I've read several threads over time, and I "hear" from both the RN's AND the CNA's that CNA's are there to "help the RN." I am a little lost on this one, I can see in a way what it means, but IMO, EVERYONE is there to help the patients, yes? I think the worst portrayal of this attitude is when CNA's (and NO, definitely not all of them) feel that the RN should kiss their feet for any thing that they do "for them," and should just suck up a poor attitude by that person, because it would be "worse" without them there. It goes the other way, too.
From my perspective, having been a CNA for 5 years before becoming an RN seven years ago, is that no one is REALLY "more" important than the other. We just have different roles. Of course I appreciate working with a good CNA (and I am fortunate, I work with very good ones!) but I don't necessarily think of them as "doing me a favor" when they bathe a patient or answer a light. That's their job. It's mine, too, so I will do both of those things when time permits me. To me, one is doing me a favor when they are working with a different RN and have a patient assignment, but will help me with my blood sugars when I'm working alone, if they have time. THAT'S above and beyond. If they're ON my team, it's not a "favor" to me for them to get sugars....it's an expectation. Now, if I'm going in to a room anyway, I WILL often enough get it myself, I have no problem sharing those tasks. I don't think I'm doing THEM a favor, either, by sharing the baths...we're a team. I do give plenty of "thank you's" when they do their job efficiently and thoroughly, as well. I don't really see anything as strictly theirs to do. If I had a day where I couldn't help with the basic patient care as much as I'd like to/usually do, I will explain to them WHY I had to stick to what are strictly my RN duties (more new orders than usual, a patient having complications, etc).
Anyway. Just my two cents. Any thoughts on this? I would think relations between RN's and UAP would be better overall if EVERYONE took responibiility not only for their jobs, but for all of the patient's care. As soon as an RN OR a CNA feels like the CNA is there just to help the RN, and that any of the work they complete is a favor to them, it gets hard to get ANYTHING done the right way.
Hope this made sense. I've read it several times now, so I just wanted to get that out.
I think that there are a LOT of misunderstanding here. I think we all become so engrossed in our own roles. Here is what I think should happen and I think it should be a YEARLY requirement. I think if you are a nurse you should have to shadow an aide for a day and be a resident/patient for a day. If you are an aide you should have to shadow a nurse for a day and be a resdident for a day. I think that this would hit people with a DUH they don't work harder than I do. They work just as hard, in a different way. Being a resident you would KNOW what it's like. To have to wait and wait and wait. And maybe in your daily roles you'd jump a little faster for the resident because you remember waiting hours and hours. Part of the problem is when you are an aide you aren't really taught what the nurses job is. I've been an aide for 4 years now and I still don't have the full idea because number 1 I'm not a nurse...yet number 2 I've NEVER shadowed a nurse EVER. A nurse learns in nursing school what an aide does and I believe they actually have to do it for the first little bit in clinicals. But we forget. We forget what it's like being the other person. That's just my idea and I KNOW it will NEVER happen.
I agree there is a lot of misunderstanding. I think it is a good idea to have staff shadow one another. Where I work, the majority of nurses have been aides, many of them on our very unit, myself included. I don't feel I need to shadow an aide to understand their point of view. However, I did propose a change in the way new aides are oriented, and we'll see if this comes to fruition. Rather than having new aides oriented by experienced aides, many of whom have developed some bad habits that are being passed on, I think the new aides should be paired with a nurse at the beginning, so the nurse can explain the rationales for the things that we ask of our aides, and so that the aide can see how the nurses function and why it is that we need help, and how the aide can be of most helpful to both the nurse and the patient.
I've seen some solid aides on other floors, who know their job and who do their job well. The nurses can count on them, and know that certain things will be done. On our floor, this is not the case. I don't think it's because of a lack of respect from the nurses to the aides; the nurses are generally pretty respectful. I think it's a lack of accountability, to be honest. The nurses are powerless to hold the aides accountable.
Good googlamoogley. The board is getting feisty lately! Anyhow I'm really thrilled for all the nurses who worked their way from nurse's aide status through school to be a nurse. That's a lot of work.
And of course someone already stated, no matter who you are you have got a boss. There is probably always going to be someone you get to ask to do something, whether you're their "boss" or you just need their help. People on the receiving (god I can't spell that word) end of instruction think they need respect, independence, etc. People giving instruction have some responsibility that must be fulfilled or else they get in trouble, and some other stuff to do that means they need help with it.
So. This is the same whether you're a doctor who won't get paid if he doesn't do things a certain way, or might get sued if the patient doesn't like the outcome, etc. or whether you're a CNA who has nine million things to do and needs someone with a mop (hey janitors do exist and can be called on to help) to help clean a room, or whether you're a nurse stuck in the middle of all that. Anyone, and I mean anyone in the chain of this lovely mess we call healthcare, can be shat on or dumping on others. In the end it's usually, really, for a reason.
The thing we need to do is eliminate attitude and feelings of inadequacy as that reason.
I can't stress that enough. People can forgive emergencies, misunderstood priorities, accidents, and we seem to be working ourselves to the bone to get around understaffing and crappy management. But people - all the people involved- need to at least feel like the reason they get dumped on, yanked off what they were doing, ignored or not helped, is not due to someone else having a chip on their shoulder.
I can help explain why to a CNA who doesn't understand or didn't know. I can find other help if they're stuck where they can't help me at the moment. I would rather it not be, that they need to feel independent of my direction and need to rebel a little, because that sparks bad feelings and the teamwork tends to just go to hell from there, and the patients get haphazard care.
So I have to watch myself with the physicians. If I can't help them with something, there has to be a reason and that reason must not be that I have an attitude or that I think I need to prove something to them. Too often, my bluntness probably comes off as attitude even though it wasn't intended. We all get stuck in that mess, we're in a hurry and don't realize how others see us.
Just remember, sh!t always rolls downhill, rest assured that you are not at the bottom of the hill as long as you can walk! Now look at that poor total care who can't walk and is lying in it, and please help me with the care, even if I have an emergency or am getting my left buttcheek chewed off by my supervisor at the moment.
Please be reminded that it is a violation of the Terms of Service (TOS) of this site to post identifying information about ANY member. It is inconceivable that any poster would believe this to be appropriate.
Likewise, personal attacks are against the TOS of this site. We encourage lively debate, but insults and attacks are not permitted. Again, it is inconceivable that any poster would believe this to be appropriate.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation. Please carry on.
Virgo_RN, BSN, RN
3,543 Posts
I agree there is a lot of misunderstanding. I think it is a good idea to have staff shadow one another. Where I work, the majority of nurses have been aides, many of them on our very unit, myself included. I don't feel I need to shadow an aide to understand their point of view. However, I did propose a change in the way new aides are oriented, and we'll see if this comes to fruition. Rather than having new aides oriented by experienced aides, many of whom have developed some bad habits that are being passed on, I think the new aides should be paired with a nurse at the beginning, so the nurse can explain the rationales for the things that we ask of our aides, and so that the aide can see how the nurses function and why it is that we need help, and how the aide can be of most helpful to both the nurse and the patient.
I've seen some solid aides on other floors, who know their job and who do their job well. The nurses can count on them, and know that certain things will be done. On our floor, this is not the case. I don't think it's because of a lack of respect from the nurses to the aides; the nurses are generally pretty respectful. I think it's a lack of accountability, to be honest. The nurses are powerless to hold the aides accountable.