To the nurses, a question.

LeChien, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2016

Not every nurse refuses to help a CNA. But when I say I can't it's because I'm doing a part of my job at that moment that is imperative and it's something a CNA cannot do.

NTechTruth · Apr 21, 2016

That I understand. I'm just asking about the one's who refuse to help even if they aren't busy.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Apr 21, 2016

They may refuse for the same reason a CNA might refuse to help. Reasons I may refuse: I am distracted and trying to critically think about a puzzling case, I am in pain, I am waiting for an important call, or perhaps I am tired of being run ragged and need a breather before I tackle a mountain of charting.

neuron · Apr 22, 2016

Maybe because they don't understand. On one hand, they have to be responsible for side 'effects', call docs in case of emergency, be on duty. Sometimes duty doesn't involved 'visually being busy' but mentally being ready to help a patient (emergency). I pass meds but understand both jobs because I've worked as a CNA.

caslas32 · Apr 26, 2016

I worked as a CNA before becoming an RN on the same unit so obviously I know how to do all the CNA work. I have to go in the room around the same time that CNAs go around checking vitals to assess the patient. I will save vitals for them to do not because I am mean and refuse to help but because I have a million other things going on and that is something they can easily do to help relieve a little stress from my load. As a CNA, I couldn't even begin to understand the amount of charting I would have to do once I became an RN. Sometimes I just need to sit and tune out for 2 seconds as my body and mind are aching or I just feel so overwhelmed with tasks that I just need to breath. There is so much more overwhelming responsibility and mental fatigue being an RN compared to a CNA that is hard to understand until you make that transition.

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Apr 26, 2016

Being a nurse who started as an aide I can speak from both sides of the story. If the nurse is truly not busy, then yes, there is no excuse for not helping when you ask for help. There are a few that will refuse to get their hands dirty (though they usually don't last long if management is decent). Being a nurse in various settings over many years, I can tell you that there are very few times that I have had time to not be busy chasing my tail, hence my username.

With all due respect, unless you are a nurse or maybe you are about to graduate from nursing school (definitely far different than actually working as a nurse I would add), a person may not understand what is involved with a nurses duties during their shift. There are many times when I do not get 15 minutes for a break (let alone a 30 minute lunch) when I worked in LTC because I was chronically understaffed and was doing my best to do my job and everyone else's. It didn't help that management would tell the care staff that if they cannot get to a call bell that the nurse is to get it...meanwhile management having no nursing experience whatsoever and the care staff believing that well, the nurse should do it. Just because I am in my office does not mean that I am not working and just sitting on my butt being lazy. At one point I had 110 residents, most of which had a handful of medications that I had to give them (because the med tech was pulled to work as an aide so now I am also passing everyone's pills, not just the ones that need to be administrated and not observed), poor staffing led to frequent falls which led to several incident reports that needed to be filled out. This involves calling the POA and the doctor, and then sending out the referral for wound care with home health. A resident starts to have an emergency issue and we need to assess them and determine if they need to be sent out to the ER or if it is something that can be handled in house because the POA is resistant to ER visits. This involves several phone calls to doctors and external sources to get the needed testing. Then there is the charting necessary to cover our butt because of everything that is going on. Many times the nurse is also the supervisor in some settings. At my former job, this translated to the person who got to be chewed out by family members for issues that I know nothing about because I wasn't there when it happened and no buddy gave me a heads up so that I would be aware of the situation. Now I am trying to calm down that family member and make things right. Honestly, there is a lot more that the nurse is responsible for that I have noticed that the CNAs/resident care staff do not realize takes up a lot of time and it cannot be delegated to a CNA. I would have staff that would ask me if I could answer the bell on the radio and then I would see them standing in the hallway talking so it goes both ways. I also understand that they may not realize that while I was in the office I was busy convincing the POA to allow transport of their family member who is most likely having a stroke and filling out about half a dozen incident reports from the day before (since I had to be back at 7am and it was midnight when I left earlier that morning).

I know you said that you didn't want a debate, but if you haven't been the nurse you may not understand that they aren't refusing to help you, they are trying to get their responsibilities taken care of as well. Maybe the issue is with management and more staffing is needed to provide adequate care to the residents/patients and is not really an issue with the nurses.

NTechTruth · Apr 26, 2016

I understand that. Completely. But I have been in situations and people have told me that nurses just refuse to help, even if they aren't busy. I just know now that nursing is getting worse, and that's why I need to consider finding another career soon.

Elladora · Apr 28, 2016

Kind of a loaded question that lumps a whole lot of people together. Personally I help my CNAs. A lot. I can handle vomit, the CNAs I work with the majority of the time can't, so I will almost always clean up a vomit case. I help with repositioning, toileting, feedings, etc. If I'm NOT busy. That is the huge clarifier. If I am completely nursing duties, that comes first for me.

As to why some nurses don't help when they aren't busy, I would daresay it's because they are lazy or have an attitude. I work with a nurse that flat out refuses to help CNAs because, as she says, "I didn't go to school to have to wipe butts!" Is she respected and/or liked? Not at all, but she is within her rights to do that.

People like that are poopy (see what I did there?) :), I hope you don't have to deal with too many of them.

RainMom · Apr 28, 2016

I understand that. Completely. But I have been in situations and people have told me that nurses just refuse to help, even if they aren't busy. I just know now that nursing is getting worse, and that's why I need to consider finding another career soon.

It may be the culture of the unit. The floor I started on & still work prn is ALL about teamwork; nurses help the aides all the time & vice versa. But I noticed that when I floated to other floors or nurses floated to us, some of those nurses did not (especially nurses from one particular unit). They would rarely even answer a call light, it seemed. And as they hired new nurses to that unit, I noticed many of those nurses followed right along, expecting the aides to answer all call lights, do all toileting, & all vitals.

Don't assume what you see is the way it is everywhere. Most nurses I know DO lend a hand when asked.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Apr 28, 2016

Just because you think they aren't busy, doesn't mean they aren't. Wait until you're a licensed nurse with 1000% more responsibilities than you have now before you judge!

That I understand. I'm just asking about the one's who refuse to help even if they aren't busy.

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2016

Where's NOADLS when we need him??