Are most LTC understaffed? Are most nurses in LTC overworked, understaffed?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I am a recent grad and my first job was in a LTC facility..I have to say that the facility was understaffed..The nurse who worked there even told me that it is an understaffed facility..I know the owner or organization wants to make money so they hire less people..But that is not right at all..Is this the reason why most LTC facilites are understaffed..I dont want to mention anything bad about the faclity I was working in but because of the understaffing, it lead to a lot of negative things..

Anyway, please tell me that in some LTC, there is adequate staff..I already was let go from the LTC facility and I dont want to to back..

Until there are state or federally MANDATED nurse patient/ ratios in place, LTCs will allways be understaffed. Corporate GREED wont get any better.Human nature.:o

Yep, totally agree. I worked as staff many years ago, then went agency, & pretty much worked all the LTC facilities in my area. Love the pt's, but each & every one all seem understaffed and most were out of supplies. Sad isn't it.:(

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Yep, most LTCs are understaffed, at the nursing and aide levels. It's pathetic that there are around 17,000 nursing homes with over 1 million residents depending on them for care, but most of them are not getting the adequate amount of attention from nurses and CNAs because of the lack of staffing. Why aren't there federal, or at least state-mandated ratios for nursing homes? Do people, for example, really think that a CNA can take care of 20-30 residents on a 8-hour shift? I have a hard enough time with 12! :madface:

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Thanks..I quit my job today! I have had it with LTC and the rules and regulations and stupid administrators and the list goes on and on...but I appreciate your kind words.
CapeCod, congratulations, I KNEW you were too good for that job.I truly wish you the best in whatever position you take after this one.;)
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I have a new job!

Nurse to patio ratio in my new job: 2 nurses to 30 patients

My old understaffed job: 2 nurses to 49 patients

This could be the difference between night and day hopefully!

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Thanks..I quit my job today! I have had it with LTC and the rules and regulations and stupid administrators and the list goes on and on...but I appreciate your kind words.

Capecod!! So what are you planning to do?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I have a new job!
Congratulations! :yeah:
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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
Capecod!! So what are you planning to do?

Until I decide what I want to be when I grow up I'm going to work for the VNA.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

How do you find out what the legal nurse/patient ratio is? My facility has two nurses for 71 patients and 4-6 CNA's. 2 nurses on days and pm's and one on nights. That is just ridiculous. Since working in LTC as both a CNA and a nurse remind me that if I get old and society doesn't change the way they take care of their elderly, just shoot me. Most everyone in healthcare only want to take care of people, but as we are only one nurse with 40 patients how good is that quality of care? Let's put some of the people who call the shots in a nursing home for even one week and they will see that there is not enough staff to give quality care. Hopefully these big corporations that are making money off these nursing homes sleep well at night knowing there clients are getting less than desirable care because their to cheap to hire more help.

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How do you find out what the legal nurse/patient ratio is? My facility has two nurses for 71 patients and 4-6 CNA's. 2 nurses on days and pm's and one on nights. That is just ridiculous. Since working in LTC as both a CNA and a nurse remind me that if I get old and society doesn't change the way they take care of their elderly, just shoot me. Most everyone in healthcare only want to take care of people, but as we are only one nurse with 40 patients how good is that quality of care? Let's put some of the people who call the shots in a nursing home for even one week and they will see that there is not enough staff to give quality care. Hopefully these big corporations that are making money off these nursing homes sleep well at night knowing there clients are getting less than desirable care because their to cheap to hire more help.
Go online , look for the health department(in my state they are called Department of Health and Family Services), you will find either a phone number to call and ask this, OR you should be able to find it on line in the health department's Nursing Home Regulation section of the site.The nurse/patient ratios are shameful and unless we get state or federal mandates they WONT change.
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how about a census of 103? supposed to be 2 nurses and five to six cnas. if one nurse calls in there is only one nurse. the med pass keeps growing longer and longer, anything the other shifts don't want to do gets put on night shift. Got diabetics that crash during the night, people that demand pain meds all hours, accuchecks out the wazoo, huge treatments, not to mention that the mars and treatment books are monitored daily, you get written up for any blank spaces, and constant threats that you will end up in jail because of abuse and neglet and the beat goes on. Any suggestions for this???

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how about a census of 103? supposed to be 2 nurses and five to six cnas. if one nurse calls in there is only one nurse. the med pass keeps growing longer and longer, anything the other shifts don't want to do gets put on night shift. Got diabetics that crash during the night, people that demand pain meds all hours, accuchecks out the wazoo, huge treatments, not to mention that the mars and treatment books are monitored daily, you get written up for any blank spaces, and constant threats that you will end up in jail because of abuse and neglet and the beat goes on. Any suggestions for this???
Only to report this to the Health Department( nursing home regulatory section), but I cant guarantee that this will get you anywhere.Contact your local nursing home reform groups, they might be able to hook you up with some legislative groups or office, ombudsman, they are OK , but have no enforcemnt power.But be aware if you do report your facility , and they know you did, you will be fired. Hopefully you have a Whistleblower Retaliation Protection Law in your state.LTC is a multibillion dollar industry with alot of lobbying clout, I dont know if anything will change until the babyboomers overwhelm the system and then all **** will break loose.
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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.
Yep, most LTCs are understaffed, at the nursing and aide levels. It's pathetic that there are around 17,000 nursing homes with over 1 million residents depending on them for care, but most of them are not getting the adequate amount of attention from nurses and CNAs because of the lack of staffing. Why aren't there federal, or at least state-mandated ratios for nursing homes? Do people, for example, really think that a CNA can take care of 20-30 residents on a 8-hour shift? I have a hard enough time with 12! :madface:

Our state DOES have mandated staff-to-pt-ratios(regarding CNAs only---I don't think there is any mandate on # of pts per nurse) but alas those ratios do NOT consider the ACUITY of the pt. Unsure of the ratios have changed any(doubt that they have) from several years ago when I worked LTC but here they are for my state: day shift: 1 CNA for 10 pts; swing shift: 1 CNA to 15 pts; noc shift: 1 CNA to 25 pts. The CNAs really need better ratios than that and we nurses need a mandated ratio established!

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