geriatric nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. Are geriatric nurses "real" nurses?

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I recently went from a leadership position in a nursing home, to

a staff nurse position in a hospital. From my discussions, it

appears that some of the opinions are that geriatric nurses donot

know as much, skill level is poor, and you would have to be crazy

to work in a nursing home. I would like to know if this is a general consensus--what is your opinion?

Specializes in MDS Coordinator, CWS.

I have to say, I have been in LTC all my life. In our sunny little tourist town, we have one hospital. The condition of the residents we receive is amazing. I understand DRG's and all that political BS, but my point is, our nurses are taking care of residents that should not have been discharged so soon. Thus, using their skills and knowledge just like they would in a hospital.

Tired..I agree, the regulations for hospitals are not what they should be. I would go stir crazy working in one. In LTC you live each day in preparation for survey.

I found that hospitals pay better than LTC. Most people tend to go where better pay is. For a large portion of LTC nurses I have met, they have had issues that have got them fired from hospitals or not hired by hospitals. Nurses that I worked with that were fired from the hospital or were not thriving, did go to work into a LTC. I guess theses folks give nurses that work in LTC or geriatric nurses a bad rap. I also think both acute care and long term care require two entirely different skills to thrive and and be respected. However, it sems like acute care skills are prejudiciously favored.

I found that hospitals pay better than LTC. Most people tend to go where better pay is. For a large portion of LTC nurses I have met, they have had issues that have got them fired from hospitals or not hired by hospitals. Nurses that I worked with that were fired from the hospital or were not thriving, did go to work into a LTC. I guess theses folks give nurses that work in LTC or geriatric nurses a bad rap. I also think both acute care and long term care require two entirely different skills to thrive and and be respected. However, it sems like acute care skills are prejudiciously favored.

oh, i agree...

the fact that we should even have to discuss such things, is a sad state of affairs for this profession we find ourselves in.....

a LTC or "geriatric nurse", must be a "generalist nurse", able to assess and handle/treat situations very quickly while taking care of and being responsible for anywhere from 20-70 patients at a time........

as the years have went by, the current nursing home residents in years past would have been kept in the hospital, and the current patient in the hospital on a medical surg floor would have remained in ICU if condition warranted for much longer...

point i am trying to make here.....

the acuity of our patients whereever we find them are higher and with more needs, without the "system catching up" and supporting the nurses that care for them.........

where i work...on a med/surg unit....it often feels like i am a geriatric nurse.

why do we always try to break ourselves off into stereotypes and then berate each other?

true enough, My sister just finished her first semester of nursing school and I asked her what "type of nursing " she might go into. I had this pearl to share, "unless you work in Peds or OB, You are going to be a geriatric Nurse"

Moving from LTC to a hospital is like going from L&D to Med-Surg. They're just different specialties.

In LTC, I had a lot of variety-- trying to get a working pump for someone's Vanco order, suctioning trachs, dealing with demented LOL's pulling G-tubes out, while trying to keep So-and-So's boyfriend from calling us up drunk. Teaching SallyQ how to take a manual BP and Lisa LPN how an O2 sat means nothing if the heart's bad enough. Then there are falls, neuro checks, central lines, wound care, psycho patients who think the staff is going to kill them and call the police on us .... or the fella that didn't get someone in his room fast enough to pick up his fallen "blankie" and called 9-1-1 to report he was "hypothermic." :chuckle

Oh yeah. Then you have the codes.

:chuckle :roll

Translation: You're just as busy. Admin treats you just as badly.

And you're just as exhausted when you get home at night.

I read somewhere that LTC staff are paid less and respected less because we, as a society do not value our elderly residents.....so if the patient is expendable how much respect will go to the ones who serve the needs of the expendable?

Its a saaaad thought - but l believe one that is common world wide.

I have only worked in a few places since I"ve become a nurse. The hospital setting was one that I never ever cared for even in clinicals. Not that it's too much work or too stressful - It's not what I like to do. I never thought Geriatrics would be what I love - I just sort of fell into it. It is the one thing that gives me purpose in this life - when I leave there I feel so right with God. I know I make a difference in their lives but they make the most in mine with their courage and bravery and extreme faith when they have no family left, no body left and they are still smiling that big smile at you every morning - saying it's a great day!!! that's why I work in Geriatrics. There are many stressful occurances at the care center and there is alot of skills needed - remember sometimes you are the only nurse in the facility! There are med surg patients, psych residents, all kinds of illnesses - and just about anything you'd want to learn about. I don't need to know how to put in a chest tube or intubate a patient just to prove that I am a competent nurse. I know I am by smiles I see everyday. Guess what - sometimes hospital nurses come in to cover a shift as a 2nd job and they are always whining and complaining about how this facility is just so lame and they don't know anything about care - That is why every patient from their hospital comes over with deadly bed sores and once one of them called us about one of our residents who just had a bladder tuck there to ask us "Has Jane ever had urinary incontinence before"?

There are know it alls in every setting and those who are humble - so why don't we all just pat eachother on the back - because I'm glad somebody works at the hospital and likes it or we wouldn't have good hospital nurses to care for our families.

:kiss

yes we are real nurses!!!!!!! We deal with problems quickly and get little respect from the Doctors. But it sure feels good when you send a pt before the heart attack. Even though the Doctor doesn't see the suttle change in the pt. You know your pt you see them everyday and you know when something is fishy.

well said

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