Re: Warning to New Grads

Oh my god! I felt the same way. This is so true. I've been working in a LTC (SNF + Sub Acute) for almost 2 months now. And I am assigned to a Sub-Acute Unit 12 hour shift. Honestly, Im thinking of quitting it soon because of too much stress. Even though I have LVN's and CNA to delegate, I feel as if we're still understaff. Sometimes, I think if they do their job by the book, they wont have time to finish their duties (med pass, treatment nurse) even in a 12-hour shift because of too much work load. Yes, Passing meds may sound easy, but in this facility, its more than meets the eye! As a charge nurse, I feel as if my license is at risk everyday. I barely see patient because of excessive paperworks, follow ups (labs, pharmacy, physician's calls), family complaints, IV meds, meetings, etc.. I'm lucky if I get to eat lunch on time, which rarely happens. I feel sorry for some of the nurses who has to go thru all this trouble everyday because they don't have a choice to quit their job. I dont know maybe because they have luxury expenses (new house, new car, etc.) or have family back home (Philippines, Mexico, etc.) they have to support. For those who have choice, please research they job you're getting into. In this bad economy, its a tough choice.

Re: Warning to New Grads

Originally Posted by Thank_You_RNs

Oh my god! I felt the same way. This is so true. I've been working in a LTC (SNF + Sub Acute) for almost 2 months now. And I am assigned to a Sub-Acute Unit 12 hour shift. Honestly, Im thinking of quitting it soon because of too much stress. Even though I have LVN's and CNA to delegate, I feel as if we're still understaff. Sometimes, I think if they do their job by the book, they wont have time to finish their duties (med pass, treatment nurse) even in a 12-hour shift because of too much work load. Yes, Passing meds may sound easy, but in this facility, its more than meets the eye! As a charge nurse, I feel as if my license is at risk everyday. I barely see patient because of excessive paperworks, follow ups (labs, pharmacy, physician's calls), family complaints, IV meds, meetings, etc.. I'm lucky if I get to eat lunch on time, which rarely happens. I feel sorry for some of the nurses who has to go thru all this trouble everyday because they don't have a choice to quit their job. I dont know maybe because they have luxury expenses (new house, new car, etc.) or have family back home (Philippines, Mexico, etc.) they have to support. For those who have choice, please research they job you're getting into. In this bad economy, its a tough choice.

whats your patient to nurse ratio?

Re: Warning to New Grads

I am in the same boat as you guys, work in Sub Acute+ Rehab in north part of the CA, I feel every day we put people’s life and our license in jeopardy. Some times I am wondering why there are no nursing comities to close these places. I am much worried about patients care than about my license, because I do my best to not make any mistake, but still I am sure we are all walking on the egg shells. I have seen it over and over. It is looking like that nobodies care at all.
People in this kind of facilities sometimes they do not have any families and we are the only they can trust, but with very limited support and too much work even computer will crash…….
I hope there was some place we could go and bring these problems up and get the nursing comities attention........

Re: Warning to New Grads

i feel your pain...im a new grad too...working at sub acute, rehab and LTC facility...we have alot in common about your job description...hard to be an RN...its really draining...but my advice to you is you just have to suck it up...nobody said that being an RN would be easy...or glamorous...it hard work...being new grads doesnt make us "babies" in the work area...imagine those people who works there for the longest time...be thankful that you have a job...and just think of it as experience for the next one you'll have...hopefully a better one...its a tough job...but we can do it

Re: Warning to New Grads

sweetmaldita,

Who said being an RN means working like horse, we all need it to have fair work environment like lots of other jobs. This is not a third world country who one can not have voice and accept whatever the authority please to do. If you came from those country it could be much easier for you, because people used to be treated unfair, but this is America, and everybody have a voice...

Re: Warning to New Grads

Maura RN,

I am in the exact same situation as you. I can't get an ED to give me a chance either. Have you tried to go for the ICU instead? If you work for an ICU as an RN for a year perhaps you could transfer to the ED after that. I also have subacute experience as an LPN and the same certs but after I couldn't get any pull in the EDs I tried ICU and a lot of them will hire new grads.

