Burnt out on LTC. Suggestions PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

[brown eyed girl]

Hello all,

I have been in ltc since 1998. I was a cna for 8 years then worked full time double shift weekends and went to school full time m-f for my lpn. It is now 4 years later and I am more than burnt out; Im not clinically satisfied or challenged anymore. I desperately want more acute or subacute experience to learn more and to upgrade my skills and critical thinking but its just not happening for me. I only work ltc bc its the only job that I can get here in the Atl metro area and even that's drying up. I'm tired of hating where I work; I love my residents' though, always have since the beginning and I absolutely love being a nurse and Im very good at what I do. For me, its just time for something new. I need to be mentally challenged, I thrive on that. I want to be excited to go to work again instead of working a job "just to pay the bills." I apply home health jobs just for the prospect of getting out of the ltc rat race; although I would love being able to give patients the one on one that they deserve not to mention the flexibility. Im tired, frustrated, and confused. I try to stay encouraged and not cry about it but its very, very hard. I just am really at my wits end and I just dont know what to do anymore. Does anyone have any suggestions or solutions? I'll take all that I can get.

[brown eyed girl]

What if you cut back your hours just enough to keep your benefits and find another per diem job on your days off. I have always worked a couple different per diem jobs for the reasons you mentioned. It is very easy to burn out when you do the same thing day after day and have the same stress level and heavy work load. Maybe you could do home care a couple of days and take a little break from the rat race. Good luck.

Honestly, that's a good idea; one that Ive never thought about. However, Ive been on the job search since I went on vacation in dec and Im still applying to other jobs as I speak. The problem is getting a call back or not getting an automatically generated email saying "thank you but, we have chosen someone with better credentials or experience." I'm pretty much game for anything. I just need an opportunity to get an interview and I'll take care of the rest! I firmly believe in the skills that I have and what I can do if given the opportunity; the problem is, I cant get recruiters to get past my ltc experience to at least give me a chance. It's not that there arent any jobs in my area, the problem is, getting the opportunity to showcase who you are, your skills and what you have to offer no matter what setting you come from. The jobs are plentiful, just a bad market, strict years of experience requirements, and the fact that no organization wants to train you to do anything. I have seen one particular job with a particular hospital remain open to this day; and its been advertised since I've moved here in 2007! It seems like a good position; so good I've applied to it at least 3 times with the last being last week, only to get the computer generated email, "sorry, you dont meet the skills set necessary for this job" yet, the only qualifications listed on the website are to be LPN with at least 1 year clinical experience. So, I remain frustrated but not surprised. Like I've stated before, it happens so often that I cant even get mad about it anymore.

[scoochy]

Have you considered working in a detox center?? I am an RN; I worked in one through a nursing agency x1.5 years.

It is a different type of nursing, needless to say, but the detox center in which I worked used LPNs on the detox unit, and RNs for the admissions. It was a busy center..35 beds..largest in the state where I reside. I enjoyed it there, but they didn't pay well, thus my reason for working there through a nursing agency. How about signing up with an agency?? Often times, you can explore different avenues of nursing working in this manner. You have to find a good agency..one in which nurses have the "reigns," so to speak. Do some research...

[guest2210]

i agree with the previous poster. try an agency or check into med centers in your area to see if they have a prn pool. it might give you just enough of a diversion. i've never stayed at a job longer than 2 years. i'd get bored and move on to something else. of course, the lpn job market wasn't as saturated as it is now so finding other positions was so muc heasier. i almost made it to 3 years at one place but was terminated when i had mentioned to a "friend" that the executive director at the assisted living facility i was at should go "f" himself....guess he failed to see any humor in that remark...but that's another story...lol

good luck...

[brown eyed girl]

Last week, I hooked up with an agency who was hiring for medsurg for a "confidential client." As I said before the recruiter loved me, thought they could get me in, the rep for the company said "no." That was the best lead I'd had. I just keep applying to home health agencies and whatever else I can find. Im depressed about my entire situation, but I have to keep pushing; its all I know how to do.