What exactly is so bad about LTC??

Specialties Geriatric

Published

You are reading page 5 of What exactly is so bad about LTC??

LTCNS, LPN

623 Posts

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
I certainly didn't mean to offend, but you can't compare your education from 20 years ago and your 20+ years of experience with a newly graduated LPN. I only speak for the length of clinical/practice hours in Massachusetts and from years of hiring new and not so new grads.

I do see your point. Things have changed significantly since I started out. Nursing just isn't what it used to be. Not enough time to spend with patients due to the other "stuff" that has to be done.

I suppose a part of my defensiveness comes from LPNs getting a bad rap lately and the fear of eventually being phased out. To be honest, if I had the means to go back to school I would pursue a whole different career path. I was approached about going through AIT by a former Administrator because I do have "other" education and the experience, but I honestly just do not want the responsibility.

dds520

15 Posts

I'm in the role of sub-acute RN supervisor. wher do I go from here?

CapeCodMermaid, RN

6,090 Posts

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

LTCNS-all the administrators I've worked with over the years tell me being the admin is far easier than being the director of nursing. If someone would pay be while doing an AIT, I'd do it in a second.

Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
LTCNS-all the administrators I've worked with over the years tell me being the admin is far easier than being the director of nursing. If someone would pay be while doing an AIT, I'd do it in a second.

Me too and that is my next goal!

HippyDippyLPN

351 Posts

LTC was hard for me mentally. I was an STNA for 2.5 years and spent two years as an LPN in LTC. I left a clinic to return to LTC last spring because I missed it so much and I had hoped since I was going to work at a very reputable nursing home that it would be different than my previous experiences in LTC. It wasn't. I really really enjoy the one on one contact with the residents and I was hoping I would get it being in the new ltc but it was the same 26-30 patients per nurse with no time other than to say " Hi Mrs. Doe here are your pills." and move on to the next resident. What a PP said was dead on, these arent people just getting baby ASA and other run of the mill meds, they are people with vents, g tubes, IV's, wound vacs, and drains. In a hospital the kind of patients I was caring for in LTC I would have had a MUCH smaller ratio due to the immense amount of care each resident needed. Rarely did I have a resident in my 30 patient load that just got simple meds and nothing else.

One day I hit my wall. I had a resident who was dying from kidney failure and other conditions, it was expected and she had hospice but they for someone reason were not coming in for crisis care. She did have family with her but she was coughing up blood, soiling the bed often etc. I wanted to be the one in there cleaning her up, offering support to her family, and doing whatever was needed. I went to my charge and asked her how I should handle this since I still had 29 other patients to care for. She said I just needed to keep her comfortable pain wise, keeep hospice updated, have the aides take care of the cleaning up, and move on to the others. I dont know why this bothered me but it did. I was in tears when I left. Helping them in the end hours is why I went into LTC. Not just to pop her some pain meds and say see ya later. I finished my shift the next day, it was a sunday, and I left a note in my DON's box giving my immediate resignation. I went back to another clinic after I took a break from nursing for four months. My heart couldnt handle it anymore. I was giving 110% every shift and I still felt like I could never do enough. I will never go back to LTC because of the patient ratio, I just feel they deserve more than what we are giving them.

LTCNS, LPN

623 Posts

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
LTCNS-all the administrators I've worked with over the years tell me being the admin is far easier than being the director of nursing. If someone would pay be while doing an AIT, I'd do it in a second.

I may consider seeking out a preceptor later (I know a few personally) but Administrator positions in my area are few and far between and job security is questionable. Every Administrator I have known, with the exception of two or three, either move around a lot or are terminated because they have no clue. In my humble opinion, it speaks volumes for a LTC facility to have an Administrator who has been on staff for more than four or five years.

I suppose after being in Administrative nursing for so long and witnessing the things previous Administrators have had to deal with, it just doesn't appeal to me at this point in time. As you know, everything that happens in the facility falls squarely on the shoulders of the Admin. and DON and I'm not sure I would be able to handle that to be honest.

LTCNS, LPN

623 Posts

Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.

I just got home from my first evening of orientation at my new job and I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised. The home is clean, clean, clean. The nurses use kiosks mounted all over the units to do part of their documentation, with the rest being done from the nurses' station on computer. Everything is well organized and flows like a well oiled machine. I also really like that there is a RN Supervisor on all three shifts.

The medications come from the pharmacy already packaged according to what each resident gets, with the exception of PRNs and narcs, so there is no popping pills out of bubble packs. All but two of the residents I am assigned to are alert and oriented and able to tell me how they take their meds., and exactly what they take and when lol!

I was on my feet a lot, but it was because I had to find things to do so I made frequent rounds. It was super laid back with plenty of down time. I realize it won't be like that every evening and things do happen such as falls, codes, skin tears, etc...but if this evening was any indication of how it will be on average, it won't be bad at all.

lizzyreg

119 Posts

Specializes in Medsurg, LTC.

I respect your opinion and agree wholeheartedly that LTCs are getting more acutely ill patients needing the extended education and skills of a RN, but as a LPN who has worked in LTC for 21 years, I have to say that I have had the fortune to learn and use skills that most LPNs never get to experience. I was a MDS nurse for 14 years, with 10 of those years working as Medicare/MDS Coordinator and am burned out to be honest. I am TB certified and am certified to replace G-Tubes. I have placed NG tubes and have extensive knowledge of wound care, although LPNs cannot stage wounds. I have taken care of new vent patients and have extensive knowledge of lab values and medications. That is just scratching the surface of what I am capable of and trained to do.

To say hairdressers have more practice than LPNs is hurtful. I have worked my butt off for 21 years and am very, very good at what I do. FWIW, LPN training is more than 10 months in MS. The course is extremely fast paced with everything crammed into 14 months. It is not easy by any means.

Just adding my own 2 bucks, I went through s full time Lpn program for 14 months and went to school mon- fri 8-4pm and believe me, it wasn't just a piece of cake either, it was very hard. I have heard nurses say the Lpn program was much more harder for them than an RN program.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

smurfynursey

238 Posts

Specializes in peds palliative care and hospice.

The thing i disliked about ltc was staffing...i was split on 2 units and was often called to the opposite unit for a task cnas could easily handle (ie water and repositioning). The nas at my facility were also horrible...they slept and when i alerted the sup he said he could fire them on the spot but he had in the past...to have them come back the next night. I called one of my nas out on lying and she got very upset and then the rest of the aides hated me.

FLorida_624

13 Posts

A lot of RNs have obtained their ADN or BSN, come straight out of school, and have little to no floor experience, especially in LTC. That speaks for itself.

+ Add a Comment