New grad with 1 other nurse and 79 patients

[kstec]

Tomorrow will be the day from .......!!!! I've been training/working at this LTC facilty for appx. 3 weeks prn and tomorrow I found out I have to work with only one other LPN. There is 79 patients, some are tube feeders, alot of brittle diabetics, 2 colostomy's, and residents that fall left and right. I'm still uncertain about how everything runs and I'm slower than molasses when passing meds. How in the heck will I pass meds to 40 residents, chart, do dressing changes, etc. all in 8 to 10 hours? I consider myself a fast worker but not when it comes to giving meds, because if I mess up someone gets hurt. I wish I could find something that stated patient/nurse ratio. I live in Illinois if anyone finds out something. I've already told the DON that I didn't think I was cut out for the LTC environment. I told her she would never have one resident complain about my care or empathy I provide, but the facility will eventually get mad because I am slow with the med pass, not only because its to large, but because if I go into a residents room and their messy and the CNA's are busy, I don't just walk out, I clean them up. Now I'm behind, and then the next resident is messy, so I repeat the cleaning and now I'm further behind. Yes, we work our CNA's short too. They usually have 12 residents a piece on days and 20 on PM's. I see a lot of good quality care, NOT!!!. The CNA's that work with me do a very good job, but they to are only one person taking care of to many residents. It seems like this scenerio is something I've read way to many times. Why as nurses can't we just do what we went into nursing to do. Take care of patients, help heel through touch and hollistic nursing, not just pop pills into someone's mouth and walk away. It's a viscous cycle.

[linzz]

I agree with the other poster Ingelein (sp), corporate greed is the problem as we all know. Today I was reading the newspaper and there was an article about a LTC facility in Canada where the residents were not being treated well and all the article talked about was how bad the staff was, it was not mentioned anywhere about the fact that it was critically understaffed. Just bugs me to see the nursing staff hung out to dry. I no longer wonder why there is a nursing shortage.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Can't blame it all on corporate. One home at which I did clinicals is on the list and they're owned by the Catholic Church and house a convent upstairs.

[kstec, LPN]

I'm the original one who started this post and let me tell you things have not changed or gotten any better. Due to call ins and medical leaves everyday there is 2 nurses with 79 patients and that is on days and pm's. Nights only has one nurse. I'm attempting to get out of dodge but no matter where I go their all going to be the same. Everyday I check the newspaper and just about all nursing homes are hiring everyday. The only reason I'm sticking in there is because I just feel bad for the residents, they didn't ask to be neglected and expect that noone would want to take care of them when they got old. I just don't think the grass is any greener on the other side. All I can say is nursing is not what I thought it would be. I just don't think it's very flattering that if I walk into 10 nursing homes today, I would get hired at all of them, not because I'm good or attempt to be, but because they are so short and desperate. All I can say is I hope the good Lord takes me in my sleep when I'm old and I don't end up in a nursing home and if I do, I hope I have no clue what is going on so I won't mind sitting in my own waste.

[Cheyenne RN,BSHS]

nursing homes are the shortest staffed facilities of all. and it is sad how the elderly are seemingly pushed aside and forgotten.

if you choose to work in a long term care facility it has to be because you truly love what you are doing and you care for the elderly. i loved it when i worked in one up north for a few years after burning out in icu.

we were always short staffed and there was a high turn over rate of staff and nursing assistants. the pay was the least i have ever been paid at any place that i have worked, but i loved the residents and i wanted to make a difference.

please know that the lives you touch now will hold the ear of god soon and they will remember the kindnesses and time that you spent with them and the caring that you gave to them.

i somehow believe that if we try to be the kind of nurse that we will one day want to have care for us, then somehow it will happen. hang in there. ltc needs those in the field that love what they are doing.

[kstec, LPN]

One very sad thing happened last week. I was covering another nurse who was at lunch and while she was eating one of her residents dies. We knew it was coming but the sad thing is there were only two nurses that day with the 79 residents and the lady died alone. The housekeeper found her. No family was with her and everyone was running their butts off. It was real sad and made me wonder 1) Will I die alone 2) Will anyone care. The reason I ask is because by the time some of us get old we have outlived alot of people. Will my kids be alive, will my husband be alive, will any of my friends be alive? Big questions, but working in a nursing home you really question your mortality. Sorry this is kind of depressing and I try not to think about death but when you see it alot, you can't help but wonder. Realistically I guess I would rather outlive everyone that way noone actually will be hurt or sad when I pass. May dying alone isn't so bad. Oh well I guess we don't get to choose how we go but can choose what we do while were here.