Hi,

I have been at my LTC for almost four years, first as a Cena then as a LPN.

I've been an LPN for 7 months. My question is, are all LTCs the same to work for, or are some worse or better? I feel I need to move on and their is another LTC in town that pays more money and my friend that works there loves it there. She is also a new nurse and worked for my LTC for awhile. She likes the new place a lot better than mine. When I mentioned that I was going to start looking for a new job, alot of the people where I work say that all LTCs have the same problems. :icon_confused:

Weelllllll. It all depends. The general problems are there in all nursing homes,just to varying degrees. I've only worked for 4 LTC places in the last 10 or so years. Each place had it's problems and wasn't 100% in all areas. I think it is possible to find a good fit in LTC, but just remember....the grass my not always be greener on the side.

If I were you, I would talk with your friend that works at the other facility, and compare, make the proverbial pro and con list, it also depends on how long your friend has oworked at the other place, there may not have been enough time for her to really make a final decision on what is better and what is not. No place is perfect all facilities have their problems, I'm sure some facilities are better than others, but if you have 7 months already invested, I would want to check into it further before making a change, especially if you already have insurance and retirement benefits, you would have to change all that if you moved. Just some suggestions. In the end you have to follow your heart. Good luck with what ever you decide.

Yes, I think some can be better than others - I just quit a corporate run LTC that paid well, but staffed poorly.

You just have to figure out what's important to you - the one that I'm orienting at now staffs much better, but doesn't pay as well - I'm sure as I get into it I will find some little glitches here and there, but for the most part it seems to be well run, and well supplied, which was one of my other peeves with the other place.

I accepted my first LTC job at a shabby, old nursing home and was only oriented for 8 hours before being cut loose to work on my own. I now work at an upscale LTC, but I shall mention that both facilities suffer from the same problems: threadbare staffing and high employee turnover rates.

I have worked LTC most of my 20 year career in nursing and have been at the facility I am with now for 3 years, all Ltc has problems, some more then others. You just have to decide where you are needed the most and make where you are the very best that you can after all the pts. are the #1 priority to nurses

See how long the staff has been there. When I started my job last year, I was impressed because more than 3/4 staff had been there >10 years. Now people are jumping ship, it's a sure sign things are getting worse. Lots of agency nurses can mean there are little permanent staff.

I accepted my first LTC job at a shabby, old nursing home and was only oriented for 8 hours before being cut loose to work on my own. I now work at an upscale LTC, but I shall mention that both facilities suffer from the same problems: threadbare staffing and high employee turnover rates.

I agree with you, its the nature of the beast, and BEAST it is, whether housed in a pretty , clean environment, or dark dank halls, SAME, SAME ,SAME.

:clown: same circus...different clowns

I too am A recent grad.. 6 months ago.. & I work in acute care (med-surg) and LTC.. I see the same problems at both.. Slackers.. robot nurses.. etc. When I graduated I was totally against ltc because all the local facilitys we trained at were a nightmare... but a newer on in a near by town was hiring & I needed extra hours... I love it.. I just go in every day with the outlook that I am a great Nurse and will do the best I can! I try to avoid getting trapped into any thing with the "so called" groups! and try my best to delegate to the stna's... I keep telling myself I am not there to make friends.. i am there to care for these people in there HOME!