Vent lazy nurses/techs dont want to answer call light

Butterfliesnroses · Dec 16, 2008

Don't assume the aides and nurses are doing nothing. I once had a resident (I work LTC) state that all the workers (nurses and aides) do it walk up and down the halls. I explained to her that we were going from room to room, helping other residents. And that when she seen us walking in the hall we were going from one room to another. I also recently had an aide get mad because I walked past one of her call lights to answer one of my own. She said that was inconsiderate of me. I explained to her that if she was answering her call lights and I was answering her call lights then no-one was answering my call lights. I explained to her that I have no problem answering other aides call lights, when none of my own are going off.

Also as far as prioritizing for the nurse, it may seem like I am...but I'm not. I'm just informing them that Mrs. so and so wants her pain meds. I once told a nurse that a resident wanted her pain meds. 30 minutes later the resident called again. So I told the nurse again (who was sitting down playing Yahtzee). The nurse yelled at me I'll be in there when I get in there, don't bother me again. I told the nurse that she needed to explain to the resident that she was too busy playing Yahtzee to get her pain meds. Because really it sounds SOOO much better coming from the nurse than me .....Anyways if the nurse is busy I just go back and tell the resident that I told her and she'll be in with your pain meds as soon as she can.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2008

As a CNA I would have done the same thing. If someone rings and wants me to tell the nurse they want their meds, I go tell her. That doesn't mean I expect the nurse to say "omg So-and-So needs their MEDS!" and go running. I'm just fulfilling the patient/resident's request. If I KNOW the person gets the same med every evening and I can see the nurse down the hall I'll say, "She's 3 doors down and on her way soon" but some meds are PRN and I don't want to wait till the end of the night and make the patient mad or left in discomfort and the nurse mad because I should have told her earlier before she thought she was done with her medpass.

That is a very good point, which is why I never chastise the CNA for reporting patient requests to me. In this instance though, it is hard to convey in writing the CNA's tone of voice and body language that communicated to me that she fully expected me to see that patient next. Then, when I did get there, the CNA was in the room and said "Oh, HERE she is." in a tone that clearly, to me, communicated that she thought I had been taking my own sweet time. One of the things I would like the CNAs to do for me (that I did for nurses when I was an aide) is when, if the patient is making a request for the nurse's time, to first ask the patient if it is something the CNA can do (sometimes the patient wants to speak to the nurse because they think the nurse is the only one who can get them a snack or answer a question about visitor parking or whatnot). If not, and if it's something only the nurse can do, then please let the patient know you will relay the message. Go relay the message, then follow up with the patient saying something like "Your nurse is with another patient and will be here in a little while when she's finished", or "Your nurse wanted to tell me you're next, but it will be a few minutes" or something like that, so the patient knows that their message was relayed, that the nurse has acknowledged recieving the message, and that the nurse has that patient's concern on their to do list. To me, it's part of being a team. If a patient complains that it took a CNA too long to answer their light, I will always stick up for the CNA and say something like "Oh yes, that CNA is very busy right now, and is such a hard worker. But I'm here now, so what can I do for you?", or something to that effect. I don't think we should be behaving in ways that make each other look bad in front of the patients. If I have a problem with how a coworker is doing their job, the place to air that concern is privately, not with the patient. Undermining one another in front of patients undermines the patients' confidence in the quality of care they are receiving.

