticed:

-passing all meds, DUH

-rounding with docs for post ops.

-checking off orders

-completing assessments and solving problems from days.

-ensuring orders are put into system

-paging docs for new orders and patient concerns.

I ALWAYS appreciate the nurses that help me out, but I know it's not their only job. My job is to provide that direct care, and relay messages to the nurse if they can't get there soon. I do NOT appreciate those nurses that hunt me down for bathroom or bedpan, or come to find me to say x is wet, when there is NO other pressing concern at the moment.....those are the times when I say "It is ALL our jobs to provide patient care."

Your list is much smaller than the reality you will find when you graduate.

Also speaking as a nurse that does do patient care like toileting, I will still be tracking you down at times because I can't afford to get behind in my work. For example, I might put them on the bedpan, but I won't always be taking them off in the middle of my med pass. Take a deep breath when a nurse does track you down, because first it is your job, even if she could do the task in question, you can't help her when she gets behind in the tasks only she is licensed to do. I was a CNA and I do know how hard you work. But the CNA I am asking to do something isn't necessarily aware of all the times I didn't track them down and took care of things myself.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

I understand all that...didn't mean to make it seem petty or that I expect nurses to help ALL the time...I understand where your priorities are...but the time you spent to come find me could have been better spent at least getting the patient up, or putting them in the bathroom, or on the pan....don't make them wait to come find me.....

I also KNOW that the list is much longer in reality....I haven't made it to 4th semester to be ignorant...But I just believe in caring for all aspects of a patient as well.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

...but the time you spent to come find me could have been better spent at least getting the patient up, or putting them in the bathroom, or on the pan....

Not necessarily. If it takes me thirty seconds to find you, but would have taken three minutes to get the patient into the bathroom, I've just saved myself two and a half minutes by delegating something I can delegate. This two and a half minutes that I have saved can be spent doing something I cannot delegate.

[november17, ASN, RN]

Then I watched everything that the nurses had to do from the start of my shift to the end....so far, I've noticed:

-passing all meds, DUH

-rounding with docs for post ops.

-checking off orders

-completing assessments and solving problems from days.

-ensuring orders are put into system

-paging docs for new orders and patient concerns.

"

A few little extras -

1.Fixing the label printer when the labels peel off and get stuck

2.Troubleshooting the omnicell med dispenser...i actually had this happen the other day. I called the pharmacy to tell them the omnicell wouldn't work and they told me to call 1-800-OMNI-CELL ahahah...spent 45 minutes on the phone troubleshooting with the help person to fix the thing

[Tait, MSN, RN]

It might be the facility's issue, but if the PTB never step up to the plate to correct the problem of not having enough staff, then it IS the problem of the ones who are there working. Whether there are enough staff or not, the patients......ALL of them....still have to be cared for.

At the LTC I work in part time, we've got an RN who works as an CNA to cover shifts sometimes, another LPN works as a CNA, and I have also done it myself.....I worked on the Alzheimer's unit and did the CNA job along with the nursing responsibility.

I'm not trying to cause an argument here or be offensive in responding to your post, and hope you don't think I am, but when the staffing is short it falls on the ones who are there working.

I completely understand and value your advocacy. I simply meant that on the large plate of things a person has to deal with, they should never be afraid to demand respect because of a looming "tech shortage".

It takes someone strong in thier own position to begin fighting for additional resources. I feel the poster I was responding to needs to work on asserting herself on her floor, before she can go up against the establishment. However this does not mean she shouldn't feel an obligation to stand by those who are making the waves.

Taitter

[withasmilelpn]

I understand all that...didn't mean to make it seem petty or that I expect nurses to help ALL the time...I understand where your priorities are...but the time you spent to come find me could have been better spent at least getting the patient up, or putting them in the bathroom, or on the pan....don't make them wait to come find me.....

I also KNOW that the list is much longer in reality....I haven't made it to 4th semester to be ignorant...But I just believe in caring for all aspects of a patient as well.

I'm sure you didn't, just as I'm sure you will be a terrific nurse. What I mean though, I have had CNAs look at me cross eyed when I say so and so needs xyz, not realizing that while they were occupied with another resident, I had already answered 4 bells, called the kitchen because someone didn't get ----, answered the phone 2 to three times while up at the desk, assisted a slow ambulating patient to the bathroom, because 'they just couldn't wait any more' and on and on during my med pass, getting more and more behind. I work in LTC/rehab, the majority of direct patient care has to be done by the CNAs by necessity, or I would most certainly be a poor nurse. Some meds have to be given timely. I think you will understand more when you find that you will have days when you may not do any direct patient care, and get barely stay afloat getting your own work done.

Very unsatisfying in my book, but reality. Best of luck to you!

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

A nurse that asks an aide to toilet someone, clean someone, etc. is NOT asking a favor, she is asking the aide to do the job they are there for. Of course it is important for the nurse to be respectful and professional with the aide, but really, she does not need to beg or act like "pretty, pretty please." The patient is everyone's responsibility I agree, but the nurse does not need to justify her/himself when asking the aide to perform to their job description. Every nurse I know is aware of how hard and back-breaking the job of an aide is, we know how little aides are compensated. Many of us KNOW that we could never do an aide's job on a full-time basis, its too hard. We love the aides we work with, they are with the patient's sometimes more than we are and are our extra set of eyes and ears. Especially in LTC they know their residents so well that they notice even the smallest changes in condition, changes that a nurse could miss. I hope the hard-working aides reading these posts know how important they are, and how much us nurses respect them. We are only talking about the few aides that want to do the least possible when working, the ones with awful attitudes. The ones that make us feel like we are bothering them when we request something.