Cnas And Nurses: It's All About Respect!

Throughout the health care world, nurses and nursing assistants work together in teams. And, respect among team members is important for efficient and effective work. But, which should come first: giving or receiving respect? If you ask your co-workers, they might say things like:

"I'm not giving anyone respect who doesn't show me respect first."

"I'd better show those nurses some respect so that they like me."

"My supervisor deserves respect and so do I."

If you take a look at these three responses, you'll probably agree that the first one sounds pretty aggressive. Let's face it: if everyone had that attitude, no one would ever make the first move! Instead, everyone would be waiting for someone else to be respectful first.

The second response shows a lack of confidence; it's more passive. Respect is not about liking or disliking someone. Two co-workers might not enjoy each other's company, but they can still respect each other.

The last response is the most assertive response. Remember-being assertive means that you expect to both give and receive respect.

Here are 6 tips for both giving and receiving respect in the workplace:

Be kind to all the nurses and nursing assistants. Remember that working with sick and/or aging people can be emotionally exhausting. It can be very frustrating to work hard every day and see no improvement in your clients-or even see them getting worse. Support your coworkers...and let them support you!

Put yourself in your co-workers' shoes. Think about what it must be like to be them-what they may be going through and why they behave as they do. When you try to understand other people, it's easier to empathize with them.

Pull your own weight by fulfilling your assigned duties. But, remain flexible, too! Your assignment may change from week to week, from day to day or even from hour to hour. And, when someone asks you to help with a task that's not one of your regular duties, try to avoid saying, "That's not my job."

Be passionate about your work. By showing others that you love your work, you become a shining example for others to follow.

Do the right thing. If you approach your work with honesty and integrity-and do your best at all times-you will respect yourself for a job well done. And self-respect is so important! Remember the old Spanish proverb, "If you want to be respected, you must first respect yourself."

Keep on learning. Take every opportunity to learn new things. Complete extra inservices and then apply what you learn during your daily work with clients. The more you know, the more valuable you become to yourself, your co-workers and to your workplace.