RN's exiting from aged care postions

renerian, BSN, RN · Dec 25, 2002

I worked LTC for about three years. I think one nurse to 50 people is not enough. Nothing gets attention except the med cart and treatment book.

renerian

cargal · Dec 26, 2002

Great thread.

adrienurse, LPN · Dec 26, 2002

You know, if it were only for the residents, I would stay in my job forever. I love the elderly. I love just talking with them, taking care of them, loving them -- but the work is just so frustrating. The system stinks. People come to us after having one crisis after another and they have a lot of battle scars. The families give us a hard time because most of the time they have no other option then to put their loved ones in a home.

The bulk of the work that we do, do isn't seen by the public and the things they do see are often the parts that are neglected due to time constraints. I have to work with aides who are used to being abused and mistreated and underpaid and thus see me as a threat. The care environments are poorly designed and noisy and we have to deal with things like floor polishers running in the middle of meal times.

I bust my ass everyday, but this goes unrecognized because if nursing is intangeable, geriatric nursing is invisible. I am not given time to devote to the work of nursing because someone is constantly standing at the desk because I "don't look busy". If I complain about the neglectfulness or sloppy work of co-workers, I am being hostile and hypercritical, if I don't I am being negligent in my duties.

I could go on and on.....

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 26, 2002

After being fired from my last job as a resident care manager, I've come to the reluctant decision to leave LTC for good, or at least the foreseeable future. That job nearly cost me my sanity, and for all the hours and blood, sweat & tears I put in I never saw the slightest improvement in resident care. It wasn't unusual for me to put in 11-14 hours a day, do 8-10 MDSs and sets of RAPs, update the care plans daily, do walking rounds several times a day, answer questions, attend meetings, investigate innumerable incident reports for everything from falls to insect bites, and so on......but the residents still didn't get turned, they weren't given enough time for meals, toileted often enough, taken to activities like they should, or assessed for pain every shift. I could've done paperwork until my fingers bled, and not one thing would've been different for them. Even when I was a charge nurse, I couldn't spend quality time with the residents because the schedule was so tight that a single incident, like a fall, threw off everything for the entire shift. The entire system sucks........so what do the government and the companies that run these places do, but invent still more paperwork, then cut staff and resources?

I feel terrible for abandoning elder care, because I love the little old people so well, and I think they are getting the shaft from a system they paid into their entire lives. But I'm 44 years old, and I've still got another 20+ working years ahead of me---I can't afford to let myself get used up just yet, and I'm tired of beating my head against a wall trying to work within a system that chews caregivers AND clients up and spits them out. I'm thankful there are others out there who aren't willing to give up, and I salute you all for it.

mageean · Dec 27, 2002

A very interesting discussion. I have been in Elderly care (mental health) for 25years and despite a number of positive changes this care group remain significantly disadvantaged for a number of reasons(in my opinion)

. It is not seen as a Speciality in it's own right

. There is a huge lack of investment

. Student nurses do not get sufficient exposure to Elderly care as the colleges tend to route them to the more "sexier" acute areas.

. Elderly care is bloody hard work as you need to pay a great deal of attention to both Physical and psychological needs.

. Pay is poor when you consider the demands of the job

.Society appears not to have the respect it once did for older people.

I could go on but get depressed thinking about it but am grateful for the committment and passion shown by those who work in this ared of care.

Remember we will all get old soon!! and will expect a decent standard of life and care in our later years.

StormyCD · Dec 27, 2002

I've always thought, what goes around, comes around. And I've been blessed with great caregivers for several of my family members over the last few years, in hospital settings and ltc. One of my biggest pet peeves is the EMS who think that these people shouldn't go to the emergency room because they are old, or they are DNR's...I don't know how many times I've reported this attitude to their superiors....What ever the case is, every resident has the right to emergency care, even if all they do is blood work, x-rays and give Antibiotics!!....Every time I think I can't take any more of the stress I remember two things, 1)who will take care of them if I am gone? 2) You can't change the system from the outside! I understand why very good nurses leave ltc, I can't blame them either. I invite you all to check out my facility in Big Spring Texas, we have a wonderful D.O.N.! and we are 3 nurses short right now. The pay is good, and my D.O.N. will back you up 100% if you're in the right of a situation. No, we're not perfect, but with a few more caring nurses and we could be. (like the ones I've seen posting here) My email is [email protected].... at least think about it.....thank you all...it's very good therapy to be able to vent to someone who knows exactly what I'm going through!!

