I hear frequently on this BB, other BBs, Nursing magazines and other Nurse friends that "If you go into LTC you loose all of your skills" This is so untrue, it makes my blood boil.
I know that we do not HAVE to do alot of the procedures that Nurses in Acute care settings are asked to do, but there are alot of human skills that we have to have in abundance to succeed in LTC.
I did not go into Nursing to become a LTC Nurse. I did go into Nursing to help anyone and at every chance I could. Geriatrics gives me that opportunity. We don't just treat the ill, the infirmed. We have to see the big picture. My residents are not just sick and in the hospital. They are dying. And I take a great honor in being able to help them and their families prepare for this finality. I get to know these people as human, I know their children, their grandchildren, even their dogs/fish. The staff of a LTC facility are often the only family these forgotten souls have. I take great pride in being a LONG TERM CARE NURSE. And there is nothing lacking about my skills, there are different thats all.
