Im going insane!!!!

Rapheal · Feb 3, 2004

Sorry you had such a rough time recently. You deserve a spa treatment with a massage. I am lighting scented candles for you. :)

LPNLew · Feb 5, 2004

I feel for you. I have been in long term care for a while and have been working on a Dimentia unit for 3 1/2 years now and it seems like when I come in at 3PM the day shift is too busy to do things because they are out having cigarettes. As bad as it seems now you will have your good days. And be thankful there are people like you that care and make it better.

grandma rn38 · Feb 5, 2004

i feel for you, were i work it"s the same. one day i came in and there were 6 admits and a d/c waiting for me with one other nurse on the floor, that day shift couldn't get, who had 4 nurses that day. Then i had a pt to die. with 22 pt's and 2 nurses on the floor it was a bad evening!

Lovenursinganyx · Feb 5, 2004

Thank you all for your replies. Its nice to know that I'm not in this alone. I knew that I wasnt to begin with, but sometimes it just feels that way!!!

MEL101 · Feb 14, 2004

I have to vent a little. I have only been a LPN for a year and am already starting to hate my job. I got into LTC because I love the elderly. At the facility that I work, I take care of roughly 8-12 people. It is a skilled hall and most residents are oriented and just there for rehab. I have 3 other residents that are out of their mind and I cant find any reason why! That really isnt the problem though. I just read a post about someone coming onto shift and not givin in report that someone was very ill. That was how my weekend started. I came in Saturday and found one of my resident with a temp of 102.9ax. He was only responding to painful stimuli and his SaO2 was 85% on 2L. Of course the family comes in a couple minutes later wanting to know whats going on, when did it start, and all the like. They did tell me however that when they were here on tuesday, he had a temp and was having a hard time holding his head up. So why in the heck was this not taken care of? This happens ALL THE TIME. And the DRs get so ticked when you have to call them on the weekend. I was supposed to get off work last night at 7pm and didnt end up leaving until 11pm. I am not the type of person to work over, or waste time throughout the day. It is jsut getting to be too much! There is never enough staff! When I had all the problems when i first came in on saturday, I forgot to mention that the nurse that was working the other half of the hall, only stayed and hour of the shift with his head down on the desk and decided he was too sick to work. So that left me with 22 skilled people to take care of, 2 of them were pretty critical, and 1 was needing his discharge papers taken care of so he could go home. Just a mess. One of my aids called in. I know that everyone experiences things like this, but it really is making hate my job! Im too young and inexperienced to hate it already! Thanks for letting me vent!:stone

Hang in there! After 34 yrs of nursing there is still the light at the end of the tunnel...it gets real dim at times but remember, we are the few and chosen to assist in relieving pain and promoting healthy living....our lives can brighten anyones day...life is a drag at times but picture yourself as the "angel" we're touted to be....You do make a difference!!!! (remember me in your next LTC...I'll be in the scooter creating do-do for the next generation of care givers!)

mandykal, ADN, RN · Mar 10, 2004

I have to vent a little. I have only been a LPN for a year and am already starting to hate my job. I got into LTC because I love the elderly. At the facility that I work, I take care of roughly 8-12 people. It is a skilled hall and most residents are oriented and just there for rehab. I have 3 other residents that are out of their mind and I cant find any reason why! That really isnt the problem though. I just read a post about someone coming onto shift and not givin in report that someone was very ill. That was how my weekend started. I came in Saturday and found one of my resident with a temp of 102.9ax. He was only responding to painful stimuli and his SaO2 was 85% on 2L. Of course the family comes in a couple minutes later wanting to know whats going on, when did it start, and all the like. They did tell me however that when they were here on tuesday, he had a temp and was having a hard time holding his head up. So why in the heck was this not taken care of? This happens ALL THE TIME. And the DRs get so ticked when you have to call them on the weekend. I was supposed to get off work last night at 7pm and didnt end up leaving until 11pm. I am not the type of person to work over, or waste time throughout the day. It is jsut getting to be too much! There is never enough staff! When I had all the problems when i first came in on saturday, I forgot to mention that the nurse that was working the other half of the hall, only stayed and hour of the shift with his head down on the desk and decided he was too sick to work. So that left me with 22 skilled people to take care of, 2 of them were pretty critical, and 1 was needing his discharge papers taken care of so he could go home. Just a mess. One of my aids called in. I know that everyone experiences things like this, but it really is making hate my job! Im too young and inexperienced to hate it already! Thanks for letting me vent!
I just want to add a comment, I know that the timing is off but it's never too late. Congrads! You made it this far... One of a good habit that could help you. When you first come onto shift, your aids should have gotten basic report from the 7-3 CNA's, after that they could start their rounds. That would give you time to organize yourself and get your report. When that chance comes, hopefully when you're organized, communication is the only way to get things done aswell as getting good info on your residents. Talk to you aids, ask them "if they notice any changes when they conducted their rounds," and give them the full report of the unit. I know that sometimes you'll have those type of aids who simply have no clue, if thats the case, take a quick walk down the unit just to get an eye of your resident and their current status. Communications, is a good key. Best of luck!

