Comments on: Top 7 mistakes to avoid in your nursing career

By: janelle

janelle — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:33:55 +0000

I have recentley worked as a cna. Even though I am no longer in this field, I understand what everyone is talking about there have been times where one of my residents needed a bed pan while I was in the room washing another patient and the nurse refused to give it to him and went to find me to tell me by the time I got to the patient because I couldn’t leave my other resident naked and wet, the patient that asked for the bed pan had a accident on theirself. She was crying and ashamed that nurse was then written up and even later fired for another incident with her laziness. Nursing is a team effort it can’t work without the cna’s and sometimes nurses should help.

By: Erica

Erica — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:01:30 +0000

Nurses who always have time to help the CNAs may not realize that while you are helping them, somebody should be doing your job very seldom I have a down minute unless I am on break, between med pass, treatments, charting, transcribing orders, making rounds, incident reports etc. I can seldom find time to stray off my duties and if I do it will show. If your supervisor is reprimanding you take heed.You might be missing what she is really telling you.

By: CCATT RN

CCATT RN — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:50:34 +0000

Always lead from the front. Set the example, and show those you expect to follow you’re willing to roll up your sleeves WITH them and work. They’ll likely respect you even more, and it gives you credibility when or if you must reprimand their behavior.

For cd, you’ll have to decide between your professional practice, your duty, and your friendship. To me, its an easy call, a true friend would not show such disrespect and take advantage of a relationship. Remember, you’re ultimately responsible for seeing that things are taken care of with your patient(s). You may be held accountable for that individual’s negligence.

By: Theresa Krzemien

Theresa Krzemien — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:56:43 +0000

Helping the CNA is a great time to assess patients…skin, breathing, edema, circulation, orientation, pain….with your own eyes. In my opinion, patient care changed when the RN left the bedside. Supervisors, nurse managers, charge nurses and team members need to see and be seen again!..

By: Trish

Trish — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:06:55 +0000

God bless the hard working Cna’s.A very hard job and very little recognition.We wouldn’t have been taught patient care if we we’re supposed to stop doing it when we became licensed.I agree there needs to be more of a team effort.It is not about us it is about those we care for.Yes there are many lazy a– nurses out there as well as ones who are selfish and ones that have no common sense.
I always make myself available to the Nursing Assistants I work with .I also thank them at the end of each shift.They deserve it….

By: denise

denise — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:34:38 +0000

I thought a nurse’s aide was just that, a nurse’s aide, not the other way around.

By: Inez Chapa

Inez Chapa — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 00:25:14 +0000

The nurse should assist the cna, when the cna is busy. Patient,s care is the number one goal and that takes teamwork from all staff.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:26:52 +0000

It’s a balancing act. I like Katherine’s comment. I also like my nursing aids to work independently and to also communicate with me when and if they need help, the load is too much or they’re getting behind. I want them to tell me rather than try to do everything themselves and risk patient safety. If I notice my aids are all busy and there is a call light, I go and answer but I do not agree with nurses doing their job and the nurses aids jobs both while the aid doesn’t do but sit around or take innumerable smoking breaks and so forth. Like everything else, It is a balancing act.

By: cd

cd — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:10:30 +0000

a cna ive known for years just came to my facility to work. she is the laziest cna iv ever seen, when she works under me! we r old friends and she thinks she gets a “free day” when im her nurse. i dont know how to handle this. its so awkward working with her because of our history, and she dissapears for her fun time when we work together for most of the shift. when she is on the floor shes hanging on my cart gosisping instaed of working. the friendship is in the way of my being able to be firm with her, but im almost to the point of blowing her out of the water. im so frustrated. help???

By: Tracy

Tracy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:22:10 +0000

When I first got out of nursing school ( 24 yrs ago) Iwas workign in a Nursing Home as a Treatment Nurse until I got my exam results. Anyway while working as a Treatment Nurse I found myself helping the Nursing Assistances around me – changing pt’s, helping with feeding, lifting or turning pt’s, The NA’s always said thank you and appreciated the help. One day I was repremandid by the Director of Nursing for helping the NA’a – I was told I wouldn’t be a good supervisor of the those NA’s because I was helping them. I of course disagree – people no matter who they are aprreciate help and are more willing to help you when you need it if you show you are willing to pitch in and roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty! Patient care is our job! too often we seperate ourselves by what degree we have – I’m a NA, I’m a LPN, I’m a RN, I’m a BSN, etc. We are all there to take care of our patients – whetther it’s emptying a bedpan, getting medication for a pt,or an extra blanket, etc. We have forgotten who is important – the patient – not us. We all need to work to gether for their good!
Grant the aides should not be throwing it the other nurses faces that you help and they don’t but that should be a conversation that the head nurse should be having with the aides and she should encourage the other nurses to help the aides if they are able & have the time.