To the nurses: do you not like shy/quiet nursing assistants?

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Aug 16, 2012

What are you supposed to do? Your job. Tell the nurses what the vitals are if you're supposed to do that. If someone seems annoyed or brushes you off it might have far less to do with you than you think: floor nurses are trying to juggle a hundred things in their head while doing a dozen tasks and your telling them about a high BP is probably just being entered into the "deal with it" zone of their brain.

Don't take it personally. Get used to the floor, and let the nurses get used to you. Whether you're quiet or boisterous is really irrelevant; how you present the information to them is what's important.

Maybe it's the delivery: if you walk up quietly, hover by them waiting to be acknowledged, only to whisper that there's something off about a pulse....they may become irritated waiting for you to "get to it already". Maybe not, I don't know.

Be decisive, tell them the problem without making them strain to hear you, and move on. Eventually, if you're accurate and timely, you'll be appreciated for what you do!

May want to keep in mind if you are too quiet or too shy, nursing school will either eat you alive--or let you graduate but the JOB will eat you alive. Work on becoming more assertive, more authoritative. Shy usually doesn't go over too well in nursing.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2012

I don't think its a matter of disliking shy/quiet CNA's. It may be more of timing. Not that, that is an excuse for being rude or short with anyone. I've found myself on several occasions giving a short reponse of "ok" said in a not-too friendly way. It wasn't that the CNA was someone whom I disliked, it was just I was being swamped with things and I needed to concentrate or I had been told by numerous people that Ms Jones wanted me. I did apologize to the people I might have come across as 'snapping' at.

I'm sorry you feel you are being treated unkindly. maybe have a talk with the nurse(s) and see if there is a particular procedure/time that they would like info like high/low BS or BP's etc. It might just be timing thats getting you the unfriendly responses.

sunnybabe · Aug 16, 2012

Every nurse is different when it comes to how/when they like certain info to be reported. For example, many nurses would rather have all the blood sugars you took at once than you calling with each sugar as you take them. Some nurses want to be alerted of every blood sugar you took while others want to know the abnormal numbers. It helps asking the nurse who you are concerned about how they would prefer things done. After all, you'll be working them on an almost daily basis. You and your nurse are a team so you have to be assertive with them so you're both on the same page about the patient. If there is anything that your nurse asks of you(like putting in a foley) and you feel unconfortable doing it, speak up!

I've been told that I have a soft voice, but I try my best to avoid sounding timid on the phone when I'm speaking to other nurses, physical therapists, dietary, etc.., because my message needs to come across the best way possible to make sure my patient is being taken care of. I'm still working on the soft voice too. But I think having a soft voice helps to calm patients. When overcoming shyness, I'm trying to focus on what I'm saying so that I can come of as assertive.

On another note, whenever I notice that the nurse is talking to someone else and I have something to them(maybe a patient's BP is 204/99), I wait until the conversation is finished. They may be in the middle of giving report while I'm taking vitals so in that case, I might mention the BP and tell them I'll enter the rest in the computer for their reference when they finish report. Some nurses don't like being bothered at all during report, maybe because they have a lot of information going on all at once. However, I would rather let them know before something happens and someone asks me why I didn't let the nurse know ASAP. I think you should use your best judgement and observe who you are working with. With time, you will get there.

The only people I still feel kind of intimidated by are doctors, only because even nurses seem to dislike them. I don't know how to deal with them myself when I become a nurse.

Good luck!

ComeTogether, LPN · Aug 16, 2012

Hey there. I'm a CNA too. I'm the opposite of shy and quiet. One thing I am though, is sensitive. I had to learn quickly to grow thick skin and i suggest you try it as well. Don't take it personally when the nurses are too busy to do more than acknowledge what you've said. I work before this one aide who is sooooo quiet and I find it puzzling. In this line of work you really have to be outgoing to handle some of these patients. That's my opinion anyways. I'd just try to get more comfortable and focus on your responsibilities. The other thing that makes the most difference is confidence. You have to be confident in your work and your knowledge. It takes awhile To learn what is urgent and what can wait but if you feel it's urgent be confident that you have the insight to notice and report what you've noticed. Nurses will notice and respect your confidence and you'll learn along the way so much. Good luck and message me if u want to.

"No day but today"

gummi bear · Aug 17, 2012

Continue to do your job because you are only trying to help them. Some nurses get mad when CNAs don't tell them things, but having a nervous breakdown every single time that their patient needs something is only damaging future coomunication between some employees. I personally don't care. There are some nurses that complain no matter what time or what it is that you are trying to tell them something about their patient. Some of them will whine and complain about how stupid, disgusting, and/or annoying their patients are. Whatever, why work in healthcare then? It's the same thing every single day no matter who the patient is, what the patient wants, or who's trying to pass along info. Just don't take it personal and realize that some people have psychiatric issues that they need to deal with on their time off. (this is only in certain cases....primarily nurses that complain on a regular basis)

NurseFrustrated · Aug 17, 2012

I don't mind shy, quiet CNAs or nurses. I like them. I would rather work with them than some of the more unprofessional people I work with who are loud, obnoxious and sit at the nurses's station at night gabbing away on their cell phones or laughing and talking about inappropriate things within earshot of the patients rooms. It makes the entire unit look bad. The other day one of my coworkers was sitting there gabbing away on her cell phone next to a doctor trying to concentrate and I watched the doctor get up and leave. She was completely oblivious to how annoying she was being. It's hard to concentrate on my charting listening to that.

I don't ever yell at a CNA who tells me something about my patient. I would rather them tell me than not. I thank them for telling me. Just wait for the right time. If the nurses are in the middle of talking to a doctor or dealing with a crisis situation, just wait until they have a free moment. And believe me, nurses are not mad at you for telling them. Even if it comes off that way it is probably just frustration of having more and more problems to try to juggle at once.

I used to feel the same way as you before I was a nurse so I understand how it comes across. I used to hate to have to tell the nurse something because they always seemed stressed. As a nurse now, I feel that way sometimes when I have to tell a doctor something too. There are times I DO get all but yelled at by them. Believe me, that's even worse.

NurseFrustrated · Aug 17, 2012

Oh and just to add. I have had major attitudes from CNAs when I told them their patient needs something too. So it works both ways. It just depends on the person I guess.