attitudes about working in Rehab

shellbabs · May 12, 2005

:nurse:HI I AM A STAFF NURSE IN A REHAB WARD IN SCOTLAND, I FIND THAT AS A MENTOR TO STUDENT NURSES, YOU DO FIND THAT ALOT OF THEM HATE THE WORK. IT'S VERY DEMANDING AND CAN LEAVE YOU EXHAUSTED BY THE END OF A SHIFT. BUT IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF REWARDS, :) when :) you see a patient up and walking again after a major CVA. IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WORK YOU DO AS A NURSE.

Am a nursing student,and i just started doing my clinical at a rehab hospital, i enjoy working in rehab but others hated it. what are others opinion about working in rehab

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · May 12, 2005

My first clinical rotation was on a skilled nursing unit (they called it "snif" for skilled nursing facility, I think, even though it was in an actual hospital).

My first thought was, what did we do wrong?

But quickly I appreciated the different between working there and working a med/surg unit. There was a better nurse to patient ratio, the patients weren't so ill and could do some things for themselves, and the patients really appreciated having the students there.

Of course, some of those things can be true of other units, this was just my experience.

Frankly, I never found a rotation I didn't love--I just love some more than others.

I get a little nervous about the quality of the nurses schools are producing, when I hear about they "hate" this rotation or that one. It's nursing! If you don't like it, go be an accountant. The work is too important to do for anything other than the love of it.

zenman · May 12, 2005

One thing I liked about rehab is that the admissions are planned, mostly for the day shift so you don't have the ER calling all night dropping patients in your lap.

suebird3 · May 12, 2005

I did Rehab for my Senior 2 rotation.....Having been an LPN for yeeears in LTC, the ratio was MUCH better than what I had been used to. :chuckle

rach_nc_03 · May 12, 2005

I get a little nervous about the quality of the nurses schools are producing, when I hear about they "hate" this rotation or that one. It's nursing! If you don't like it, go be an accountant. The work is too important to do for anything other than the love of it.

Eh....don't be too quick to judge. I hated one rotation specifically becuase the staff was hateful and we learned nothing. I hated a lot about psych clinicals because the techs on our ward seemed more interested in flirting and talking on the phone than in keeping everyone safe.

I hate cleaning up human excrement. I do it and I don't complain, *and* I believe it's extremely important. I also hate phlegm. I have to hold back a gag every time I suction someone...but I do it anyway. It's a stretch to expect anyone to love every single aspect of nursing. I've never unilaterally loved- or hated- any of the multiple non-nursing jobs I've held, either. Life's a mixed bag like that. And, no matter how much I enjoy my job, a big part of the reason I go in is because they pay me.

Didn't mean to be critical or get so off-topic.

bobnurse · May 12, 2005

A lot of people dont like rehab due to all the lifting. And if you work geriatric rehab, lots of incontinent care..............

mattsmom81 · May 13, 2005

If the rehab unit is well staffed it can be a wonderful place to work, in my experience.

One of my best friends left medsurg for rehab...found it an easier environment, better nurse patient ratio. I myself enjoyed working agency shifts at a local rehab hospital. Their patients came from local hospitals and were not acutely ill. I was responsible for asessments and meds on 10 patients usually, and what made this workable is they were there for the rehab, not the nursing care. Their days were spent in PT and OT...mostly the nurses' job was to asess, oversee, give meds. At night they were exhausted and just wanted their painkillers and sleeping pills from me...LOL!

I did enjoy the shift in thinking...not what the nurse can be manipulated into doing for the patient (often seen in the hospital) but what the patient is expected to do for themselves.

This hospital employed lots of good CNA's, who teamed up to do most of the heavy lifting...the nurses rarely got involved...but our charting, meds, and asessments and overseeing kept me busy in a good way...not the hectic frantic pace of the hospital.

So...lots of good things to be said if the rehab unit is well run and well staffed. But then this can be said of all units.

unknown99, BSN, RN · May 14, 2005

I absolutely love rehab. I can't think of doing anything else.

georgie girl · May 14, 2005

I am a clinical manager on a rehab unit. I go out and assist the nurse, and assess resident condition. And I sometimes have to give, "my speech" as the rest of the staff say, to encourage a resident on the unit that they are here for rehab, and yes they can make it, and if I didn't think so, we would not have admitted them there. We had a 94 year old lady after spinal surgery go home. She was just a gem. The residents really are fun to watch as they progress, and they are so appreciative. Yes, just the other day, I had a resident who I knew just was not going to make it. The family came back so greatful for the care she received. Most of the time it is great- fun to see persons recover. :)