Tookie · Jan 4, 2003

I am pleased to see that this thread has continued to create some discussion -

But isnt it sad that we all who have worked in this area feel the frustration of being unable to deliver the care that the elderly deserve -

I continue to think because the elderly are not valued in our society - most people dont want to know unitl it affects 'them'

well unless they are in an acute seting - that is until they are then seen as bed blockers no one wants to know - even less they dont want to know about those who truly care for them

I continue to think that it is important for people like ourselves who value the aged and ourselves who do the caring must bring it to the attention of the public - and that the other nurses in the acute areas need to support us and see our value too.

I have been on holidays - and have not thought about work - though read in our local paper today the NSW government is increasing nurses wages - thats great - because fo the shortage etc - but will the parity roll onto the aged care sector - l hope so - but l am not holding my breath

I like many of my coworkers get tired of the negativity that abounds - it makes it hard to go back to work at times - however l am lucky l do work in a good facility - I just wisg that people world wide valued what we do more.

Sorry didnt mean to sound so negative - thank you for responding everyone -

I guess we should ask too how can we improve our image and peoples response to the aged and those who work in our industry - now l feel that l am rabbiting on

Cheers Tookie

sassynurse78 · Jan 20, 2003

I am an LPN, but I have seen both RN's and LPN's leave the LTC facility where I work, usually the reason being "I don't have to put up with this" the this is usually all the same things from everyone:long hours, too much overtime, no respect, not enough staff,the ridiculous family members, and the staying late to finish all the charting required for the shift.

Tookie · Jan 20, 2003

Sassy

What you have just said sounds exactly like conversations l here all the time 'down under'

I continually try and bloster peoples spirits - (its a part of my role l guess) - I try to put out the bushfires - metoprohrically speaking (more often referred to as the grapevine) l try and work on who are we really herr for - the residents - the elderley the people who gave us our heritage - however l too get to the point of why do l do this ---- then something ' nice' happens and it helps -

i get back to my main thougts - until the government values us and the community in general wont as well - untill they value the aged in our care will they ever value the nurses who care?

StormyCD · Jan 21, 2003

Tookie,

I think you are VERY RIGHT about the elderly not getting enough respect or care they deserve, and the staff doesn't get the recognition or respect for our field of work. ..I also think that if the staff doesn't respect themselves or their work then it will never get to where WE want it to be.,,So I try my best to let all my co-workers know when they do a good job, by them a coke, or a meal, nothing fancy, sometimes it's just Sonic, they seem to appreciate the effort, My D.O.N. tries to let them know too...if we can make the good CNA's feel they are appreciated and are doing a good job, and we treat them with respect, they will be more likely to stay. And when someone asks them where they work they will be more proud to say" I work at C....Nursing Home..."

I guess my point is If WE and our co-workers value our profession and respect ourselves more, then the world would have to look at us differently, wouldn't they??

just rattling on here...LOL

thanks

StormyCD

P.S....I was serious about checking out my facility to work in...it really is a nice place...;0)

Tookie · Jan 21, 2003

Stormy fully appreciate what you have said so well

'I guess my point is If WE and our co-workers value our profession and respect ourselves more, then the world would have to look at us differently, wouldn't they?? '

StormyCD · Jan 24, 2003

Sandra,

thanks, i wasn't really sure it came out to say what I wanted, But I guess it did. It's something I really believe in. Another thought that actually came from husband when we decided that I needed to get out of ICU and ER for a while, I had sworn I'd never work in a nursing home again after working in one in a different town when I was younger and a Certified Nurses Aide, we were treated horribly, But my husband made this comment and it changed everything for me, "You can't change it from the outside"..

thanks again

Stormygsd