New Grad and LTC

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Specializes in Rehab/LTC.

I am a new grad with no experience (not even CNA). The hospitals in my area are not hiring now, so I am starting to consider LTC rather than wait and let my skills be forgotten waiting for a hospital opening.

I met with the DON at the nursing home closest to where I live. She has openings and will take a new grad. We talked about what I want to do in the future. She said if I wanted to be a "pill pusher" I could work on one or two of their wings where pretty much all the RN does is give meds and charts. Since I would like to solidify my newly learned skills, she suggested I go to the Medicare and Rehab unit. Day and evening shifts have 2 RNs, 3 CNAs, and it is 24 beds. She said that unit gets a lot of trachs, IVs, wound vacs, etc. Night shift is only 1 RN and she said she would NOT put me there for at least 1 year. A staff developer would work with me the first few weeks until I am comfortable doing skills on my own (I have never cared for a patient with a trach or a wound vac). And there would always be the other RN to help me if needed.

The pay and benefits are pretty similar to what the local hospitals are doing. Except they don't do tuition reimbursement as I work on my BSN. More student loans to pay off!

I am thinking that this sounds like a pretty good situation for a new grad to gain experience until other opportunities arise. Any opinions? Thanks!

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Sounds good to me. I just hope you don't end up being the supervisor for the day or evening shift; because that's what mostly facility's use RN's for.

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Go for it! Working on a subacute stepdown/rehab unit is great experience. In many hospitals a wound/ostomy care nurse does all the wound vacs etc. In a LTC rehab unit, many times it's all you.

We change wound vac dressings MWF. It is good experience, and if you get the privilege of seeing the wound heal from beginning to end with the wound vac, you will be amazed.

The LTC rehab unit I'm on is really the same as a med/surge floor in the hospital. The only difference, being subacute, the doctors don't round every morning.

You will really get to know families/dynamics since you may be spending months with their loved ones. Hanging TPN,Lipids,Blood products etc will become routine. You get tube feedings, trache care/suctioning, ostomy's, Central lines/PICC's,foleys, lots of wound care, hospice, reteaching ADL's for CVA's, etc etc. You can get practice starting IV's and since many LTC pts are elderly, you will become an expert with small veins and paper thin skin. The pts. may range in age from 18-98+. You get the whole gammet of things.

You may lose peds/ob/gyn knowledge, reading heart rythmn strips may become foreign, many IV push meds from ER/ICU will become a distant memory. You can always take a refresher course when an opening occurs.

Many RN's who think LTC/rehab units are "beneath" them :banghead:, have probably never worked in one, or never given much thought about the type of care that goes on there. :nurse:

I say, take the job, to gain confidence and skill, take any opportunity to start IV's,foleys, etc. If the opportunity arises where your offered charge nurse position, take it (it will look good on a resume) but also try to stay as involved as you can with the hands on bed side nursing.

You've made it through nursing school:yeah:good luck to you:redbeathe

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.
Go for it! Working on a subacute stepdown/rehab unit is great experience. In many hospitals a wound/ostomy care nurse does all the wound vacs etc. In a LTC rehab unit, many times it's all you.

We change wound vac dressings MWF. It is good experience, and if you get the privilege of seeing the wound heal from beginning to end with the wound vac, you will be amazed.

The LTC rehab unit I'm on is really the same as a med/surge floor in the hospital. The only difference, being subacute, the doctors don't round every morning.

You will really get to know families/dynamics since you may be spending months with their loved ones. Hanging TPN,Lipids,Blood products etc will become routine. You get tube feedings, trache care/suctioning, ostomy's, Central lines/PICC's,foleys, lots of wound care, hospice, reteaching ADL's for CVA's, etc etc. You can get practice starting IV's and since many LTC pts are elderly, you will become an expert with small veins and paper thin skin. The pts. may range in age from 18-98+. You get the whole gammet of things.

You may lose peds/ob/gyn knowledge, reading heart rythmn strips may become foreign, many IV push meds from ER/ICU will become a distant memory. You can always take a refresher course when an opening occurs.

Many RN's who think LTC/rehab units are "beneath" them :banghead:, have probably never worked in one, or never given much thought about the type of care that goes on there. :nurse:

I say, take the job, to gain confidence and skill, take any opportunity to start IV's,foleys, etc. If the opportunity arises where your offered charge nurse position, take it (it will look good on a resume) but also try to stay as involved as you can with the hands on bed side nursing.

You've made it through nursing school:yeah:good luck to you:redbeathe

:yeah:I agree with this response and wish you, Dalla, the best of luck!

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

We don't do any blood products in our LTC and rarely ever do TPN (Just so you know that may not be "routine" where you end up.

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Specializes in Rehab/LTC.

Thanks for the replies! The more I think about it, the more excited I get. Sounds like I may be very busy and gets lots of practice with different skills. The DON said I would be contacted on Monday about coming in for their drug test and pre-employment paperwork. I hope to have a "formal" offer of employment then. She had said they are doing new employ orientation on March 23 and 24, so I would be starting soon. She also mentioned that I would be the only new grad working at the facility. Hope I don't get dumped on for being a newbie!

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Can someone please tell me what LTC stands for?

Thank you very much!

Christine

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
Can someone please tell me what LTC stands for?

Thank you very much!

Christine

You must be in the wrong place if you need to ask what LTC means! Long Term Care...a catch all phrase for nursing homes, dementia units and the like.

To the new grad...one thing you learn working in a SNF is time management. And you'll learn excellent assessment skills.

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Someone already answered me thanks! I am just completing my Associates in Business next semester from a 2 year school, so I am in the research phase of learning about choosing a school for my BSN which includes getting a jump start on learning what all of these nursing acronyms stand for.

Thank you!

Christine

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Specializes in Rehab/LTC.

Okay, I am really confused. About to complete an Associates in Business and researching BSNs? Please, do tell.

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Sure, I an a licensed esthetician here in GA (skin care) and have been managing spas here for about 6 years. I never knew I would leave business or the spa industry but with the sad state of affairs that industry is now in and the fact that I was the "breadwinner" for our family for so many years, long story short, I got my Associates in business becasue it fit in with Spa Management but akways wanted to be a nurse but couldnt becasue then we wouldnt be able to make our mortgage payments etc so I sould not go to a program that is as intense as nursing because I had to work and in management I had no set schedule. I was burt out in that field at 32, but I only have 3 more classes for that A.S. degree so I wont stop now. The sad part of the stort is that our home value has decreased so signifigantly that we are either selling or walking away which will free me up to go to school full time to pursue my dream of becomming an R.N. ans will also be my was of taking something horrible (losing my house, potential foreclosure) into something wonderful (obtaining my dream of becomming an R.N.)

Any other questions ?'s I hope that makes sense, I am just trying to make Lemonaid out of Lemos.

Christine

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Specializes in Rehab/LTC.

Gotcha, now I understand. Sorry about your situation, but it is great that you are turning it into something positive. Best of luck to you!

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