To Butterfliesnroses: I appreciate when a CNA informs me that someone needs pain medication, and I rarely have time to pee let alone play Yahtzee! If it takes me a few minutes to get a pain pill for someone, it's because I'm smack in the middle of hanging blood, pouring meds, or possibly even medicating someone else for pain! If it takes me a few minutes to get there, I hope my CNAs have my back and let the patient know that their pain is important to me, and that I will be there as soon as I can. If it's chest pain, however, that trumps pretty much everything, and I will find a way to stop what I am doing to attend to the patient complaining of chest pain. I agree, it would be much worse if the aides didn't inform me of patient requests. It's just that in the instance I described, the tone of voice, body language, and overall behavior of this aide communicated to me that she thought she knew how I should be prioritizing my time, and this is not the first time this has occurred. This is a person who does not understand all that nurses do, who is deciding, based upon a lack of knowledge, where she thinks nurses' priorities lie, just like the OP of this thread. Thank you for all that you do, and keep up your good work!

jamesgoal · Dec 16, 2008

Whooaa...Its getting hot in here. :angryfire There are reasons for the lights not being answer others have offer some great reasons and I offer this: There are some tones that you just get use to..a call light, a IV beeping. Some people not on purposely tunes it out or is so use to it, they dont hear it. Then, there is the newbie...who hears everything...and wonders why aren't these being answered. If its on day shift everyone is busy and will attend to it shortly. If its night shift any and everyone can answer because of noise and availability.

Not sure if you're going on rumor or a heighten awareness. But make your own assumption base on a more detail body of work...and not one incident. From what was stated you group the whole shift or floor into the category of lazy...thats not good. :twocents:

Good luck in school

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2008

with all due respect, i have yet to come across a pt who oh so politely uses the call light to let you know he's coding.

if you're coding and you're going to hit the call bell, at least hit the "code" or "emergency" while you're at it, gosh? i don't understand these lazy patients.

in all seriousness, though, this is something to bring up to a clinical instructor. he or she may agree with you and say "now you have a negative example of nurses and techs in the hospital" or maybe he or she will say "you know, student nurse, the reason is..." and explain it to you.

wish you the best!

*~jess~*

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2008

if you're coding and you're going to hit the call bell, at least hit the "code" or "emergency" while you're at it, gosh? i don't understand these lazy patients.

:yeah:

:hpygrp:

hehehe

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2008

oops mistake

lovehospital · Dec 18, 2008

Whooaa...Its getting hot in here. :angryfire There are reasons for the lights not being answer others have offer some great reasons and I offer this: There are some tones that you just get use to..a call light, a IV beeping. Some people not on purposely tunes it out or is so use to it, they dont hear it. Then, there is the newbie...who hears everything...and wonders why aren't these being answered. If its on day shift everyone is busy and will attend to it shortly. If its night shift any and everyone can answer because of noise and availability.
Not sure if you're going on rumor or a heighten awareness. But make your own assumption base on a more detail body of work...and not one incident. From what was stated you group the whole shift or floor into the category of lazy...thats not good.
Good luck in school

Oh ok so according to you once you set in and get used to the those "sounds" it is ok not to hear them????? :eek: :confused: I thought safety came first...

BTW to the ones who question my own response to call lights,yes I do always answer the call lights,sometimes I might not have enough knowledge how to help out but I always seek help from someone else.

I'm not calling all nurses lazy,but I see a lot of them not paying attention to call lights,this is what I observed and flame me all you want but this is unfortunately the behavior I noticed

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2008

I'm not calling all nurses lazy,but I see a lot of them not paying attention to call lights,this is what I observed and flame me all you want but this is unfortunately the behavior I noticed

I suggest that next time you witness a nurse ignoring a call light, you march right up to her and ask her why she is ignoring that call light.

lovehospital · Dec 18, 2008

I suggest that next time you witness a nurse ignoring a call light, you march right up to her and ask her why she is ignoring that call light.

I'm sure there will a time when I will as I'm very disgusted with some of this behavior.

Zana2 · Dec 18, 2008

I suggest that next time you witness a nurse ignoring a call light, you march right up to her and ask her why she is ignoring that call light.

:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle

RN1982 · Dec 18, 2008

Seriously, the next time you are at clinical and you see a nurse ignoring a call-light, you should ask her why.

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2008

How do you know someone isn't in the room and didn't cancel the light? We have staff on our floor who are famous for going into the room and caring for the pt , and leaving without ever cancelling the light.

Remember what is said about assuming?