Not worth hurting someone or losing my license

Pompom · Nov 26, 2006

Unfortunately there are times when compassion takes a back seat to tasks at hand. LTC is notoriously short staffed and therefore you will have much less personal time with patients. With experience you will gain a system to help with the many tasks at hand and it will allow you more time with patients. Good luck with your decision.

Simplepleasures · Nov 26, 2006

Sorry you had to have this experience, but you now know the 'real' nursing world. Its all about greed, money and power.
There are places out there that are better than others, but they're hard to find, and personally I've never found any LTC facility I'd put in the 'better' category. I've heard they exist though.

You said it, corporate greed is the monster in this fairy tale, and as for the "better" LTC facilities, I too have heard they exist and really wanted to believe , but alas grew up and found out they only existed in fairy tales.As for getting a system, yes things get slightly easier, BUT lets all tell the dirty little truth here, any nurse that does everything "by the book" is the nurse that is being yelled at for all the overtime on her timecard". :scrying:

AuntieRN · Nov 26, 2006

kstec...LPN=Licensed Practical NURSE....You are a nurse!!! Do not ever let anyone tell you differently. My aunt bless her soul was an LPN for over 30 years. The LTC she worked at tried to force her to go get her RN and she flat out refused. She knew more then a lot of RNs even trained the new RNs that went to work with her. So do not ever think you are just an LPN and not a nurse.

ilostu12 · Nov 26, 2006

kstec......I remember when I first became a nurse and started working at an LTC. I thought to myself that I made a huge mistake, I was soooo over whelmed and I thought this isn't why I became a nurse. Your right the whole healthcare industy is NOT patient care driven, it's $$$$$ driven. HOWEVER, hang in there and keep plugging away, you will get a system down and before you know it you will have time to proved the special 1:1 that makes you a nurse. You can and willl make a difference in your residents lives and their families lives. You'll find out their little quirks and special things that will put a smile on their faces, and believe me there is NOTHING that makes you feel better than to so you residents smile and even laugh with you.

There's lots of frustration on the job, but when you've had a day from hell and nothing is goining right, when a residnet looks you in the eyes and smile and says 'Thank you,' the day just got a whole lot better.

SaharaOnyxRN · Nov 26, 2006

I'm a new LPN graduate who said that after graduation I would never work in a LTC facility. Well after four months of being out of school I thought I would apply and try a LTC facility. Well it was exactly what I though it would be. I managed to make it through 4 days of orientation. What a nightmare. I have never been so overwhelmed and scared in my life. How is it humanly possible to do 2 med passes, wound care, accuchecks and administering insuling in an appropriate time, calling doctors, doing Medicare charting and somewhere in the middle of it all spending 2 minutes with a patient who might need you to show some compassion. Well giving compassion sets you behind. In the four days that I worked there I met some of the most precious patients who I would love to of got to know besides thats furosemide, kcl, and insuling patient who has a foley. If that is nursing I don't want any part of it. I know that medications and paperwork are a big part of nursing but somewhere in there I would think the patients come in to play. I couldn't complain to much of about the pay but then again for the liablility I was taking and the fact that I came home knowing I had to hand some of my nursing moments (not nursing care but affection) off to CNA's because I did not have time, the pay couldn't be high enough. When I quit the DON proceeded to tell me that I would eventually get a system and I would be able to get everything done. Yeah maybe according to policy (med pass, charting etc.) but what about the patients?
I guess I'm one that believes a touch, a smile and time with someone works better than all the medicine in the world, especially in a LTC facility where your time is the only time they may get.

Bless your heart. I so feel what you are going through. I am about to leave a position at a LTC/SNF that I feel is dangerous to lives and licenses. I believe that that put too much work on you that you cannot possibly finish in a shift. And if you care, like I see that you do, you cannot leave that place with a good conscience knowing that everything is not done. You feel overworked, often, with sometimes nothing to show for it. Those patients deserve better. The motto of our facility is summarily "We care about our patients first..." Such baloney. Because if they did , they would adequately staff the place. But their bottom line is money and they don't want to provide enough staff to help get everything done.

Contrary to what they say, things will not get better. It's going to always be understaffed and you'll be overworked. There will be many times you will not get everything done and the work will not get done on the next shift because they, too, are overworked and don't have the time to do it.

Good luck in your nursing career. God save these horrible place that boast about caring about someone. I would love to call them out on such jibberish.

Simplepleasures · Nov 26, 2006

Those patients deserve better. The motto of our facility is summarily "We care about our patients first..." Such baloney. Because if they did , they would adequately staff the place. But their bottom line is money and they don't want to provide enough staff to help get everything done.
Contrary to what they say, things will not get better. It's going to always be understaffed and you'll be overworked. There will be many times you will not get everything done and the work will not get done on the next shift because they, too, are overworked and don't have the time to do it.
Good luck in your nursing career. God save these horrible place that boast about caring about someone. I would love to call them out on such jibberish.

Amen to that! Any nurse who has worked in LTC knows what BS it is when you hear thier spiel about putting the patient first.LTC Corporate Agenda:

1.Money

2.More Money

3.Alot of Money

kstec, LPN · Nov 26, 2006

Thank you all for your wonderful words of encouragement. It was very refreshing to know that I'm not the only one who would like to go back to the Nightingale days when nursing was nursing and money and politics didn't completely run the show. I feel bad that I quit the nursing home after only four days, but in my heart I knew it wasn't going to get any better. All the nurses that worked there except for one had only been there 1-2 months and the DON and only been there since late summer. Maybe when the facility gets it together I'll try again, but not until then. I feel bad because I had something to offer those sweet residents that I wish I could of had more time to share with them. Well I'll keep my chin up and I know my kind of nursing is out there, where I can feel good about what I have done that day. Thank you all.

banditrn · Nov 26, 2006

kstec - any new job in nursing can be overwhelming!! I found that once I figured out what was going on and got myself organized and prioritized, I had time to learn to 'know' most of the residents.

Maybe we'd chat while I was doing a treatment, taking their blood sugar, or giving their meds. A minute here, 2 minutes there - it adds up. Even then, some days will be just too busy, but for the most part, talking to the residents was important to me so I MADE time for it.

ktwlpn, LPN · Nov 26, 2006

I don't think 4 days is enough time to get comfortable in a position.It takes weeks -if not months -to become familiar with a facilities routine and each resident's idiosyncrasies.Once you have accomplished that then everything else falls into place and you will have time for more then just the physical needs of your residents during most shifts.I think you caved too quickly.As for "warm fuzzies" maybe you need to re-examine why you became a nurse-what do you believe you will get out of it? I don't quite get what a "warm fuzzy" is-I have my own family friends and pets for affection.If I want "play time" with the residents I can go into the activities department.Most of my residents give their affection to their families-I don't expect to take their place.I always have a smile on my face even when my skin is crawling because the day is spiraling away-I always make time to make a joke,pay a compliment,give a hug -even though that means I don't get the break I am entitled to...A "warm fuzzy" for me is when I have accomplished all of my tasks.I feel I have made a difference when everyone gets there meds and I have assessed those wounds-maybe I can make a treatment suggestion to help that wound heal faster..Maybe I can call the doc regarding that residents finger sticks-maybe the long acting insulin needs to be adjusted.It would be good to help get that residents blood sugars adjusted so maybe they won't need QID fingersticks...I have been known to clock out and then help transport residents to/fro activities or just sit and chat for a few minutes because I do really enjoy there company.The best "warm fuzzy" for me is taking the combative Alzheimer's resident and learning how to get him or her to accept care without bloodshed....or helping a resident and their loved ones plan the resident's end of life care and making sure they are educated regarding the changes that will take place and putting the plan of care in place to treat their symptoms...Now that's what I call a warm fuzzy-especially in this society that seems to often value quantity over quality....I remember starting in LTC --and I work with in-experienced nurses routinely.It can feel overwhelming and very task oriented but as I said it takes time to learn to see the whole forrest past the trees.Good Luck-we need good nurses in LTC...

ns lpn · Nov 27, 2006

Working LTC is difficult because you don't have all the time you'd like to spend with the residents. Even the CCA's don't have all the time they need to spend with the residents, and it's mostly due to understaffing.

This being said I do like LTC as an LPN but on a casual basis. I have a few residents I've gotten to know well over the years and it's a good way to keep current with medications. I however (I think - like you) wanted more time with my clients and therefore work part time as well at an assisted living facility where I have oodles of time with the residents and still use my nursing skills.

Sometimes the best fit in nursing isn't always in one field. I sometimes loath LTC but mostly I go in and do my job because someone needs to and I can do it. You will build relationships with those you pass meds to and even if you don't have the time you'd like with them you are part of their everyday life and do make a difference in it.