Advice for new grad LPN- starting LTC

Specialties LTAC

Published

I'm a new grad LPN trying to decide if I should work at a nursing home or drug rehab clinic. Every single nursing home in my area is understaffed. I just rejected a job offer where there was severe understaffing 1 nurse to 120 patients. Then now, I am interviewing at another facility where there is 1 nurse to 84 patients. Maybe not every floor is understaffed but it frightens me to imagine that I will be left alone with 80 patients to take care of as a completely inexperienced nurse. Sure, training can be a few weeks to a month but still I am an inexperienced nurse regardless... I shouldn't be left alone with 84 patients. 

 When I was doing clinicals in LPN school, I noticed that a lot of the LPNs weren't even doing wound care for the patients' bed sores. Patients would go days without their wound dressing being changed. Aren't nurses afraid of the day the State will visit the facility and question about why things are the way they are. If state is in, would it mean that I would need to do med pass, wound care for every single one of the 40- 80 patients within an 8 hr shift? I don't even know if it is possible to do that many people within 8 hours. 

Nursing home says LPNs a decent salary while hospitals pay LPNs nothing which is why I'm leaning towards long term care but I am really afraid of putting my license at risk by doing an unrealistic workload etc. What is your advice? should I just avoid New York nursing homes entirely? Do you think the nurse to patient ratio will be better in drug rehab clinic? 

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This is insane! 120 patients to 1 nurse 😳 RUN! Ain't no way, the state should be called. Protect your license and move on. Did you decide to work LTC or hospital?

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Specializes in ICU, trauma.

You might get more replies in the LTC forum vs the LTACH forum... but holy ******* **** those ratios are unacceptable!!  I don't know how a nurse can do anything for anyone like that!  Especially as a new grad... there is a learning curve between school and real life — even if you had really great training in school.  
 

Med pass and wound care for 40-80 people in 8 hours sounds all but impossible... there's no way that can be done without massive dangerous shortcuts — if not outright false documentation.  I'm nervous just thinking about it 

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