Does anyone really enjoy LTC?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I've always wanted to be a nurse but I wasn't sure, if I was cut out to be one. At my mothers suggestion I took CNA training. I LOVED caring for the residents. I knew right away I wanted to go to nursing school and work in a LTC or assisted living.

That was back in 2002, I never got the opportunity to work beyond my training, despite being hired by the facility I trained in. (My son was diagnosed with a wilms tumor a week after my training ended. He good now !!)

I have gotten back on track and I am taking my prerequisites for the LVN program. But every time the subject of "where do you want to work" comes up, everyone including professors, former CNA's, graduated LVN's going on to RN's are always negative saying "you'll hate it", "you weren't there long enough to see the bad", "if you go LVN you'll be trapped there too" it's all meds"

It's really been getting into my head. Does anyone out there really enjoy LTC as I did?

Chronic understaffing I think is what you need to watch for. It's unfortunately all too common and the person hiring you won't tell you if it's a problem. Since you already know that you like the patient population and the environment, you're a step ahead. Long before you need to start looking for LPN work, start finding out what places are good places to work and which ones aren't. Ask about shadowing. Ask about ratios. Can you talk to the nurses at the facility you were a aide at? They should have insight about the local job market. Let the good facilities know that you're working on earning your nursing degree and would be interested in working there. That might help you when it comes to choosing between you and another new nurse. Doing these things will also help alleviate your fear that only bad LTC positions await you upon graduation.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Long Term Care.

18 patients is great! compared to places I have worked. My last per diem I was responsible for 60 patients with 3 aides if I was lucky and they came into work. That was in addition to treatments, medications and charting and as an RN I technically was reponsible for the 60 patients on the other floor. Thank goodness the LPN's on the other floor were excellent and able to take care of everything. My first night a patient died and the DON called me at home to tell me I filled out the death cert in the wrong color ink! She said it was in the policy and procedure book. I told her I had no time to sit and read a policy and procedure manual!

I loved the patients but it was too much for me to risk my license over such poor staffing.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

Good luck to the OP. I believe that LTC nursing is almost a 'calling' and takes a special kind of person. As the other posters said, just watch out for facilities with staffing problems. I also heard LTC called "a license eater" because nurses in LTC facilities have a higher incidence of losing their licenses. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, I wonder if it is due to the increasing acuity of the patients and chronic under-staffing.

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I am not a nurse yet, finishing up my last pre-requisite to hopefully be accepted Jan 08. Anyway, I have worked in LTC for the past 9 years as a CNA and love it compared to the hospital.

But like some of the above posters you have to find a good one with good supportive staff and team work. Like any other place it has its ups and downs but LTC makes you feel like you really get to know your patients and are really making a difference in their lives whether its just saying hi, washing their face or making them comfortable.

The patients in LTC are very interesting people, they lived in the past and if your young you can really learn alot from them.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
Good luck to the OP. I believe that LTC nursing is almost a 'calling' and takes a special kind of person. As the other posters said just watch out for facilities with staffing problems. I also heard LTC called "a license eater" because nurses in LTC facilities have a higher incidence of losing their licenses. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, I wonder if it is due to the increasing acuity of the patients and chronic under-staffing.[/quote']

Nurses lose their licenses for operating outside their scope of practice or not following standard procedures and standards of care. I don't think LTC nurses are at higher risk for losing their licenses...I've been in the business for more than 10 years and not one nurse lost a license because of poor staffing...or anything else...cripes we had a nurse who was fired for drug diversion and she didn't lose HER license! (sorry I digress)

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I have worked in LTC for almost five years now et I love my job. I went from STNA to LPN to RN et supervisor. Now I work in MDS et get called out to the floor to help out sometimes or insert IV, do an admission or whatever they need help with. I still love it like I did from the start. And there is more to LTC than just passing meds. If you try it et don't like it you will not necessarily be "stuck" there. Good luck. Hope you will go for it. LTC takes a special nurse.

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What Matters Is Do You Enjoy Ltc? If After The First Time You Make A Positive Difference In Someone's Life Or Comfort In Someone's Death You Are Not Hooked, Then, You Don't Enjoy Ltc.

I Promise You That If You Bring A Positive Attitude To What You Do, The Residents And Their Families Will Appreciate It And Miss You When You Are Not There. I Love Being A Nurse And Love Ltc And It Loves Me Right Back. It Loves Me So Much That On The Bad Days I'm Sheltered. I Know Tomorrow Will Bring Opportunity For A Better Day. An Opportunity For A Soft Spoken Thank You And A Smile.

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Specializes in nursing home care.

I love working in care homes, have done so since graduating 5 years ago with 1st Class (Hons) Nursing. I would never work in another area as I love the autonomy, the relationships with residents, the spontaneity. Yeah it can be hectic and if you are the lone nurse, you sometimes may feel overwhelmed by decision-making without a doctor or fellow nurse holding your hand, but the rewards from the residents are ten fold. Deliver the care now that you would wish upon yourself in the future and we can rock LTC into recognition. I also came across the sceptics, one of whom was a glorified penpushed in an outpatient clinic. Fight your corner, remind them of the reason you came to nursing - to care!

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Big-B How true! My best friends son just came to work at the LTC where I am at,,, I did not encourage him to.. I have been here for 15years it was also my first job out of nursing school. It has changed so much since then, I would have run out the door 15 years ago had it been so rough! But then I thought about it, I was so starry eyed then. I had big dreams. I love working there it is a challenge I have learned so much. I have alot of frustration daily , those who do not work the floor have high demands for us that do,,, it is so sweet when push comes to shove and the powers that be have to lower themselves and work the floor, they are in tears. I am proud that I can do it well for my residents. but it doesn't happen overnight so if my best friends son survives he will get a great education if not he moves on and find where he wants to be in nursing... this is not the only place.

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fultzymom and marjoriemac. THANKS FOR THE GOOD COMPANY. I LOVE, LOVE , LOVE WHAT I DO.

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LTC is no longer just about geriatrics. We have had several young patients in their teens and twenties. Where I work we have a lot of cancer patients and VA patients that are not that old at all. I have gained a lot of knowledge at my job and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have worked at different facilities and would never go back to them. I even tearned one place in to the state it was so bad. But if you find the good place and one that is right for you it can be one of the best jobs ever. I love getting to kknow the patients and seeing them progess or even being able to help them pass on. It is very rewarding and well worth working in. I have also done home health and hospital work and LTC is my fav.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Jessi

You like to help your patients pass on? Yikes I hope you mean make them as comfortable as possible whilst they are passing on...seems any thing more than that would be considered euthanasia.

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