heatherbless · Mar 10, 2004

I have to vent a little. I have only been a LPN for a year and am already starting to hate my job. I got into LTC because I love the elderly. At the facility that I work, I take care of roughly 8-12 people. It is a skilled hall and most residents are oriented and just there for rehab. I have 3 other residents that are out of their mind and I cant find any reason why! That really isnt the problem though. I just read a post about someone coming onto shift and not givin in report that someone was very ill. That was how my weekend started. I came in Saturday and found one of my resident with a temp of 102.9ax. He was only responding to painful stimuli and his SaO2 was 85% on 2L. Of course the family comes in a couple minutes later wanting to know whats going on, when did it start, and all the like. They did tell me however that when they were here on tuesday, he had a temp and was having a hard time holding his head up. So why in the heck was this not taken care of? This happens ALL THE TIME. And the DRs get so ticked when you have to call them on the weekend. I was supposed to get off work last night at 7pm and didnt end up leaving until 11pm. I am not the type of person to work over, or waste time throughout the day. It is jsut getting to be too much! There is never enough staff! When I had all the problems when i first came in on saturday, I forgot to mention that the nurse that was working the other half of the hall, only stayed and hour of the shift with his head down on the desk and decided he was too sick to work. [ QUOTE]So that left me with 22 skilled people to take care of, 2 of them were pretty critical, and 1 was needing his discharge papers taken care of so he could go home. Just a mess. One of my aids called in. I know that everyone experiences things like this,
but it really is making hate my job! Im too young and inexperienced to hate it already! Thanks for letting me vent!
would never work under those kind of conditions/NEVER/HTY.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 16, 2004

8-12 patients??? 22 patients and 2 nurses??? Zowie all y'all are lucky! We have 1 nurse on 11-7 for 60 long term residents, 1 on a 41 bed dementia unit, and 2 on the 41 bed subacute. My nurses would be doing handsprings and whistling if they only had 8 or even 12 patients!

Blackcat99 · Mar 17, 2004

When I work in LTC centers it is just one disaster after another. I would go to work thinking that I would get something accomplished. At the end of my shift I was too tired to care. I just wanted to get out of there alive.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2004

8-12 patients??? 22 patients and 2 nurses??? Zowie all y'all are lucky! We have 1 nurse on 11-7 for 60 long term residents, 1 on a 41 bed dementia unit, and 2 on the 41 bed subacute. My nurses would be doing handsprings and whistling if they only had 8 or even 12 patients!

I agree! When I worked LTC, I was the only nurse for 60 (nocs). Half were LTC, but the other half were sub-acute rehab. IVs, TPN, central lines, the whole bit.

When I worked 3-11, I was the only nurse for 30, half LTC, half rehab.

I am not trying to belittle the OP's bad time she's having, but 8-12 sounds like a dream in rehab. I've had 9-10 in med surg, no CNA, no LPN, no unit clerk.

shirley SA · Mar 18, 2004

Please dont be discouraged soon they must review the nurse patient ratios in Aus the unions have got acute 1:4 most nursing homes are about 1;7 am,pm shifts 1:10 nd they decided that it was better than all the injury and stress claims the insurance claims were sending them broke! Money motivates change

good luck and hang in there