Yes, CNAs are the connection to the patients. I relied heavily on my CNAs to let me know if anything was wrong or different with the patients. Patients will tell CNAs alot more than they will share with the nurses. I was a CNA before I was a nurse. Being a CNA is hard hard work with no thanks for it. I always appreciated my CNAs, They were my eyes and ears. Of course, like with any profession, there are some good and some not so good. But you learn quickly which ones you can depend on. Just do the best job you can and they will learn to appreciate you.

I agree that the CNA's are the eyes and ears of the nurses. I don't know what I would do without my CNA's. I worked as a CNA before coming a nurse and it makes me appreciate my CNA's more b/c I actually know what they go through. The CNA's probably spend more time with the paitents than the nurses do. If your RN's and LPN's treat the CNA's that way they probably never worked as a CNA. I always try to thank my CNA's but I know I probably don't do it often enough.

my mother was in a nursing home for over a month after a car accident... i saw firsthand how truly important and crucial the CNAs are. a good or a bad CNA would totally make or break her day. there were some that would offer her beer when she was on cumitin and oxycontin, or forget to turn her when necessary; but there was also a really good one that would bring special leave-in conditioner from a salon from her home because she thought it was sad that my mom's curly black hair was getting brittle and dried out; or would bring jazz cds from home because everyone was getting sick of listening to john coltrane on repeat all day every day.

RNs sometimes don't realize that a CNA makes his/her job infinitely smoother.

Thank God I am working in a wonderful place now. Everyone is friendly and they make you feel like you belong.

TerryA says ...

I work in a facility where the RNs and LPNs seem to not want anything to do with the CNAs. It makes it hard to work like that. One of the head RNs seems like she hates her job. If you ask her a question, she acts like you have ask her to jump off a bridge. How do you deal with people like that. I think CNAs are the heart of the hospital. We do all the dirty work, so they don't have to. And they also need to realize, yes some of us have more education than just CNAs.

This is the attitude that is one of my biggest pet peeves, next to toast crumbs in my butter dish.  I was a CNA before I became a LPN.  I know where I came from, and I will never ever forget it.  I have aides that look at me funny when I will stop and help them when they just need an extra hand transfering someone, boosting someone up in bed, passing trays.  I'm not above that.  I can't stand RN's or even LPN's for the matter that come right out of school, never seeing an ass in thier lives and think thier poo doesn't stink.  They spend more time running up and down the halls to find an aide to answer a call bell, than taking the 2 seconds to go in the room, and hand the cute little lady a damn tissue!  I know nurses can be stressed, but every job has stress.  People at McDonalds flipping burgers have stress!  When  you go to work you need to remember, I am part of a team, I am no different than the guy scubbing the toilet, and the aide changing linen.  I am capable of doing this myself, and helping others.  The end result is the care of the patients.  On a good note ending this rant - I LOVE MY CNA'S!  Your my peeps!

DaMomb says ...

 

I too was a CNA first, and UI firmly believe that it should be a prerequisite to ANY nursing licensure!  CNA's are the eyes and ears...without you, our job would be nearly impossible!  Too bad many nurses DON'T feel this way....it really is their loss though.

 I couldn't agree more!  I so believe that it should be a prereq too!

 I really don't agree with the idea that one should be a CNA before going to nursing school.  I find it can be counter productive in some instances.  It depends a lot on the person.  

I've known students with no prior medical experience who were excellent students, and will be great nurses.  I've known students who work as CNAs who are marginal at best.  There's a lot of in between.

What I find is many students get CNA training just to get ranking points so they can get into the program.  They never actually work as CNAs.  So they really don't know anything about being a CNA, and their skills may be rusty by the time they start nursing courses.  I also have known students who are working CNAs who either have a hard time stepping up to the RN role because they are stuck in the CNA role, or who think they know more than they do, and believe I have nothing to teach them (those are the scariest).  Often, the students who work as CNAs have bad habits I have to break in the first course:  poor technique taking blood pressures, turning and repositioning patients, etc.

My school is considering adding the CNA component as a part of our nursing program:  you take the CNA course as the first nursing course.  We're not there yet, though.

I do believe that CNAs don't get the respect they deserve for the hard job they have.  I've known quite a few who were very committed to good patient care.  Some went on to become nurses.  Others weren't interested in moving "up".

Ladybug: where was the RN? I would suggest that if that ever happens again, go to the next in the chain of command.  That LPN evidently did not care.  Why did it take until the next shift for this to be addressed.  Did the LPN not check at all during her shift?   Let me assure you that all nurses are not like that.  The CNA's are the eyes and ears, especially when the nurse is tied up doing something else for another patients.  I can assure you when my CNA says "I think Mrs. So and So is having a stroke", I am on my why to that bed or calling for another nurse to check in the event that I can't get down there.

