Is it okay that I hate LTC?

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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Like, I loathe it...I find myself wanting to go hide every time I go to clinical For me, it's a combination of the depressing environment, the loss of dignity I witness everyday, being treated like a slave by some of the residents.

Other students seem to share how I feel and some loath it even more than me and say they had thought about quitting for a while but when I try to vent about it to my friends and family they look at me like I'm nuts and like I probably should even be in nursing if I don't' like being in a nursing home. I have had thoughts that I don't think I could work in one at all and that I don't know how the nurses can stand it...and that I would only do it to gain experience after nursing school...

My shcool is having trouble getting us any more clinical experience other than LTC. I spent 3 weeks in a family practice clinic, which I liked...whle other students have experienced med surg, peds, cardiac nursing, school nursing, etc..I feel like I"m getting gypt.

I wanted to add that not all ltc facilities are equal. As a cna my first job was in a ltc environment and after the first few weeks i started wondering if I had what it took to be cna or nurse. My second job was in a hospital and by the end of it I had given up on the nursing field but now my third job in ltcgher again is night and day different from the first one. this facility has much higher standards and it shows every where from the residents to the staff.

I guess my point is, while ltc may never be "your thing"don't judge all ltc by what you've seen so far...

Well said. When I was interning at a LTC while I was going to school to become a CNA, I couldn't stand it there. The place was extremely dirty, smelled awful, the CNAs had no regard for patient privacy, and would literally strip a patient naked (usually ones that couldn't speak,) and bathe them out in the open. It was extremely saddening to see a facility that supposed to be taking care of these people care so little. After graduating, and reporting this, I started working at a much nicer LTC where things were done much more by the book, things were kept cleaner, and it was just a better enviornment.

To me it wasnt so much working in a LTC that I didnt like. It was geriatrics that I wasn't really fond of. I had no problem doing it though, and would do it again if the opportunity came my way. Talking to the pts, hearing their stories, and just making them feel comfortable was truly a gift in its own way. Kind of made me appreciate my own youth, and what I have right now. Because one day we may all be in a home like that, and hopefully we have good nurses taking care of us :p

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Beautifully put. I can't stand LTC either

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LTC is a very depressing atmosphere, and it's definitely not for everyone. I worked in LTC for five years a support worker. I'm now in RPN(I'm from Canada) and I still like LTC. As depressing as the environment is, I love it. Imagine living your entire life out just to shoved into a tiny room for the remainder of your life? More than anyone, people in LTC need great nursing staff who will give them a good quality of life. That said, it is great that if you recognize that it isn't for you, you shouldn't be ashamed of it. I personally am not a fan of hospital quite yet, although I'm sure it will grow on me, just as LTC did.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Don't really like it either. As long as you do a good job it shouldn't matter what you feel as long as it doesn't show. There's many aspects of nursing you're not going to like and you might not get your dream job. Don't let it affect the way you work.

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I have not started school yet (I start in August) and I am already dreading LTC rotation. I did CNA work in high school years ago in LTC and hated it. I KNOW it will not be my cup of tea

I think many people feel the same way.

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I also had a hard time getting used to LTC facilities. I just found it to be very sad and a lot of the places that I went for my clinical were not very "suitable" for myself. But I think LTC facilities can teach us a lot. Being around these patients will help us sharpen our skills to become better nurses. I just think it takes a little time to get used to it. I'm almost done with my LPN degree and at first I didn't want to work at a LTC facility after graduating but now I think I wouldn't have a problem with it at all.

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In western Pennsylvania, it would not be okay. What is your school telling you about employers and employment prospects? Here, we are bluntly told that LPNs will mostly work in LTC and nursing homes as team leaders. Hospital jobs are very rare now, and more hospitals are following the Magnet and Affordable HC mandates or is it recommendations that *all* nurses in hospitals will be registered nurses. And Magnet apparently requires all RNs to be BSRNs, to boot. Akron Children's Hospital recently eliminated all LPN positions.

Yes. If your area only has LPN jobs in LTC, it is going to be a problem unless you are going straight into a bridge program.

I also agree that you can't judge LTC as a whole until you've been to several facilities. When I worked LTC, even just in the same facility that changed administrators, the difference was astounding. I love LTC and can't wait to get back to it. You really get to know your patients, and you don't really get that same experience in clinicals.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

It's ok not to like it...but try to keep an open mind.

Just try to be a ray of sunshine and bring some joy to them. They are so precious and deserve the best care each of us can give while we have a chance to make a difference.

Trust me....residents can sense you hate it.:blink:

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I don't hate LTC. I actually have grown to love the residents at the LTC facility that we have clinicals at. However, our clinical options are LIMITED. We don't have a peds, ob, or acute care rotation. I feel like we're being short changed. The school I attend is the most expensive one in our area yet our clinical experience is the worst! I know the other schools pay to get into the best facilities but our school refuses to do that.

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Yes it is okay not to like working in nursing homes. I have worked in nursing homes for most of my nursing career. And I did not like it at all. Working as a cna is the hardest part I don't care what nurses or other nursing staff have to say about my comment! It is true yea sure nurses have very hard jobs as well and no body can finally understand what the other worker has on their plate. Nursing assistants have more work related injuries than construction workers, and most coal miner jobs! And that is not even counting the infection control part where you are dealing with bodily fluids such as blood, defecation, and urine. I am very glad that I got out of nursing homes! yea you hear a lot of people say well, its such a rewarding job to take care of the elderly. My response to that is well, you do it for a year and get back to me! Lol. Don't get me wrong it is an rewarding job you are doing what everyone should and that is taking care of the Lord's children. But, if the job is not for you don't let someone who would never work in or has never worked in a nursing home make you feel bad about working in that kind of environment. I once heard someone say you have to have compassion, love and understanding. Yes you do but, you have to have the same to work with children or everyone else who is sick. In nursing homes they have a lot of turnover well, could it be the hard work, under staffed, over worked, getting physically and sometimes sexually abused by some of the patents? "And by sexually abuse I mean verbal abuse". You can report it but, nothing is done or you are told to just ignore it. I have seen people have to Indore racial slurs and everything else. I know that sometimes the patient's have dementia but, still nursing jobs are the only ones that make you put up with all of the abuse and do nothing to try to stop it. I think that everyone that works in a nursing home should make way above the minimum wage!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

It's easy to go into nursing school saying "I'm gonna be a _____ nurse," but reality has a way of punching your aspirations and assumptions in the throat. No worries, LPNs work in many different capacities beyond LTC facilities (Pediatrics, school, county, office, home health, private duty, etc), so now you've got a better idea of where you may ultimately end up post-graduation.

What is non-negotiable, however, is for you to learn to endure uncomfortable and unpleasant situations while keeping a cool head and a professional demeanor. Just roll with the punches and remember that this is temporary!

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Like, I loathe it...I find myself wanting to go hide every time I go to clinical For me, it's a combination of the depressing environment, the loss of dignity I witness everyday, being treated like a slave by some of the residents.

I also loathe LTC. Doing my CNA was the longest month of my life. When I was nearing graduation, it looked like that might be my only option and I was so depressed.

I feel like I"m getting gypt.
for future reference, this is a derogatory term and to be avoided.
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