Applied and was offered a Job Unsure

[Willow Moonsidhe]

Hello All

I applied and was offered a job and now I am unsure I will take it. They want me to care for 40 residents and 60 if someone calls in with one other person. The numbers sound horrible. Don't know what to do. Is that normal numbers?

Thanks

~Willow

[Daisy_08, BSN, RN]

45 is the number in my home to give meds to and there are another 35-40 that the ucp (unregulated care provider) gives out meds to, but you are the registered staff responsible for narc injections, ss insulin, dressings, tube feedings and if any emergencies come up for all 80 or so residents.

i think it depends on the type of pts, if it is 40 pts all with advanced dementia who are combative, or pt's who require a lot of treatments then maybe that’s a little much. my advice is to take it. jobs are hard to come by, you may not like the job but keep applying to other places and you can get some experience for your resume, maybe a great reference and some $$$. as long as you get adequate orientation and don't feel like your risking your licence then i would go for it. if it is not working out, quit.

[caliotter3]

Have you not worked in long term care in the past? Yes, these numbers are normal. I was responsible for 80 residents at one facility and 52 residents at another job where I was the only licensed nurse on night shift. I survived the jobs but the nonsurvivable part was workplace hostility toward those who were not one of the majority. They know how to make it hell for someone until they leave and hopefully the next employee hired will belong to the majority.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

Depends on the acuity of the patients, where I am at there is a vent unit, where they are all trachs, vents, GT, wounds and treatments, that section has 20. Then the skilled unit has a couple more stable vent patients, about 4 GT and there are around 25. The next unit is half skilled, but more stable skilled and long term and that is 27. The last section is Long term with little old ladies and that section has 30.

The skilled unit is usually the hardest one, you have less paitents, but more treatments, the LTC has more residents and a bigger med pass, but the are stable and generally do not have all the wound care that the skilled side provides.

I would take the 30 stable patients over the 20 unstable anyday

On NOC shift there are only 2 nurses for the whole facility.

[Willow Moonsidhe]

I worked in LTC as the House Supervisor back in 1993 for a 148 bed nursing home and the numbers I find shocking to be frank. We had 1 RN 2 LPNs and 2 Aids for skilled unit with about 30 patients on 3-11. No vents but some Portacaths. All skilled also no regular patients. Other floors had 1 LPN and 2 Aids for 20 patients. I am trying to wrap my brain around how much has changed.

Thanks so much for the replies.

~Willow

[MouseMichelle]

What shift is this on? Yes that's normal, and yes it's overwhelming, but if you have good management skills you can do it, if now you'll learn :)

[Ruthfarmer]

My hat is off to you all. There's no way I could render care to that many patients. I just don't have it in me. You are truly Super Nurses.