Nurses Helping Nurses
allnurses Network: Central | Jobs | Books | Newsletter
allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses
Home General News Blogs Articles Students Region Specialty Degrees F.A.Q.
LPN / LVN Corner /

Assisted Living for Resume



Did You Know?
allnurses is the largest community for nurses on the web. We now have over 385,848 members! Join today to network with other nurses, laugh, share, and much more.

Jun 13, 2009 03:07 PM

Assisted Living for Resume


I am working at an assisted living facility and don't get a lot of experience other than passing meds and doing general assessments...I mean, we have a few foley catheters, but we contact the home care nurse instead of inserting a new one if it a new one is needed. The owner/DON does new admission assessments. I am in RN school, and want to eventually work in a hospital after I graduate. The assisted living people speak of nursing homes as though they are horrible places to work, but I wonder. We only have one nurse per shift, and do have over 50 residents, so the med pass is crazy, and if things go wrong with a resident, that time spent can really knock you for a loop...it's not as though our job is cake, so I'm willing to work hard. I keep thinking that I need to get into at least a nursing home where I can practice skills...is this assisted living experience hurting me in this tight job market when I go to apply for a hospital position down the road?


Share: Submit Thread to Facebook Submit Thread to Twitter Submit Thread to Technorati Submit Thread to Google Submit Thread to Reddit

Search Tags
None
Top

 
Advertisement
Sponsored Links
 
Reply
2 Comments
No. 1
Old Jun 13, 2009, 03:26 PM

Default Re: Assisted Living for Resume
I don't think so. Any healthcare experience is good, and if you're passing meds and evaluating residents, you are probably also doing blood-glucose monitoring and insulin administration.....all useful and important skills which will give you a head start in the acute care environment.

In fact, NAs in assisted living are generally permitted to learn and practice more skills through a state's nurse delegation statutes than CNAs in LTC. The nursing home CNA's scope of practice is actually very narrow---they are mostly limited to checking vital signs and performing ADLs, and perhaps putting creams and lotions on intact skin. If you want hospital experience, however, you may want to consider becoming a CNA II, which, in my state (OR) allows a broader range of duties and skills, such as accu-checks, Foley insertions, simple wound care, and even phlebotomy in some places.

Good luck to you!
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 2
from amjowens
Old Jun 13, 2009, 03:32 PM

Default Re: Assisted Living for Resume
Thanks for the reply! I am already a LPN.

I do think the practice of passing meds and checking insulin, etc. is providing me amazing experience. I just am aware that most of my former classmates are doing a LOT more skills-they say it's more like the med-surg experience we had as students in school-where they are working in nursing homes.

I just want to make wise career decisions, and what a great opportunity on this site to be able to learn from those in the know so as to help avoid regret!
Top
 
Reply




Thread Tools


Who's Online
337 members
3,350 guests
3,687

12

Doctors-in-short-supply-responsibilities-for-nurses-may-expa...

8

Less regular sleep for ICU nurses may lead to errors

15

Nurse sends unused medical supplies to needy nations

23

Premature Births Are Fueling Higher Rates of Infant...

6

MRSA Strain Linked to High Death Rates

24

RI hospital fined $150,000 in 5th wrong-site surgery since...

64

Nursing: One of the 6 Thriving Jobs that are Here to Stay???

90

Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support

12

A nurse can dream...about awesome nursing

17

California Nursing Situation - CINHC's plan to help New...






Currently Reading This Page: 1 (0 members & 1 guests)

Interested in the hottest topics of the week? Subscribe to the Nurse-zine Newsletter.
Enter email address: