the dysfunction of LTC

[Kashia, ASN, LVN]

I decided to post this in managers section as perhaps I can gain better understanding...

I am an agency nurse and lately have been going to LTC or rehab facilities

at one in particular there is a staff person telling management that I am stating

I am going to call the state on them.

this has happened twice. now the second time they are saying they do not want me back.

I am confused over the way this is being handled...true I am employed by my agency so I am a guest at this facility

but I do not understand why this is being handled this way- with no input from me whatsoever.

How would you handle such a complaint from one of your employees?... if they told you a agency nurse

was stating she was going to call the state?

would you just call agency and say she is not to come back here?

don't complaints need some valid backing other than hearsay?

Thank you in advance. I feel like I have been fired with no reason nor asked for my side( I really do not have a side ) other than I never said that?

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

If it were my building, I'd find the person saying they were going to call the state and ask them why. I've had many nurses tell me they were going to call the state for one reason or another. None of them have ever been valid (and I report everything). Some nurses want to call the state for every perceived injustice or short staffing or whatever. If something is that wrong in my building, I'd want to know about it.

[achot chavi]

Obviously something doesn't sound Kosher here. Why are they saying it? Do you complain about the facility while working? Do the other nurses consider you a threat in any way?

Obviously every DON is different and you may not really know the reason why they are asking not so send you. Some DON's have friends among the staff and may take their word over yours anyway. I dont buy into this practice but have seen it in practice in other facilities.

You are probably better off without that facility and all you really can do is write a memo to your employer that you are innocent of such behavior, you dont know why they are saying it and you havent done anything to encourage such an accusation, you do your work with professionalism and to the best of your abilities and you try to get along with the staff in each facility that you have worked in,

So sorry this is happening to you. It could be you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Good luck with your career!

[glm777, BSN, RN]

Of course, I don't know why the staff would be saying this but I do have experience being the agency nurse at several LTC facilities and I can tell you some of the issues I have had. Basically I have found that the regular staff are often resentful toward agency staff. Rumor has it that they "make double" what regular staff make, don't have to do summaries, edits, etc., pick their own schedule, take hours from the regular staff, and the list goes on and on. Of course - none of this is true (or at least it isn't in my case). Yes, I probably make more than your regular floor nurses - but I get no holiday pay, no shift differential, no health insurance or sick time. I don't work - I don't get paid. Secondly, my contract requires me to "perform the job duties associated with a regular floor nurse in the facility" which means I should be doing summaries, edits, etc. If YOUR facility choses to NOT have agency do these tasks - not my fault -take it up with your DON. Thirdly, I do make my own schedule but I can only work that schedule if there is time available. I can't count the number of times I have been dressed and on my way out the door to work at a facility and have been called by my agency telling me not to go in - someone from the floor has decided to stay or to pick up those hours at the last minute. Remember - I don't work - I don't get paid.

I have been the butt of rumors, misquotes, false statements, etc while doing agency for LTC. But I continue to go to those facilities and grin and bear it because I enjoy my job and the LTC population.

I would definitely confront the person saying this, make it very clear that you are ther to HELP the staff, not take away hours or not pull your weight and then let it go.

Some people are just miserable and want to cause trouble!

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Just as there are good and bad staff nurses, there are good and bad agency nurses. I've worked with agency nurses I would have hired in a heart beat. I've also worked with some who wouldn't do admissions (what?), wouldn't write an incident report (what??) and refused once they had come in the building to either work the short term floor or pass meds because the state was in the building.

Let's not paint all agency nurses with the same brush...and agency nurses, you shouldn't say all LTCs are dyfunctional.

[Kashia, ASN, LVN]

Cape Cod Mermaid...it actually does not make that much difference but thought I would point out

I did not say all LTC was dysfunctional. The title of my post is The Dysfunction of LTC.

And for the others that posted, thank you much. Helpful to get feedback. Love Allnurses!!