[nursingis4me]

Originally Posted by scrapgirl2000

I am proud that I work in Assisted Living, you should be too! Geriatrics is a SPECIALTY. I heard it in the hospital I used to work at where the "Tele unit nurses thought med surg nurses were dumb or God forbid you give an ICU nurse more than 4 patients or L&D nurses never get dirty". That is non-sense because we all choose which area we love and become well trained in that specific area. Our job as nurses is hard enough as it, so why the competition? A seasoned ER nurse may need help with a patient on a feeding tube because that is not common in ER. Does that make him/her less of a quality nurse? no, we ALL have questions, and are not perfect nurses. Anyways, it is an HONOR for me to take care of an elderly individual who is someone's grandparent, parent, brother or sister. I love that I can be their advocate and treat them with the same kindness and compassion I would as my parents and grandparents. I feel it is an HONOR to work with hospice residents and to be the one holding their hand when they die, so they are not alone. I feel that NO specialty in nursing needs to be defended. Any death or illness is complicated. Taking care of the elderly is very honorable and challenging. If it was so easy there would be no need for LTC facilities. Many nurses and doctors place their families in LTC, so we nurses should be the last to judge and compare of each other!

MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY!!!!

[mistirose]

I can't believe this thread because I have been wrestling with if I should go into long term right out of school. My fellow class mates are not fans of the elderly and can't believe I would waste my education on geriatrics. I was questioning myself till my husband asked me what will make you happy? What a simple question. I love geriatrics. I love these people and that is where I am gonna go. I will hold my head up high! Thank goodness we don't all want to work in the same specialty. Each of us has a talent and should use it.

[hopenono]

funny thing I often review paper work before the resident is admitted to are home. we often find hosp mistacks treatments not ness. and they are now putting all of ours in isolation too!! the hosp often send them back untreated or with pressure ulcers we bust our humps too heal. we also have more regs than any other agency more reulated than a hosp. hospice home care md office!
I love LTC it has been my calling for 19 years! first CNA then RNA then floor LPN to treatments now im the medicare mds person! yah! next DON! working on my RN!