Why? Why do people act like that?

CinDRnyc · Jul 9, 2012

i experienced this during clinicals at an ltc facility a few weeks ago. the cna i was with would not stop cursing about her new bf or anything about her personal life for that matter. it was really annoying and just plain disrespectful to the residents. i couldn't really say anything to her but i did tell my clinical instructor about it. she just basically said that being exposed to that shows us how we don't want to practice. i thought that was pretty obvious lol. the truth is some cna's don't have respect and don't give a **** about the residents and just do it for a paycheck. sad.

sebig001 · Jul 9, 2012

Ok so this is a semi vent.. I am still loving my job and the people I work with for the most part. Just a couple of things I have noticed while I have been training that just kinda tick me off..
Case 1 - Me and my trainer were washing done a total care stroke patient he could not move one side of his body. He also had lots of stage 4 pressure ulcers on his back and butt. While we giving him a bath and washing him down the nurse also was changing the wounds at the same time (its just easier that way we all helped each other out) Well the nurse had to get more gauze and left the room and when she did my trainer started saying wow shes doing a pretty ****** job.. The patient is coherent and could hear what she was saying the whole time.. Why would you say that in front of the patient.. I mean come on..
The same trainer (she is nice to me and really a nice person) because we have a big patient load will go into a patients room and start doing things that we need to do without telling that patient what we are doing. yes granted we do not have a lot of time and she just wants to get in and out but it can **** a lot of the elderly patients off and make them more reluctant to let us do what we need to do..
Case 2 - Another CNA on our floor who I worked with yesterday and was helping out totally throws around curse words like shes at a bar. Saying totally inappropriate things in front of patients.. Then proceeded to fight and argue with a nurse about transporting a patient to a different floor at the nurses station..
Don't people know common work etiquette anymore?? Maybe thats why whne i was interviewing they were stressing customer service because some people just really do not have it at all!! I feel bad for some of these poor patients and fellow co workers because it can make you totally uncomfortable!

Some people do not know their place. Most nurses do not know that even though a patient is comatose, they are well able to hear their surroundings. All you can do is shake your head in disappointment and move on.

IEDave, ASN, CNA, LVN · Jul 9, 2012

Short version - 'cause they're twits. :bugeyes:

Long version - CNA's tend to come from varying backgrounds, and a fair number of them come from broken homes, socially disadvantaged backgrounds, etc. and simply don't know any better. Others know better, but figure that there won't be any repercussions from their actions (and, sadly, oftentimes they're right) so they trot out the ol' attitude whenever they want to. Still others are trying to fit into a given clique...and the list of social dynamics goes on & on.

As for me - I make fun of the CNA's when they pull that crap. As a result, I'm massively unpopular with certain ones, but I also make sure that it's clearly understood by all WHY I'm doing what I'm doing. Had to - there were several residents that were terrified of the treatment they were receiving from the staff - and, I didn't blame them. It didn't quite qualify as out & out abuse (otherwise the ombudsman would've been contacted) but they were sure pushing it at times.

Incidentally, while I'm critical of the CNA's on this post, I've seen it with the LVN's & the odd RN as well. What I've noticed as well is that the older staff members (as a general rule) are less prone to this than the younger staff. Not immune, just less prone to it.

I also have the support of the management staff on this one, which helps. Probably won't be there much longer either, which also helps.

----- Dave

mstearns09 · Jul 9, 2012

I work with one of the most offensive, loud-mouthed, opinionated, and foul-mouthed people I've ever met. She would make a seasoned Naval officer blush with some of the things she says and when I first started, I cannot tell you how offended and upset she made me on a regular basis. She can do her job but her attitude and personal and professional conduct leave much to be desired. And of course, she's one of those aides who claims to know more than the nurses.

