respect between CNAs and Nurses

CNA1991, CNA · Feb 29, 2012

I agree, you come in expecting to work as a team then you end up mixing either with rude people or people with sepiriority complexs. I would count this post under the catagory of "nurses eating their young" because even people who are in the process of becoming nurses (which, a lot of CNAs are) face a broken support net and lack of team effort. A lot of people forget where they came from and forget that they may have once been in your position. Everyone who is a nurse has been a student at one point and could probably get an idea of what CNAs do, considering it's very similar in context to the first class in nursing school. Im sure no one who works in a nursing home or hospital would suspect that their fellow co-workers/CNAs have easy work to do. Even people who aren't in the healthcare profession could probably tell you that. Yes, you don't go to work to make friends and shoulden't expect to BUT you don't go to work to be told how you are basically useless and uneeded either. Obiviously, that must not be true if they hired you to do that job, they needed SOMEBODY to do it. The funny thing is, CNAs are used frequently and do just what their title suggest:assist nurses. I am sure those nurses don't want to do all the transfering and bedpans themselves and instead of dogging on the people who do, they should focus on their job and what they do. Complaining about someone elses performance will not make yours better. People who are lacking in performance and not doing their job well is the DONs job to deal with and assess. The truth is, no one wants to be indespensable and the more nurses there are the less comfortable some of the established nurses will feel. They don't want you to succeed because it means more competition for them. If someone is doing their job bad, they may be aware of it and realize that if a bunch of new nurses come in and their performance is lack luster, then that could put them on the chopping block, nobody wants that. You know what your goals and where you're going, and you should keep going. You can only focus on the positive and try to leave the negative behind because you will only be letting your enemies win if you quit now. The best thing you can do for your haters is succeed because they can do nothing at that point except sit back and watch you marinade your success. Good luck.

northernguy · Mar 1, 2012

Ive read a lot about friction between RNs and CNAs on here, but I havent encountered much of it. In a hospital setting you might encounter an RN who doesnt seem to have much use for CNAs, maybe because they got burned in the past by a lazy or incompetent CNA, since RNs are ultimately the ones responsible for the patients care, but this attitude usually goes out the window when things are busy and they have a heavy patient load.

I have found some ER and ICU nurses can be snotty towards CNAs. We have a couple ER nurses where I work that will pretty much ignore the CNAs when they bring up an admit, and only talk to the RNs. Some of that might be time constraints but some of it is attitude.

tomc5555 · Mar 1, 2012

I have been a CNA for four years now. I became a CNA and started nursing school in 2008. Before working, I pictured nurses and the work field to be a happy place and lots of team work. I applied at a nursing home, and got a rude awakening. The nurses were rude, lazy, and unappreciative of your job. We were told by the DON that we are replaceable. The workload was rough, especially working midnights with two whole halls. The nurses did not answer call lights, do not help reposition, and ignore you when you tell them about residents.
After dealing with this nursing home for a while, I decided to go to another one. This nursing home makes sure to stay staffed, more team work than the other, but the nurses were still rude. I have a seen a pattern of cynical people, why become a nurse to complain about everything? On top of being rude to CNAs, some nurses are even rude to the residents! They do not pass out all their meds, do not their treatments, do not report all falls, and make no effort to go the extra mile.
Things have changed since the old days of nursing, more things are required of nurses and you rarely have the chance to interact with residents due to excessive paperwork, but attitude is not the way to help it. Not all nurses are disrespectful to CNAs, but most are. Why? Because our title is not the same as yours, do not make us lesser human beings! I am so sick of being called just a CNA as well.

I don't know if this is a legitimate post, or you are being provocative?! Its quite a rant.

My experience in long term care has been with nurses who are extremely busy, with very little downtime. I haven't encountered the neglect and abuse you describe. Yes, I have had to remind busy nurses about treatments and such. Rarely I have encountered a nurse who didn't follow through and the Charge Nurse is the resource I go to with concerns. I always work with the assigned nurse before speaking to the Charge Nurse.

We are mandated reporters, and the types of abuse and neglect you list must be reported. If you observe you need to report.

Surely you are charting changes in condition? There needs to be record of what you observe and to whom you reported. If the resident is neglected contact the ombudsman.

Finally, I learn from nurses, they have the education, experience and skills. I appreciate learning from nurses.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Mar 1, 2012

I think it just depends on the personality of the unit. The more laid back a facility or particular unit is, the more people respect each other. I have seen one nurse literally knock CNAs over that are standing in her path! She acts like you're not even there... doesn't speak to you, or slow down or go around you, just runs right into you and keeps going. Aside from that nut, usually the nurses that clash with the CNAs are the ones that get over-involved. Some CNAs will chit chat with them all day, go out drinking after work, etc. and get on their good side. Then if they have a problem with another CNA they tell the nurse and the nurse gets on her case, ignores her, etc.

