What do you LOVE about LTC/N.H.?

I'm an LPN and I am in it for the great characters - the patients!

I'm in skilled nursing and it's a hard job when it's done right.

I never stop, never sit down.

But the satisfaction I receive when someone goes home - and I'm talking about those individuals you never thought had a chance - is worth millions.

This is a just a demographic I love. They stopped being pretentious and materialistic years ago. That's part of what I love about it.

How long have you been at your current job? I started my job at a LTC facility about 1 month ago. There are days that make me wonder if I was even meant to be a nurse. There are days that I KNOW this is where I belong. There are days that I wonder about the facility I work in. There are days that I wish I would have started out in med-surg, even though I didn't care for my experiences in my med-surg clinicals. All-in-all I think that ALL brand new nurses go through this to some degree in the begining of their careers - no matter if they are an LPN, or an RN with their ADN or BSN. Or if they are workin in LTC, med-surg, or whatever area they first went into. I believe it is the "reality shock" that we were told about in nursing school. They just didn't tell us how bad it REALLY would be!
LTC isn't just for nurses with their LPN or ADN. There are many with their BSNs working in LTC and they aren't considered overeducated. Many are supervisors or unit managers and some are staff nurses. Everyone has to start out somewhere! LTC is a very busy world that presents us with MANY challenges - especially for us new RNs! I have yet to find a routine or system that effectively gets me through the day. I'm sure it will come with time.
My advice to you is to give you present job a bit more time and if you still feel like you want to switch to LTC go for it. Just remember that things won't be "perfect." No matter where you go there will be something (if not a few things) that you don't like. Most of all - follow your heart! I knew going into nursing school that I wanted to be in LTC or hospice. I worked as a CNA for about 9 years in LTC and that is where my heart is. It can be so rewarding and of-course it can be so frustrating. It is all in how YOU make your experiences count for you. Something as simple as when that "difficult- (do we dare say crazy!) resident-that-never-takes-her-pills-for-anyone-and-almost-always-refuses-her-cares" actually takes her pills for you with only minor grumbling can be rewarding. Just that fact that you know you connected with this person on some level that they will be half-normal for you. Serisously, it might not make sense, but that was my great feat since I've started my job. Everyone that goes to give this lady her pills comes out complaining about her, but I've found that special way with her. That means something to me.
Pray about what you want to do and give it a lot of thought before you make your move. LTC is my choice because that is where my heart is. It isn't for the faint-of-heart. Just remember to follow your heart and God will help lead you in the right direction.

Are you ready? LOL! I was a CNA for years upon years and have been a nurse for about 8 I think. All in LTC. I tried hospital, but wasn't for me, I knew I belonged in LTC.
What I love about it is that I get to know my residents. I can spot a change in them in a heartbeat, because I know them so well. I get to know their families. It's like having an entire nother family! The most satisfaction I get is in knowing I have given the best care to someone in the end of thier lifes, and kept a smile on their face during the last part of their life. Some don't have families. I and the staff are their families. I don't send many to ALF or home. When they come to us...they are pretty much there to stay. The are not their to die.......they are their to LIVE. I also have residents who are difficult to place as they have mental dx's. I work in the 'NUT HUT'. We laugh a lot...or we would go crazy. What makes our LTC work is that we are all family. But why I love it would be the same if I worked in a normal LTC facility too.

Yes, there is room for in your words, "overeducated, underexperienced' in LTC. You will find your niche. I work with a floor nurse who has a BSN. It is nice to draw from his knowledge base.... Once you get to know the 'nursing home' experience, perhaps you eventually will like to step up the ladder to DNS?
Just yesterday we had a resident who walked down the hall with a pull-up on his head like a hat, and two pullups over his shoes. LOL! It was a sight.
Sometimes we post our complaints and trials and tribulations of LTC, and forget to post the good stuff, the stuff that makes our hearts warm, and the stuff that we truely are in LTC for.
I had a dying resident whose family couldn't make it to the facility in time. He was within the hour of death.......and I called them and let them talk to their loved one again, before he passed.
And that is why I'm there. To make a difference. A positive difference. To be more than the nurses I use to work with, to trust in my CNA's unless they proved me wrong, and to worship the ground they walk upon and never forget I was one of them for many years! And they are better CNA's because I do small stuff for them that no other nurse does. They respect me cause I treat them like they are my backbone, not just speak the words.
Ok........I have babbled long enough....

Please do not go into LTC - you will have residents who report you for nothing but trying to help them, families who are demanding and want to tell you how to take care of their family members, and LPN's and CNA's who are troublemakers and deceitful. Save yourself alot of agony and find another place to work.

This is a ridiculous post.

Ladyjrn1:
You are being mean all over this forum. Why don't you crawl in your bitter hole and keep to yourself.

This has been my personal experience in LTC/NH and am I not entitled to freedom of speech? You ask many other nurses who have worked in this field and they will tell you the same, I am just not afraid to say it. I am sure you have had bad experiences in nursing?

I'm an RN who works in LTC and I absolutely love it. I Get much more from my residents than I give. They fill me up when my spirits are low. They make me laugh, they make me cry. Yes I have crabby family members but I have lots of supportive families as well. In the hospital I took care of folks a few days and then never knew how they fared. Now I get to know people and take care of them through the life cycle. While there are things I dislike about the facility, the residents will keep me coming back. Had a bad day Sunday and was very tired. Had a resident tell me to take care of myself for my family's sake; then she pointed to a group of residents and said she was talking about that family. Pretty much says it all.