Wow, have I noticed this. I am a new grad RN and started looking for hospital work, when that didn't pan out, started applying to LTC and got a job right away. I had heard in school and on these boards that it is best, no matter what you do later, to get a year's medsurg experience before doing anything else. I have also heard that "while looking for a hospital job" to get an ltc job for the experience. I have also heard that once you do ltc you will not be hired in a hospital. Wow. So far, I like it, but I am still in orientation, and, like any job, it takes awhile to find out what things are really like. Right now I spend a lot of time looking for things! One of the things I have found most unpleasant is the ranking/tension amongst the staff. It is mostly STNA's and LPN's with a couple of RN's. Nursing is second career for me, and I got my BSN because it was actually faster than an ADN where I live. Boy, the competition? Eating of young? between different types of nurses is brutal here. The STNA's who are in nursing school all say that as soon as they get their ADN's they are out the door and into a hospital because who would work in ltc once they are a nurse? The LPN's who are studying for ADN's all say the same thing and look at me like - why are you working here? It's crazy. There's resentment out the wazoo. I just want to take my name badge off and say - can't we just work together?! I didn't do anything wrong by getting a BSN! (I noticed this tension in the hospitals during clinicals as well.) The pay isn't that different, and while there are a lot more patients, and I am not used to being in management (i.e. having to oversee stna's) there is certainly a lot to learn. I sure could do without the competition, though.
Apr 26, '11 by tewdlesPersonally I think the stigma results from ignorant and uninformed comments from nursing professionals who have not and do not work in that environment.jlynn2303 and Hospice Nurse LPN like this.
Apr 30, '11 by jlynn2303Wow, have I noticed this. I am a new grad RN and started looking for hospital work, when that didn't pan out, started applying to LTC and got a job right away. I had heard in school and on these boards that it is best, no matter what you do later, to get a year's medsurg experience before doing anything else. I have also heard that "while looking for a hospital job" to get an ltc job for the experience. I have also heard that once you do ltc you will not be hired in a hospital. Wow. So far, I like it, but I am still in orientation, and, like any job, it takes awhile to find out what things are really like. Right now I spend a lot of time looking for things! One of the things I have found most unpleasant is the ranking/tension amongst the staff. It is mostly STNA's and LPN's with a couple of RN's. Nursing is second career for me, and I got my BSN because it was actually faster than an ADN where I live. Boy, the competition? Eating of young? between different types of nurses is brutal here. The STNA's who are in nursing school all say that as soon as they get their ADN's they are out the door and into a hospital because who would work in ltc once they are a nurse? The LPN's who are studying for ADN's all say the same thing and look at me like - why are you working here? It's crazy. There's resentment out the wazoo. I just want to take my name badge off and say - can't we just work together?! I didn't do anything wrong by getting a BSN! (I noticed this tension in the hospitals during clinicals as well.) The pay isn't that different, and while there are a lot more patients, and I am not used to being in management (i.e. having to oversee stna's) there is certainly a lot to learn. I sure could do without the competition, though.
