teamwork?

[RNfaster]

What is the best way to foster positive change amongst nurses that do not team with aides as they see aide work as beneath them?

I am used to working (in an office) where we work as a team and present solutions rather than problems to the boss. --I have a question for you as I recognize that hospitals are markedly different working environs.

I am working an a CNA while attending school to become a nurse. I often work on a unit where a good number of nurses seem to believe that they never have to get up to check on a call light much less change someone (even when there are lights "stacked up"). I thought this was normal --that my work was to answer all call lights and do all cleaning of patients. But then I began working on other units and was blown away at how other nurses would pitch in.

Some of the nurses I am referencing will sit through the call lights, letting them ring, while the aide is in another patient's room or even on break. If the patient asks for assistance and it's relative to toileting, they will hunt down and interrupt the aide (often in the midst and/or on the way to help someone else) so they can get the aide to do it. They also will ask that you do tasks, but are unwilling to render assistance when asked.

I have been told by someone that she did not get her RN to deal with s""t --that that was the job of aides.

When I have traveled to other units, I was blown away to see that a nurse would answer a call light (do you believe that?), empty a commode pan and/or urinal and not leave it for me and/or notify me of it, fill a water jug, change someone, etc. But now, I see that there are teams that do this. They even help each other with each other's patients ---and per my observations, they tend to get the work done faster by working in such a manner.

Aside from voting with my feet, I am unsure of how to transform this problem. The nurses at issue treat the aides with such disregard. From other aides' reports, it is simply the way they conduct business.

At first, I thought that it was aides' work (and never nurses') to answer all call lights, to clean patients, and that nurses should not do that at all. But after traveling to other units, I think that nurses should also contribute in this manner. ---Not all the time --but all should pitch in rather than sit around when things get busy --folks shouldn't use the excuse that it's aides' work. --I feel that we should all operate as a whole to keep the unit on an even keel.

I want to be an RN some day. I know I will have to manage my time. But I believe that I will do better by working as a team. Any advice?

[nj1grlcrus]

Teamwork is the name of the game. The nurse is responsible for making sure the pt is taken care of. If call lights or cleaning is stacked up, they better pitch in. Or learn to manage pts and CNA better. And telling CNA's that s__t is beneath them is not the way to get cooperation from CNA;s. A child could tell them that!

[leslie :-D]

i'm sorry to burst your bubble, but those nurses who are 'beneath' cleaning up poop, are likely to be those who don't appreciate the concept of teamwork.

i personally help the aides as much as they help me.

together, we can do anything. :balloons:

but there are shabby nurses out there.

those who don't understand that they are supposed to be treating holistically and totally, are the ones who will turn their heads the other way and think "that's not my job".

sad thing is, it IS their job, whoever does the task.

but if they refuse to see it, then there's little you can do.

either you get what it means to be a nurse, or you don't.

all you can do for now, is continue in being a part of the team...even with staff who aren't team members.

but team work is everything.

you'll do beautifully in your role as a new nurse.

leslie