sick and tired of defending working in geriatrics..

YOU GO!!
I too work in LTC and love it!! And to all of those who think it is "easy" and "boring" I ask have you ever worked in LTC? All of my co workers tell me I run around like someone with ADD, well you bet I do! After all there is work to be done and I'm no slacker. Maybe we should challenge them to follow us for 8 hours and they would change their mind!

Good Post!

I do nursing home rehab, where the patients are elderly and much higher-acuity than the traditional LTC resident. Most of my patients are direct admits from the acute care hospitals, where they have recently undergone various surgeries and procedures (laminectomies, arthroplasties, ORIFs, hysterectomies, surgical repairs of hernias, recent amputations, and the list goes on and on). I get my fair share of IV therapy, wound care, suture and staple removals, CPM machines, tube feeders, injections, diabetics, and more. Also, these rehab patients tend to be very needy and demanding.

In addition, I have to complete the admission paperwork since my facility employs no unit secretaries or admit nurses. My shifts end at 10pm, but I am kept so busy that I sometimes don't get to leave until midnight.

I don't work in Long term Care.
I work a Med-Surg/Hem/Onc renal Unit. The vast majority of our patients come from Nsg Homes & are Geriatrics. We have all Private Rooms on our floor, thus we get a great many Isolation pts.

I have worked nites for over 30 yrs & during much of that time worked days in Home Health, besides.
Most of my pts in Home Health were geriatrics.

I have a GREAT deal RESPECT for anyone who works with Long Term Care pt's.
I don't think I could, personally.
I think it takes a VERY SPECIAL personality to work that field.

I'm so sorry you all have to be made to feel this way.

I don't know why as nurses, we can't just all respect everyone else's
specialties. Each one is different & each one has it's good & bad points.
No matter where you work there are difficult days & easier days.

We really need to unite & respect each other as professionals & then maybe the rest of the world will catch on and also respect each & every one of us for what we do.

OP: I believe you when you say you go through this, but as a student it does not make sense to me. I just completed my first semester of Med Surg and I had a patient who I had my first semester in nursing school because the patent, a LTC resident, was admitted to the hospital for an acute care issue. In any case, when the patient dc'ed the patient left with 25 some odd meds, O2, and a foley cath. So I in no way think that patient will be an EASY patient to care for when LTC nurses have MANY others to care for that are similar.

If I were a nurse working LTC (and I will be working at least PRN), I think my response will be to nurses and others with out a clue "Where do you think geriatric patients dc to if they have complicated post care? Most cannot care for him/her self so he/she has a nurse! That nurse has that patient and many others. How in the world do you think that is an easy job?"

If you do not have time to say that I would ask, "Are you saying that your job is easy? I am only asking because we have the same patients!" To the non nurses I would say, "I suppose you are saying that nursing is easy because hospital nurses and I have the same patients."

Good luck to you, don't let absent minded people mess up your day.

Commuter,
Every time you post about your job I am amazed at how similar it is to mine. If I didn't know better, I would say we worked in the same facility. Really, it's sounds EXACTLY the same.

I don't work LTC (do Peds ICU), but my hat is off to all of you who have dedicated yourselves to geriatrics.

Our nursing school required us to be Certified Nursing Assistants. Clinicals were at LTCs and our hospital Rehab facility. Anyone who works LTC works and works HARD. It was grueling, frustrating and heartbreaking all at the same time. I don't know how you guys do all that you do.

Thoughout nursing school, I loved geriatric patients, but they broke my heart in ways I can't describe, and in other ways that would take way too long.

You all have my utmost respect -you have chosen what I believe to be one of the toughest aspects of nursing. Hold your heads up the highest.

Cindy, RN

In LTC we work a darn lot harder than a lot of nurses, we have to use our own judgement a lot more and we use the core values that made us want to be nurses more ie caring for people, listening to people. Our psychosocial skills are brilliant!

Be proud to work in LTC!

We are doing a job that is SOOOO necessary. I'm just a nurse aide but if you do the best job you can, your heart will be full and your conscience will be clear. Maybe the residents don't make it clear very often, but they are grateful for your help and your kind heart. Their smiles and their happiness are the biggest paycheck you'll ever get...

I will admit I didnt want to work in LTC, AT ALL!!! and when I did I didnt think It would be very ''eventful'' so to speak!! BUT!! it is a lot of work, there is plenty of nursing to find in LTC, sure you probably wont learn things as fast as acute care, but there is plenty to learn, I still wanna work in a hospital though, I'm a complete adrenaline, ICU, junkie, huh, I need to stop watching Discovery Health!!