frustrated

[pebbles049]

Here goes I graduated in may of 2013 from an adn program. Prior to that I was an LPN since 1995. I have been in long term care work ever since the begining. (18 years to be exact) Hospitals in our area phased out all the LPNs so I stayed in long term care. I currently work PRN and its ok but I am going to need fulltime soon. Well I can stay fulltime at my current place which I will say stinks for benefits and I mean it. Rns have to work all holidays there is no every other holiday, health insurance is astronomical, no holiday pay. One has to fight the scheduler for vacation( she can take hers though no problem and one is left hanging about theirs.) I have been there for 16 years and have no satisfication in the place. I forgot to mention my husband who is an lpn works there to. When I am on his floor I feel like I have to clean everything up so he can have a nice shift to come in to. Needless to say it doesnt happen. Work ends up becoming our main topic of conversation so I am very hesitant to take full time in our building and company. I am kind of burnt out of long term care. I have gone on a few interviews at hospitals but it seems that they look down on ltc nurses. I keep on hearing fast paced and sick patients. In clinical and I know it was only a couple of hours in the hospital , I had some patients that looked better than my nursing home patients. Yes they had multiple things wrong with them but. I currently bust my behind in ltc work and can say the day goes fast especially day shift when doctors come in write orders, passing many meds and i mean many , stopping med pass to take people to the bathroom , suctioning the trach patient who needs to be suctioned like every hour in between running around doing everything else, treatments including wound vacs picc line dressing, complicated wounds changes, filling out incident reports, sbars when patients are sick, charting on them etc. fall prevention(lots of time there will be 2 or 3 patients around the med cart and a nurse having to concentrate on med pass to but to prevent the falls you got to do what you got to do.), explaining to families what is going on with their loved ones, What else do I do a heck of a lot . I guess my question is , is am I destined to stay in ltc forever. I am burnt out and feeling like no one will give me a chance any where else. Yes my skill set is different then acute care but I am one damn good nurse. I would love to go into hospice but I am seeing some require acute care. Oh my what to do. Thanks for listening

Frustrated in Pa.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Have you looked into a LTAC (Long Term Acute care) in your area?

[pebbles049]

Thanks Esme ,

I have not looked into ltac. It looks like kindred hospital is the only ltac around me which is still a little far but tolerable drive. I checked their website and they said acute care experience preferred. Still gonna put in an application. I just keep on putting in applications and no bites in the philly area. I have 3 part time jobs and could take my old one back in a minute sort of different shift but feel like I am stuck and have outgrown the facility not that I am better but I feel my path is to learn more yet scared at the same time. My other 2 jobs pay lower than my lpn wages were and really wont allow for a whole bunch of learning. (although I believe one never stops learning even from little things)

Thanks for the suggestion I know something will turn up