She's one of the main reasons we've had numerous reminders about HIPAA, why we're chided on a regular basis about proper transfers and why we lose privileges we enjoy. She doesn't care; in fact, she revels in being the one who causes such a ruckus but was the first one to throw a temper-tantrum when her yearly evaluation said that she needed to have a more positive attitude and stop talking about her personal life in front of residents.

I finally learned to tune her out, do my job and ignore what she says and does unless it crosses ethical boundaries. People like this aren't likely to change any time soon because in their eyes, they aren't wrong. As long as you are properly caring for your residents, their needs are met and they are clean and dry and comfortable, don't worry about it. Easier said than done, I know.

mkearns724 · Jul 9, 2012

You would just think that people would have a little empathy and respect and common courtesy for people and what they are going through and why they are there and some work ethic I mean come on lol. I would never start talking about other nurses or my personal life while in front of a patient thats just crazy!!

Was just amazed that people act like that lol

funtimes · Jul 9, 2012

Was this person just having a bad day?

This type of behavior probably wouldnt fly where I work, at least not for very long. Patients are sent out questionaires about the treatment they recieved, and if any particular staff made a good or bad impression. These surveys are kind of a big deal, and the supervisors and executives in the hospital most definitely read them. If patients complain about you, its a pretty safe bet you will hear about it.

I know my hospital certainly isnt the only one that does this, I've seen threads by PCTs who have been fired over complaints from patients.

I do know some aides who have been doing the job for a long time may be less formal with patients. We have one aide who is sometimes described as "fiesty" by the patients. But most of them seem to love her, and while she cant really change her personality, she does tone it down for some patients who obviously dont like it.

mkearns724 · Jul 9, 2012

I don't know if they do surveys after their stay. Most of the time that I notice this stuff its with confused elderly patients.. So not sure if they could answer them anyway.

I always thought and feared that I would get negativity from the nurses because I am just a CNA. Never thought about other CNA's being the way that I have seen. Hopefully this will make me a just that much better CNA and eventually a good nurse :)

pnut8377 · Jul 9, 2012

I'm experiencing some of the same where I just started working only 3 weeks ago. The sad part is no matter where you work there will always be people like you discribed. My biggest issue lately was the person who trained me, and a lot of other staff, do not changes their gloves when going room to room. I am the type of person who can not let that go, especially since I'm OCD about clean hands. So the other day we were doing a round together going from room to room changing our incontinent patients when we were finished with the first patient she moved to the second, of course, without changing her gloves so when we were cleaning up everything from patient two I picked up the bag with the dirty diaper opened it and looked at her and said "Gloves please" and smiled at her. She smiled and took her gloves off and put them in the bag and every patient after changed her gloves. Sometimes you can find ways to say things to people without really offending them. Good luck to you :)

tomc5555 · Jul 9, 2012

About the hand hygiene; WOW.

I love how you handled the issue, non confrontational but effective!

mkearns724 · Jul 9, 2012

yea thats so crazy!!!! Im a nut about hygiene. I carry my hand sanitizer in my pocket, always gown up when im handling an isolation patient and wash my hands after every patient!! Way to handle the situation though!! :yelclap:

funtimes · Jul 10, 2012

I'm experiencing some of the same where I just started working only 3 weeks ago. The sad part is no matter where you work there will always be people like you discribed. My biggest issue lately was the person who trained me, and a lot of other staff, do not changes their gloves when going room to room.

Wow, when I worked in LTC, it was considered a cardinal sin to leave a room with gloves still on, for ANY reason, short of maybe running to a code or helping a resident who fell in the hall and was covered in blood.

You didnt dare risk being seen by a supervisor outside of a residents room with gloves still on. It could actually be annoying at times, because youd put gloves on, and then remember something you forgot, but you didnt dare leave the room to get what you needed with gloves still on, even if you hadnt touched anything yet.

I still keep this mentality with me at my current job. I will never be seen outside of a patients room with gloves on, so it totally amazes me there are facilities where people will actually go room to room wearing the same gloves. In front of an orientee no less.