Finding my place in nursing. Not liking LTC/SNF!

[PrettyNerd, CNA, LPN, LVN]

Hi all! So I've been wanting to write this for a while now, this might get long so bare with me as I tend to ramble a bit too much at times. Need advice from experienced nurses or anyone really.

Where do I begin...

Ok so here's a little background on me. I got my CNA a few years ago, I honestly didn't really want to be in LTC, it was just not appealing to me. I was scared going to LTC right after getting my CNA because I would hear it's a lot of work, so I decided to work at an Assisted Living Facility to where I worked for 2 years. Having been there, I can say I provided excellent care to all the residents, I was a lot of resident's favorite aide, and some even requested ME to be their aid especially when it came to showers or just certain things, they always wanted me, so that's why I can say I feel confident that I made a difference there and residents received good quality care. I basically made sure they were all COMPLETELY taken care of (this is going to be important, later in my ramble), I showered them from HEAD to TOE, shaved them, made sure they had clean clothes, BRUSHED their teeth/dentures, put lotion on their bodies, fixed their hair, and talked to them about their day (you know because they are humans too, they matter). With this being said, I always felt satisfied with the work I'd done and my residents really thanked me and I appreciated me. I could go home and feel happy that they were taken good care of.

So after 2 years, I resigned to go to nursing school and I was in the LVN/LPN program, I graduated and I am waiting to take the NCLEX next week:woot:

Anyway, after I graduated and before being able to take on the boards, I decided to go back to work. After having a little more experience being in nursing school, I decided it was time to do something more challenging, so I applied at an SNF/LTC as a CNA. I've been working there now for about a month and a half and I honestly hate going to work. Here's my problem: I'm slow! Everyone tells me that, they tell me I need to pick up my pace which I am trying SOOOOO hard!! I really honestly try really hard. The thing is though, that I try to provide care like I did in ALF, by taking the time to make sure they are clean and smell good. However, multiple CNAs have told me things like "oh don't do too much with this resident, just change their depend", "Don't worry about putting lotion on them", "We don't brush the residents teeth here" () "Don't talk too much to them", "Just wash their armpits and peri area when you shower them"....Uhmmm...I'm sorry but WHAT????? I DO NOT feel like that is quality care and with my personality, I absolutely HATE doing a half @$$ job, which essentially, this is what theyre doing. I do not feel comfortable doing the job I'm doing, I hate being rushed to get things done, I'm always rushing to get things done, but I still don't feel like I am doing a good job. I go home and I don't feel satisfied like I did in ALF, I feel like I didn't complete my tasks, and just don't feel right. One time I showered a resident, when I took them back to their room, one of the CNA's said to me "oh my gosh, you took a *** ton in there, no no, just 5 minutes MAX for showers". Really?

One nurse decides to pick on anything she can find wrong with me and go to my supervisor, she has done this like 2-3 times now (keep in mind I'm still new here, not gonna be perfect). Either way I am busting my butt off to get everything done. Because of this I have woken up with anxiety, like feeling nauseous, stomach hurting, heart racing, urge to go to the bathroom, sweating, but nevertheless, I show up to work.

We have a new CNA now, and she seems to be doing fine (its her very first CNA job) she is not struggling at all! And I've been doing this longer than she has. Last week my supervisor asked if I was doing ok which I was honest and said I was behind and struggling a little but I was almost done. When she asked the new girl, she said "pssh, this is so easy!"

Basically to wrap this up, I've come to the conclusion that I'm not meant to be in this type of facility, apparently I strugle more, yes I work slower because I like to do things right, and complete everything right. I want to treat residents like humans, not just like work that needs to be done fast.

I'm writing this because I have become discouraged working in LTC as an LPN, initially I wanted to work there after I pass my boards, but after being there for almost 2 months, I really don't feel like this is a place for me. I understand the roles are different for CNAs and LPNs but still, I don't like feeling rushed but I'm not sure where else to go as an LPN, LTC/SNF mostly hires them.

I was ok with staying an LPN (I had applied to RN a few years prior but didn't get accepted) Now, after reading a few posts here, I want to further my education and possibly take the BSN route to have more options open.

Advice needed, where can I go as an LVN/LPN if I prefer to take my time (in general I think I'm just slow)? Oh, and to be clear, I don't mean I don't like to work, because I am a hard worker and I do like having things to do and not be bored at work, just want a place where I'm not rushed if that makes sense. How do I know where I belong in nursing?

Thanks in advanced, sorry for the long post.

[blaundee]

That's how I was when I was a new aide, so slow because I was trying to do everything the right way. The sad reality of nursing homes... they're understaffed, and you can only get the bare minimum done.

Perhaps as an lpn, you could help out with some of that. I worked with a nurse who loved to do the "little things" like brushing their hair, applying lotion, helping them with their fancier clothes that take so long to put on, painting their fingernails, brushing their teeth... it made life better for the residents and helped the CNAs too. It's just plain impossible for one aide to do everything like that for 20+ residents.

[OliveOyl91, BSN, RN]

I worked as a CNA in LTC for 2 1/2 years before getting a job at a hospital. My number one pet peeve was having someone else tell me how to take care of my residents. This was usually done by other CNAs questioning why I was doing certain things like brushing dentures or cleaning under the pannis and applying powder. It's a delicate balance. Every CNA is slow when they first start off. Once you get a routine down pat, you can still get everything done while still being able to converse with your residents. Often, other CNAs would rush through their work so they could spend the rest of the night on their phone in the nurses' station. Not me. Sadly, when we would be exceptionally short-staffed (I would have 15+ total care residents), I would have to cut corners in order to attend to each resident in way one or another.

Do what you know is right. Speed comes with practice and time.