 I think everyone is our profession is equally as important as everyone else, NO ONE person is MORE important to the patient as another, we are all spokes on a wheel if a spoke is not working the patient suffers, as nurses we know how it feels to have doc's treat us like they were the only important spoke, they aren't and neither are we as RN's. The patient needs all of us working to gether, it should be the RN to ensure the God's (doc's) and the aides are working as a well oiled wheel, it is only then the patient is truley getting the best care that they deserve. If you approach a subordinate with a smile and a positive word before making a potentially neg comment it will go down much easier, EVERYONE wants to feel they are important and have something to bring to the table, you will always have problems with others if you structure your words in a neg rather than a positive.

The place I work in the CareGivers are rood to each other and even sometimes to the resiendts! I work third so the night nurse is a LPN and the other on is a LPN workin on her RN! Bein I'm in LPN school right now I get along with them very well! But the other CareGivers treat me like crap! O'well I guees that is what I get for bein a male!  HEHE

I am a cna and have been workin there for 6yrs now....when i was first employed there ,i had recieved alot of negativity........Once i started communicating to my head nurses..it seemed to calm down the fire.......I started off by saying Hello...good mourning,evening,etc.. with a smile no matter how much i did not like an individual.....i also asked if they wanted anything for lunch when i went out......commented them on thier appearence and asked for advice.....like......ex. 'You seem like a rational individual,what is your opinion on....nursing ethics?' After all, we must build a healthy professional relationship with our nursing and department heads.......CNAs must trust their LVNs&RNs,as well as them........Somtimes we must grit our teeth and smile.......You catch more flies with honey then vinegar

FastFlying_NA says ...

ya. i hate to "lump" RNs and sometimes other nurses into a group of, what may sound like, not hard working G4N, people that always complain about how you do your job and then never ever help you out. however i have found that to be very true. its not nice at all to say that but when im on the floor working the RNs especially are the ones that give me a hard time. there is almost no team work in LTC sometimes. AAAAKKKKK!!!!!! makes me wana quit and never come back! ima just crawl into the corner and hide @ work sometimes!

but my hearts in what i do. and i cant imagin doing anything else.

 

I have had many bad experiences with LPN's and RNs, and i've realized they are not all alike, but the ones that are bad, around here nobody even cares b/c they are so hard to replace, they almost get away with anything..... EX:  One of my resident's had some rectal bleeding which could have been only hemorroids, but at the same time could have been something else, while I was making rounds, and it IS the nurse's job to come and check it out.... well we went to get her, and come to find out, she said "well it will have to wait" and the treatment nurse along with all the other nurses were in a room, ..... eating FREAKIN CAKE!   So..... if there was someone who was having a heartattack or stroke, and they were not DNR, who is supposed to save them besides us trying.... won't it be too late once they're done eating their precious cake?   What was like 2 seconds to come and see the injury, and know what is going on????   Was the damn cake gonna run away??? Now how is that fair to us, when we are told we MUST hurry up and report anything different???? I'd like to know what the secret is that what we report isn't important enough but we can still get bi***ed out?   NOW WHAT'S THE DEAL????

Firstaid83: Yep!!!!  THATS  EXACTALLY the type of staffing and almost the same situations that i expirence in the LTCF in which i work. I can relate to you very well. And honestly, i dont really think there are very many LPN/RNs would just drop there cake (of all the thing to eat @ a nursing home) forks and come @ your beckon 'n call. I'm sorry that you have to work in that type of situation. But there is deffiinatly no need for snappy remarks like "it will have to wate". OMG!!!! How rude! And there ARE many LPN/RNs that would say rude things such as that.

Oh yea! but remember that as long as we have enough staff to meet codes, thats all that counts.......right? Now, thats whats what we call a "care facility".

I've had the pleasure of working with some wonderful nurses over the years, and most of them taught and encouraged me to further my career. It all depends on the CNA's attitude as well as that of the nursing team. I agree that we all should be team players. I get along with most everyone I meet, even the snootie nurses. Just don't let their attitudes bother you to the point that it makes you doubt your relevance to the goal of patient care. I truly love the profession of nursing and medicine and will always do my best no matter what.

There are alot of Nurses out there that act like CNAs are not as vauable as they are. Im just happy to say I did'nt have to work with alot of them, I had some charge nurses that were like that. But More of them were more passionate, appreciative and understood what we as CNAs go through. Because they have been there before, I just hope we can all come togeher and make the workplace a more brighter, and better place to work.