After working as an RN in a variety of roles in LTC for over 20 years, I switched to working as the full time RN in 2 separate Assisted Living facilities (under the same company). Both of these Assisted Living facilities had a memory care unit attached so these residents required heavy care. Many were 2 staff transfers which was not a problem as staffing was adequate (in numbers only, not training). What was not adequate was that aides were being hired "off the street" & they were expected to pass meds after a crash course in med passing, even administering predrawn insulins. The ALA staff weren't even CNA certified. After being employed there for 7 months & doing what I thought was a decent job, I was unexpectedly fired. I was reminded on several occasions that I had to get my LTC thinking mode out of my head & to start thinking Assisted Living mode instead, but with the type of residents they had in the memory care units it was very difficult for me to do so. For example, I had to get orders for bowel programs due to impactions, wound care for decubitis ulcers, etc. The administrator was an LPN & she would go behind my back & tell the staff to do things differently after I had given instructions for something specific (such as giving someone a pain med before bedtime to prevent nighttime wandering, etc). The reason for them firing me, according to this LPN/administator & the VP, was due to my mind being supposedly in LTC mode & faxing MD's too often for orders. I really loved that job & I'm still in shock! Anyone ever heard of this before? I have been an RN for 28 years & was an LPN prior to that; I've never had so much as a written warning until this happened! Thanks in advance & I aplogize for a long post!