NamasteNurse, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2013

I am interested in your problem because I was just searching for "nurses get no respect from CNA's" and your question came up. Not funny 'haha' but sad funny. At my facility, it seems the CNA's rule the roost. Everyone is afraid they will quit so we (the nurses) walk on eggshells. The aides are (not all!) very disrespectful. When asked to do things that are their job they get huffy and roll their eyes. They come in late, leave early, sit around the nurses station while around them bells are ringing, residents are begging for help, phones are ringing etc. Ask them to do anything after they have officially toileted at the end of their shift (45 minutes BEFORE shift ends) and they will outright refuse. Ask the charge nurse what to do she is too lazy as well. We regular LPN's get stuck in the middle doing lots of CNA work on top of our own. One aide even had the nerve to tell me "I don't tell you how to do your job so don't tell me how to do mine". I didn't think of an answer quick enough but it just happens that I WAS an aide before I was a nurse and she has never done my job....anyway...it's all too bad. The facility talks the "team" talk but in reality it's every one for themselves. Looking for a job outside of LTC everyday...

dianer83 · Jan 17, 2013

CNA 1991, you speck the truth Hun, healthcare is no joke. People do not like to see the other succeed cause they would hate to see you in a higher position. Just stay prayed up and keep moving and doing you.

OCNRN63, RN · Jan 18, 2013

I'm curious how the OP would know that the nurses aren't giving meds.

kygal67 · Sep 23, 2014

been a cna for over 20 yrs when i first started it was get as time went on and new nurses come on the respect is not there anymore personally i think its just the generation of nurses that are around

kygal67 · Sep 23, 2014

sad that healthcare as become

ruralnurse84 · Sep 24, 2014

So I have a flip side to this rant. I am a new nurse, but was a CNA last summer for the same LTC facility. Most of the CNAs run the show and don't give a crap what anyone tells them, no matter how nicely it is put. On top of that they yell at each other in front of everyone and seriously think the nurses or the other CNAs are out to get them. They rarely work as a team and I am constantly on their butts to get their jobs done. None of them start getting residents out of bed til at least a half hour after their shift starts...and then breakfast starts a half hour late, same cycle with lunch and then dinner. Now when they actually do work as a team and don't need reminding to do things and don't argue it is a glorious day and I absolutely love it. Don't think that it is always the nurses who are rude and lazy, sometimes it is the other way around. I get what a tough job being a CNA is, been there done that. Guess what? It is even harder being a nurse, because everything is your responsibility. Now if nurses have the time to help the aides, and it is needed it should happen. There is no reason for nurses or aides to be rude to each other and there needs to be mutual respect on both sides. Unfortunately it doesn't always happen where people are nice. I do try my best to be nice to everyone...even the ones I cannot stand and are always rude to me...and I help whenever I can. As much as I appreciate my first nursing job I was very happy to move to the hospital where I do not have to deal with the drama of LTC.

hookyarnandblanket · Sep 25, 2014

So I have a flip side to this rant. I am a new nurse, but was a CNA last summer for the same LTC facility. Most of the CNAs run the show and don't give a crap what anyone tells them, no matter how nicely it is put. On top of that they yell at each other in front of everyone and seriously think the nurses or the other CNAs are out to get them. They rarely work as a team and I am constantly on their butts to get their jobs done. None of them start getting residents out of bed til at least a half hour after their shift starts...and then breakfast starts a half hour late, same cycle with lunch and then dinner. Now when they actually do work as a team and don't need reminding to do things and don't argue it is a glorious day and I absolutely love it. Don't think that it is always the nurses who are rude and lazy, sometimes it is the other way around. I get what a tough job being a CNA is, been there done that. Guess what? It is even harder being a nurse, because everything is your responsibility. Now if nurses have the time to help the aides, and it is needed it should happen. There is no reason for nurses or aides to be rude to each other and there needs to be mutual respect on both sides. Unfortunately it doesn't always happen where people are nice. I do try my best to be nice to everyone...even the ones I cannot stand and are always rude to me...and I help whenever I can. As much as I appreciate my first nursing job I was very happy to move to the hospital where I do not have to deal with the drama of LTC.

It sounds like you work at my previous job. That's why I quit. And what you said is very, very true. We have wonderful teamwork and camaraderie among the CNAs and the nurses with the exception of one nurse, one CNA, and the activity director. The nurse is a "leftover" from a previous cycle of nurses who didn't believe it was necessary to help the CNAs. She's rude, hateful, and she bullies. I steer clear of her and do my job. The CNA? She's making the flow of the floor a nightmare because of her snotty attitude, rude behavior, aggressive approach with patients, and her inability to say something in a nice tone of voice. Yet nothing has been done to reprimand her and those of us making the effort to try and work with her are the ones who are getting the blame. When a housekeeper says she's heard patients and nurses complain about this CNA, you'd think someone would listen. The activity director is just a compulsive and pathological liar with narcissistic tendencies. Altogether, it sometimes makes work miserable. What we need to learn to do, more than teamwork, is to show mutual respect and kindness to one another. Personalities will always clash on some level; as adults, we have to set that aside and remember that this field isn't about us: It's about the patients.