From LTC to Hospital (MED SURG)

[Drysolong]

For those of you who have worked as charge nurse in LTC for 50-60 or so residents and gave gone to 5-7 patients in a hospital setting, in your opinion is the situation comparable, better or worse. My experience has been that LTC has a high census, but most of the residents are not acute and don't need a lot of attention especially on my night shift.

Would you say that one is just as busy as the other, even though hospital load is much less patient-wise?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I was an LPN in LTC and then went to hospital med-surg - very, very different and much harder, more liability, much higher acuity and I was expected to do and know much more. If you don't have acute care experience I would certainly consider shadowing an acute care RN first prior to committing. ALso, I would realize that there is a steep learning curve going from LTC to acute care.

However, that said, I still wouldn't let it stop me if that is what I wanted to do. Good luck.

[Rep]

For those of you who have worked as charge nurse in LTC for 50-60 or so residents and gave gone to 5-7 patients in a hospital setting, in your opinion is the situation comparable, better or worse. My experience has been that LTC has a high census, but most of the residents are not acute and don't need a lot of attention especially on my night shift.

Would you say that one is just as busy as the other, even though hospital load is much less patient-wise?

I worked in a sub acute/LTC before and work currently in Med-Surg. Working in LTC is lighter than in med surg, you do a lot of work and patients tend to have more problems and so demanding. Also you have to be more knowledgeable because patients will asks everything they can under the sun. If you do fine in LTC , you will do good in med surg. Good luck!