I appreciate all your posts, but there is another side to this.
I tried to do everything the nurses asked, and be attentive to the needs of my patients, while attempting to improve the environment. But there is just no way I could do this job well.
I appreciate all your posts, but there is another side to this.
I tried to do everything the nurses asked, and be attentive to the needs of my patients, while attempting to improve the environment. But there is just no way I could do this job well.
I think all of us are caught between those above us and the patient's needs. In these days of shortages, I don't think anyone can do everything they need to do or are asked to do. I was thinking, when I posted, about the one's that don't care to even try and spend most of the shift trying to find ways to get out of work...and yes they are on every level.
I appreciate all your posts, but there is another side to this.
I tried to do everything the nurses asked, and be attentive to the needs of my patients, while attempting to improve the environment. But there is just no way I could do this job well.
In my experience, it's no different as a nurse. We're in the boat together, and we have to pull together and each do our part.
The other night, I had a repeat bleeder that I was trying very hard to keep a close eye on. I was covering for another nurse, and her patient returned from a procedure. I had given the CNA a heads up ahead of time that the patient would be returning and would need to be settled in (put on tele, dynamap on and set to Q15 vitals, etc.) and that I was trying to get some charting done and keep an eye on my bleeder, and had a med pass to do. When the patient came back, the CNA was wheeling a discharge out, so fine, no problem, I go to settle in the patient. As I was tucking him in, he informed me that he needed to be cleaned up because he had had a BM in his bed. I got him tucked in (put on the tele, got his first set of vitals, checked his chart for orders, brought a pillow and warm blanket) then asked the CNA (who had returned by this time) to clean him up. The CNA gave me a funny look, one of those "You were in there, why didn't you do it?" looks. Sure I could have done it, but it would have put me even further behind, and I chose to delegate. Sometimes you just have to.
And no, I didn't spend fifteen minutes trying to find her to get her to do it. She happened to come into the room just as I was finishing up.
I, myself, worked as a CNA for 20 years before I got the guts to go to nursing school. I LOVE my job, being a nurse. I have just left management for going back to work as a floor nurse. I missed my patient contact so much and feel that this is where I belong.
I just started working in an acute long term care setting, with 8 vents and 6 other acute care, which includes a 43 year old fresh parapelgia. My self and one CNA and that is it on 3-11. We also have resp tech full time on the floor (thank goodness).
I had one CNA, would bail on me when Iwas the busiest, walk into a room with a call bell going off, turn off the bell and disappear. More than one time, left patients in tears because they had to go to the BR and she "had to go on break". I ended leaving my med cart, dealing with all of these upset patients while she was smokiing outside. Let me set one thing straight, I answer call bells, take patients to the BR, feed, pick up trays, get my own vitals, do my own I&O's.
But, when I am in the middle of a very involved med pass, I need someone who will work with me, not take advantage of me.
I went to the DON and had a very good conversation with her. She moved this CNA off my floor and replaced her with a wonderful CNA that is WITH me on the floor. Has made oa world of differance. The residents are now getting their baths, showers, taken to the BR, and being care for properly.
But, now the other side. The CNA totally ignores me, is P.O.'d at me from what I hear. I guess she just needs to put on her big girl panties and deal with it.
Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.
1 I seldom clash with my aides but I do listen to what they have to say. And sometimes a little teaching can fix a poor situation'
2. Usually " it's not my resident ".
3. I usually win.
4. I do have friends that are subordinate however it's while away from work or on lunch; the friendship is on hold during working hours.
5. I have had this happen, my unit manager backed me...she's gone.
6. I did NOT feel guilty; I was glad to lose her since her bad attitude was affecting the whole crew.
7. I work in LTC.
8. We are getting new help hired on. Was stable for awhile but had a few CNAs who needed to go. They are gone and life is looking up with the new folks coming onboard.
My saving grace has been the exceptional nurses and coworkers in my department. I admire their calm in the face of calamity
Nursing assistant work is endless. But it is so important to the welfare of the patient that it must be stressed with the NAs that it is not an option to not give care!
My earlier post, though, was to highlight this fact: there is so much care to give, sometimes it is better to move on than stay in action if the job is not being done adequately. A worn out NA can make more work for others, no matter how good his/her attitude.
Smaller patient loads, more education on WHY what we do really matters....would this help? I do think that NAs come out of the very little training they get with out a clear picture of how much work it is. I think it would be great for hospitals to train and certify their own techs.
I am seeing a lot of burn out in folks, and just would value some advice on how to help them....
