LTC, SKILLED almost impossible to get things done

[9livesRN]

For any of you guys with 15+patients

How often can you go through your shift, giving every single pill, every single vitamin, doing every single treatment to every single patient, making sure they drank all their supplements, completing all of your charting.?the last time you got it all done did you leave on time? Did you have any admissions? Did you complete it all?

I give kudos to SNU nurses, specially the medsurge/ortho rehab ones, specially 7-3 or 3-11 shift

SNU nurses are overworked!

- high patient load

- have your post surgical in pain that you need to control, make sure they don't fall, make sure their dressing is ok

- then you have your totals that you need to boll us or pump feed, that you need to help turn and change

- then you have your combative ones that you must find a way to divert their energy and they end up hanging around the nursing station by your side, so you can sit and chart for one minute ( then the family comes to visit and wants to know why aren't they in bed?)

[redge03]

Sounds like just another day! Don't forget the few psych patients that are talking on the phone to jesus, waiting for the aliens and refusing to take their meds!!!!

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

I learned so much.... In LTC... Was made charge 3 months after I got hired, with little experience,

- answered codes,

- got a blood glucose of 26 from day shift who swore it was fine before

-Delt with seizures

- combative

- tons of coffee grounds

- cellulites

- chest pain (having to give nitro and draw labs + answer to the code)

- demented

- run aways

- hospice

- mrsa, Vancouver iv pharmacy to dose, off site

- appointments

- public transportation late for dialysis

- patients scared of their too ares

- falls and more falls

- head bangers ( literally )

- addicts

- hypovolemic = dehydration ( he didn't eat and no one did nothing for 4 days till I went in)

- hemorrhage

- embolism

- feeders, non compliant

- people pulling their feeding tubes, or foleys...

I think SNF should be mandatory, I can handle PCU, like a breeze.... I learned my skills having almost nothing to work with and no one to figure it out but me.... It's the reality.... Kudos to all of you!!!!!

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

I got it down packed, it is a pleasure to work SNF any day.... 1.5 years in it showed me enough to be able to handle most things..... I could barely count with a supervisor since they knew nothing other than who was going to work in the morning and were too busy filling the schedule, not to mention afraid of the work! They used to Hyde!

My experience did not count until I made charge nurse, and head of the response team since I was acls certified.... However today, I often help nurses at the hospital to complete their tasks... Since most of the time I am caught up and only waiting for doctors orders... I don't think I would have the confidence or the nuggets to deal with half of the things I deal with if I had not worked SNF.

I do thank night shift... They often have their troubles.... But it never compares to day- eve shifts... NEVER! And they get paid more! So I do expect that the charts are checked off and if you found something missing, please fix it, and don't wait for the day shift.... They have enough, wait.... More then enough on their plates. Which should not be pushed on to eve shift either, and please... Fill up your carts, order meds and treatments, don't wait form some one else....

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

This pill I don't take, this I take at night, what is this orange one, the doctor said he would give me something else for pain, what about my lyric, where is my nasonex, I only take clonidine at night, I want my zocor at 8 pm, I take my sleeping pill at 1030, bring me a pain pill at 930' can I have water..?. Where is my tech, I need my bed changed, I want to go to the bathroom, I am cold, I am hot, I want something else to eat, I don't eat pork( at 830 pm when the kitchen is closed and all I have is crackers or cereal), I want my cpm on, I need a breathing treatment, what is my blood pressure, my room ate is loud, can you stop the call lights I can't sleep!!!! IT ALL MANAGES TO COME OUT OF ONLY ONE of your 20 patients,... Not to mention new admits...