Re: Warning to New Grads

Angel,
What state are you in? I am in Massachusetts or taxachusetts as it is not so fondly referred to. I have applied to community hospitals, teaching hospitals, rehab hospitals for med/surg, telemetry, ortho, ED, ICU, CCU, step-downs, progressive care units, etc. I am done. My last stab at nursing is the following: I am applying for a nursing license in a neighboring state and will do the 100+ application route again, with follow-up phone calls etc. I will give it 4 more weeks and then I will move on. I have many years of corporate and legal work behind me. I will change my master's degree program from nursing to an MBA or MPA and move on with my life. I really love nursing, but I need a life, a paycheck and some peace of mind for myself and my 17 year old son. For nurses who are still in their earlier years, some may have to go the same route and then head back to nursing. I am almost 53 (still looking good, good shape, but out of patience) so I don't have as much time to wait this situation out.

Re: Warning to New Grads

Honey,
It's that way with old grads too! Only difference between SNF and Med/surg is the number of patients. When 'they' have enough staff, somebody gets cancelled so that you are still working with a skeleton crew. Today, the bottom line is more important than patient care! In my 23 years of nursing as an LPN, I've had vent patients, med/surg, nursing home, addicts...it is all the same. It just depends on whether you want to take the BS over here or over there. I'm just weeks away from my RN and my plan is to take BS from here today and from there tomorrow in the form of travel nursing. Good luck and stick with it! That's the only way to gain the experience needed to decide whose crap you wanna take and what day you wanna take it on.

Re: Warning to New Grads

Ah, another nurse discovers that America means Capitist Profit Generating Healthcare System. It will be difficult to find a reasonable nursing job. And remember this. Americans are the most over worked and efficient workers in the world. This is a proven fact. Hum, maybe this why we make more money. But yes, in the end, while higher wages means more spending money it also breeds inflation!

Re: Warning to New Grads

I know how you feel, and thanks for posting this because it's so true! I am a new LPN, just graduated 5 months ago. I also work in LTC. I have 31 patients to myself... treatments, meds, PRNs, insulins, family questions, charting, doctor calls, etc. I'm spread so thin, and forget about if something acute happens. I had a patient with a blood sugar over 500 yesterday and spent over an hour just monitoring him, calling his doctor, writing up the new insulins orders he gave me. It gave me about 25 seconds for each of my other patients for the rest of the day!

It drives me crazy how much I have to, and my facility, like your's and many others, seems ridiculously understaffed. Each hallway has roughly 30 patients, and sometimes there's only 1 or 2 aides to handle everyone! And there's only 1 LPN on each hall, and only 1 RN in the entire building on my shift (3-11)! It's a 178-bed facility. I don't know how she does it. I, too, was given a title that, in no way, could I live up to being a new grad: LPN Supervisor! I don't really supervise anyone, besides asking the aides to do vitals or little things like that, but it's stressful to have that label on you. I'm not experienced enough or confident enough yet to SUPERVISE anyone, that's for sure!

I just went on an interview with a home health agency in my area. I used to do home health as an aide and I really enjoy the 1-on-1 interaction. You have so much more time to assess, critically think, and get to know your patient, which is the only way you'll know what works best for them and makes them feel good about themselves and their treatment. They said I need a couple of more months experience, so I'm staying where I am for now. (I've been there a month, and it's getting slightly better, but still incredibly busy.) The home health place also does staffing, so they're setting me up to do some flu clinics, just to get my foot in the door at the company, and hopefully in a few months, I can just do my current job per diem or something, and work mostly doing home health/staffing. The pay is better, and there'd be a lot of variety in terms of different settings and patients.

There are sooo many options in the field of healthcare. Don't feel badly about finding the right fit for YOU. We're new and we don't know all the different areas that are good or bad for us. It's all about your individual personality and preferences. Good for you for trusting your gut though. I'm sure it will work out for you!