I would like to add something positive to this post...I think everyone has aides that run and hide, but I am sure we also who have come across aids who are dedicated and kind. We have an aide that works at our hospital that is AMAZING with the patients and staff. She really give the patients a good bath, lots of soap, lotion and back rubs. She makes sure if she is feeding someone, the food is warm and the pace is slow and consistent. She tidys every room she enters, she waters the patients flowers, she fetches coffees and sodas for the families.
She keeps the nurses constantly updated on the patients conditions. She makes sure all of her patients know her name at start of the shift and that she is there to help them until 3pm. At 2:30pm she tells them all she will be leaving but tells the name of the CNA that will be replacing her and asks if they need anything before she leaves. She then tells them when she works next ex: I will be back tomorrow or I wont be here again till Thursday.
One time she was giving a patient who had her knee replaced a bath and she discovered a lump in the womans breast, she reported to the nurse who reported to the Dr, test were done, the woman had breast cancer. Had it not been for the CNA who knows how long it would it would have gone unnoticed.
I could go on and on about how wonderful she is. I make sure I ask her through out the day if she needs any help from me.
I could only wish others would rise to her level.
thank you, christine!
i LOVE the aides i work with.
but in order to currently work with the aides we have, a few had to be eliminated, for darned good reason.
i can think of a couple of nurses, who need to be booted, also.
frankly, i find this thread, extremely instigative and is asking for trouble.
there are just as many shabby nurses, as there are aids.
leslie
No instigation meant. I was feeling rotten about my job circumstances and wanted some moral support. I am facing some really painful matters at work. I
I greatly appreciate all the responses. And I am so glad that there are some wonderful aides out there. I have none who I think are that great but several decent ones. I also have just as many who are horrible. Perfect example yesterday - the one aide announced that she was leaving the floor, did not tell me, told fellow aide.
I didn't see her for an hour and a half. Then she went to sit in the kitchen where it was warm, as her neck was hurting. Did not tell me this, though, so I didn't know where she was. I discovered her there when I went in to get something. Claimed she had not been gone hour and a half and anyway, was only outside the ward door. Never mind that I didn't know that. And what good was she doing us out there?
When I reached the point of not being able to any longer tolerate her slacking off, I asked her later to come out and do her assignment. Guess what, big surprise, she got mad. I really felt like writing her up but would have settled for a couple of rounds in the boxing ring with her. Then she had the NERVE to say why was I coming to get her moving now (so late in the shift) after she'd disappeared and then hidden out all shift up til then!!! :angryfire I told her she was getting a chance at redemption, trying to keep it somewhat light, as I just abhor confrontation. I told her I want her to tell me when she needs to leave the floor and report to me the minute she gets back. She got red in the face and was totally ****** but I didn't care much, as I felt my license and our pt's welfare were at risk and told her so.
I do it, though, confront that is, as I just can't handle unfairness and laziness when there is so much work to do, when living beings are suffering and also because I want someone to be there for me, too, when I need it. I'm just very down and depressed, just wanted some support. I am battle weary. And it is a war, a daily war, with numerous battles waged all the time. If it isn't one problem, it's most assuredly another 2 or 200.
I am very sad at the pretty sorry state of our profession.
Another example: we have nurses who won't come in on time. So we wind up staying late whether we want to or not - nearly every single time we work. Every excuse is given - kids, cars, traffic, oversleeping, you know, all the stuff that happens. And it is often legitimate, no doubt. But it should not be daily and always the same staff having these problems.
Then we don't get OT, we get comp time back at straight pay time, plus we get hit on our taxes, plus it messes up our own schedules to get off late every day, every day, every day. But if you say anything, you're the rat. They call off and you get mandated to stay another shift, their manager does nothing, you wind up having to use your sick time to get a shift off. It is ridiculous. Plus, they get mad at you for even daring to imagine that you have a right to get off when your shift ends! I don't care, though, as I've had enough. If they don't shape up, I will let HR and our Director know. I'm tired of it.
No instigation meant, just needing some help.
BTW, I think the idea of incentives to get people to work is not really good. Isn't having a roof over our heads and our bellies full enough incentive? Respect and appreciation, certainly. As many holidays off as possible, great. Better pay and more training and education, punishment/retraining/firing of bad eggs absolutely. Manageable work loads, yes!!
