Feeling spread way too thin

[HotmaleSPN]

:uhoh21: :uhoh21: I am two weeks into LTC orientation, I got to do the med passes a few times on my own, along with treatments. It just seems like everything we learned in class doesnt apply to this job. If you do everything the way your supposed too, you will be working a double to get it all done. It is so stressfull having residents refusing to take meds, leaving the unit, then having to hunt them down,ect.. then the agency nurses that work night shift coming in late or not at all every single day. On 3-11 there is like 60 residents, and I hear sometimes you will be the only nurse there, which means you will have to pass meds to all of them. THis sounds dangerous, and scary. I hate to say this, but it feels like there is no time to care for the residents. I feel like they are cheap, and there needs to be like 3 or 4 LPNs on the floor, am I dreaming here? any suggestions?

[jamangel]

Welcome to nursing. You can forget about what you THINK it should be. It all comes down to money. You will learn soon enough that if there is going to be a change it wil be in you first. You'll have to decide if this is something you wnat to put up with.

I personally would not. Even when I was a rookie.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Real nursing is virtually never going to be conducted "by the book".

However, 60 residents is quite excessive for the 3-11pm shift. When I worked the 3-11pm shift, I has 28 to 30 residents to care for. 60 residents is quite normal for the 11-7am shift, but never for the 3-11pm shift.

[blingbling]

I agree as a new nurse it can be very overwhelming..I had severe anxiety in school thinking i couldn't ever get it all done.........you really do learn how to handle it the more you are in it......that does seem high for a 3-ll..i always had 30 pts.....and i loved 3-ll...when you feel overwhelm talk to the other nurses on that shift they can guide you and work as a team and really work with your cnas..When I was in a bind i NEVER had a team player refuse to help me if i was in a pickle and i never refused them...some days are more stressful than others especially when the new admits come in and the meal time seemed to be like shewwwww would i ever get done.......I prioritized myself......and remember you are very new and in the beginning during my orientation all I could ever really get done was my med pass..I cried and really doubted if i could do this..I was slow and very anal and I felt so lost.....it's ok..share those feelings with others it will help..You do get better and you will see that in time......and it's ok if LTC is not your bag there are other areas you can work in.......I tried several types of nursing positions before i found my niche..and it's a toss up between home health and Corrections..............Now you want to see a BIG med pass go to corrections........gosh i puked the first week from anxiety and stress and NOW I LOVE IT>>>>>>>>>>YOU are perfectly normal in feeling what you do..To care that much to wonder how it's done will round you into becoming a great nurse...........Keep on going with it..good luck.......Tootles...

[JentheRN05, RN]

This is NOT right. Get out of that position - it's YOUR license (or soon to be) on the line. I wouldn't stand for this. I would tell upper management that they need to correct their policies, give them a time frame or you will leave. It's not safe and not right.

[Indynurse5618]

I agree with the others who said this just isn't right. This is how errors occur and unless you stand up for yourself, management in some companies just don't care. I would definitely talk it over with the DON or Administrator and if nothing gets done, there are plenty of other ones out there who are good and do care. Good luck!