Hired!!!! Looking for some advice from the pros

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I am so thrilled! Since I've moved I have applied to over a hundred jobs (a lot of nursing, and a lot of non nursing, have to pay the bills somehow). Of those jobs I received two call backs: one for an EMT position that I'm pretty sure I didn't get and one for an SNF that hired me today. I am beyond relieved. Stay patient and persistent new grads!

My question is what are your tips and tricks for treating the geriatric population? This is a relatively low-acuity facility (example: no trachs). Would love to hear some advice on assessment or any other gems you have learned from working with the geri population or in an SNF/rehab. Thanks :):)

Specializes in psychiatric nursing.

I loved working with the elderly patients in the SNF. The major downside that made me hate the job was that after passing pills for 40 residents, you don't really have much time to interact or even do a through assessment.

Pretty much a nurse's job in a SNF is passing pills as fast as you can and you hope no one has any major problems on your shift, since you have little to no time to deal with the extra issues that come up.

It's a good starting place for a new grad, but don't stay there longer than one year. After one year I found two new jobs, one in home health and the other at a psych facility.

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Specializes in psychiatric nursing.

And I agree with parmsran72, that many SNF have a 'high school' clique mentality. It is terrible where I was working and there was a lot of bullying and mistreatment going on among the nurses and between the management and the nurses.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Congrats on your first job. I love long term care. The ones with subacute units are as busy as a med surg floor and you'll learn plenty. Of course you'll have days you hate your job...we all do. But the good ones outweigh the bad when something you've done makes a huge impact on a resident's life. Keep reading these posts and you'll find many many good hints on how to cope with it all. I've worked in 7 SNFs and not one was cliquey or poorly run or horrible. THe good ones are out there.

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I have been a nurse since 2005 and I worked 9 years in one LTC facility. I started out as a CNA their also. Some days you will wanna just run out and quit, but don't. These people need you. Yes they can be confused, mean, crazy or sleep all the time but you have to remember these elderly used to be just like us. They had a family and job and they are "real" people just like us. Even though they may not know their name or where they are they need to be treated with respect. LTC is very rewarding and challenging at the same time. If you can work in LTC, you can work anywhere! I am currently working on my RN degree and I plan on staying in the long term care setting. I have learned soo much from working with the elderly. They are fun loving people and they have some of the coolest stories I have ever heard. Hang in there, it will be worth it!

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You have a great outlook on the elderly, I wish all SNF staff had the same mindset as you do!

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Specializes in CNA, RN-ASN.

I too had a hard time finding work after graduating... May graduation to late November when I was hired in LTC. Scary to put it mildly, but at 39 I have had a lot of scary things in life. I am lucky to have a job in a facility that I am impressed with. After almost 6 weeks I have a routine down but still I am very nervous. LTC does need good nurses! I definitely want to experience other specialties and not tie myself down in LTC but the experience I am gaining is invaluable. With it being winter lung sounds lungs sounds lung sounds every time someone coughs. Listen and get O2 sats. Any change in anything have your CNAs get full vitals. Build a rapport with your aides because they are very valuable to you. Tell them what you expect from them from the get go but be nice and show them respect, it will pay in the long run. And smile my residents love having me wake them up in the morning with a smile on my face. Don't let the charting scare you, when in doubt read other nursing notes and it will help you put into words what you want to say. Good luck.

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Congrats! I have worked in SNF for many years. First off remember to treat your techs/aides with respect. They can make your job tolerable or total hell. They are the eyes and ears of your hall. They know when someone is "different" today which might mean the very beginning of an illness that makes it easier for you to ward off so listen to them! But you must also have their respect meaning you can address an issue without making an example or embarrassing them in front of their peers. Bring your own supplies if you can, BP cuff, thermometer, SpO2 machine cause sharing the facilities' means having to wait and waste your time. The thing that irritates seasoned nurses about new nurses? Coming in for your shift and having to wait for you to finish your job so I can now start my job...waiting for report or the med cart will immediately start you out on the wrong foot. Manage your time well, get done everything you can as soon as you can because inevitably near the end of your shift or at the beginning of your final med pass is the time somebody will fall or have chest pain etc. Good Luck!

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