Can I make a difference?

[gypsierose]

First, my background is this: I've been a CNA for 22 years. My first job out of high school was in a nursing home. I put myself through college working home care. I got involved with the Disability Right's movement, and to this day most of my good friends are people with disabilites. I studied art, or as I some times say "I have a bachelor's degree in youthful idealism." I worked as an aide in a big city hospital for 4 years and during that time completed my pre reqs for nursing school. I also volunteered as a Long Term Care Ombudsman and loved advocating for patients of nursing homes. During that that time, my mother was diagnosed with MS, and I quit work to take care of her for the last 6 years. She passed away this year and I'm proud that I was able to keep her at home. But now I need to restart my career, and I'm debating if I want to become a nurse after all. I have strong science and math skills and the schooling doesn't intimidate me. I know I do not want to do hospital nursing, and I have a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of people who live in nursing homes. I feel that the corporate nature of many nursing homes is pretty evil. I witnessed real abuse during my first job and heard many stories from my friends and nursing home residents about their bad situations. Still, I know its the system we've got and people do live in nursing homes. Those people deserve good care.

My question to you is- can a nurse make a difference for the people who live there? Or am I just setting myself up to be frustrated not being able to do anything about the staffing or conditions? Do you feel like you're able to give people the respect they deserve? Does management listen? Thank you for answering.

[gypsierose]

Oh- maybe I should have posted this elsewhere? Not sure. Not seeing LTC as as specialty. Do admins move posts here? Feel free if this would be better answered elsewhere. Thanks.

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

Yes, one person can make a difference. Maybe even if it is for only one patient and even if it's just a caring attitude. As for the whole system, well I don't think one person could change all that.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Yes, you can make a difference. Look at the William Wiberforces, the Dietrich Bonhoeffers of the world.

And yes, this is the "wrong" forum. LTACHs are a type of hospital -- Long Term acute Care Hospital.

There is a Geriatric Nursing and a LTC DON forum under specialties; you might get more replies if you ask the mods to move it there.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

You can make a difference in someone's life every day. That's what has kept me in the business for more than 30 years. You don't always know the effect you're having on someone but know that you are.