BTW, I think the idea of incentives to get people to work is not really good. Isn't having a roof over our heads and our bellies full enough incentive? Respect and appreciation, certainly. As many holidays off as possible, great. Better pay and more training and education, punishment/retraining/firing of bad eggs absolutely. Manageable work loads, yes!!
agree with this, 100%.
give incentives???
i mean really, isn't that pitiful?
do we lack such a work ethic, that mgmt has to start giving out incentives???
long lost are the days of professionalism, responsibility and accountability.
bollweevil, i do feel your despair, and i'm sorry.
it's interesting:
awhile back, i was interviewing for a position, and the interviewer asked me my most notable strength, and then, weakness.
strength: i possess the highest standards of care.
weakness: i possess the highest standards of care...and become frustrated when others do not meet those standards.
later reflecting on this unreheorificed response, i realized this weakness, indeed interfered w/my ability to be more productive.
i was wasting much (negative) energy in obsessing about things i had little control over.
i could either leave for greener pastures:
or, continue to continue w/my standards and do the best i can.
and bollweevil, it IS a disgrace, that mgmt does not deal w/these schleppy workers.
you can either carefully select a different place/unit of employment:
or accept what the situation is, and remove yourself from the dynamics.
now, i seldom say 'boo' unless there is blatant, pt neglect/abuse.
(((hugs))) for a very frustrating, and no-win, situation.
bollweevil, this should be a place where we can let out our frustrations. I got that you had some frustrations, since I've been there myself, not that you were bashing all CNAs as being useless or that only CNAs have bad eggs in their line.
Being a nurse is hard, being a CNA is hard. When you work with team members that use all their energy in trying to get out of work and seem to have no empathy for the people they are supposed to take care of, it gets old real quick. And if you are someone that cares, you end up taking on their workload in order to make sure that patient is ok.
BUT a good CNA is worth their weight in gold. Sometimes I don't think CNAs realize how important their job is. They are the frontline on reporting skin issues or if a patient is just now acting right. All the meds in the world are not going to keep someone alive if they don't get good care and end up with a bad ulcer. Being clean, safe, fed and feeling secure is way more potent than any pill!
... And it is a war, a daily war, with numerous battles waged all the time. If it isn't one problem, it's most assuredly another 2 or 200.
I am very sad at the pretty sorry state of our profession.
Another example: we have nurses who won't come in on time. So we wind up staying late whether we want to or not - nearly every single time we work. Every excuse is given - kids, cars, traffic, oversleeping, you know, all the stuff that happens. And it is often legitimate, no doubt. But it should not be daily and always the same staff having these problems.
Then we don't get OT, we get comp time back at straight pay time, plus we get hit on our taxes, plus it messes up our own schedules to get off late every day, every day, every day. But if you say anything, you're the rat. They call off and you get mandated to stay another shift, their manager does nothing, you wind up having to use your sick time to get a shift off. It is ridiculous. Plus, they get mad at you for even daring to imagine that you have a right to get off when your shift ends! I don't care, though, as I've had enough. If they don't shape up, I will let HR and our Director know. I'm tired of it.
No instigation meant, just needing some help.
BTW, I think the idea of incentives to get people to work is not really good. Isn't having a roof over our heads and our bellies full enough incentive? Respect and appreciation, certainly. As many holidays off as possible, great. Better pay and more training and education, punishment/retraining/firing of bad eggs absolutely. Manageable work loads, yes!!
I went to the DON one day about a nurse who was 15 - 20 minutes late every shift. Would talk about every patient she had and other peers. It seemed to the aid and I that she went out of her way sometimes to say or do something to cause conflict. The DON told me she was aware of the problem, but she was "a body" to fill a hole.:angryfire
A body to fill a hole. Please. Give me a couple of good aides to replace her and the patients would all get B/Bs, ADLs, feed, VS, etc done and The nurses would be able to get their work done and out on time. But now the aides do not do vitals, I/O, draining foleys, this now falls to the nurse, along with drawing all labs and everything else. The hospitalist stays on the floor from 1000 to around 1700-1800. One of them keeps the charts with him most of the day, so charting becomes another problem. Nuff said, thanks for the vent.
I do agree, it is enough to start looking at my old job of electronic repair.
Then she had the NERVE to say why was I coming to get her moving now (so late in the shift) after she'd disappeared and then hidden out all shift up til then!!! :angryfire I told her she was getting a chance at redemption, trying to keep it somewhat light, as I just abhor confrontation. I told her I want her to tell me when she needs to leave the floor and report to me the minute she gets back. She got red in the face and was totally ****** but I didn't care much, as I felt my license and our pt's welfare were at risk and told her so.
absolutely. Manageable work loads, yes!!
kcochrane
1,465 Posts
I do have to add that I agree that there are bad/lazy on every level.