Long Term Care Needs Some Direction!

[Karynica, RN]

I went to a long term care facility yesterday to inquire about a nursing position. I know this facility very well because many of my family members have been residents there.

I walk in the building and there is no one at the nurses station. There are, however, 3 ladies in the administrators offices laughing and whooping it up over some gossip. I am standing within eye distance of these ladies. They know I am there. I walk over to the DON's office and she is not there. Must be a new DON who is also in the administrators office whooping it up. I knew none of these people. Finally after a few minutes I walk over to the door, stand there and knock on the door. They all look up and go "may I help you?" I got the application and left.

Now, what if I had been a family member??

What if I had been state coming in for a survey?

How does this look in the eyes of someone who is coming in for the first time?

I tell you how it looks! AWFUL!

I think they can do without this RN

Vent over.

[cjmjmom]

Your story is interesting...especially because I recently accepted a prn supervisor position at a nursing home, despite my reservations. I wonder if you have thought about calling that same nursing home and let the DON and/or administrator know about your experience and perceptions?

[Karynica, RN]

actually it was the administrator, DON and ADON in that office doing the gossiping! Makes me wonder why the place has changed staff so many times over the course of 2 years.

I have wondered about sending an interesting email to the main corporation.

I know, I am evil

:chuckle:clown:

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

Are you sure that they were in fact "gossiping"? Unless you actually overheard the conversation (and it was truely inappropriate) I can't understand why this is such a big deal that the cooperate office would need to be informed. There is a whole lotta stress in LTC, and health care in general. Blowing off steam and "whooping" it up a little isn't necessarily a bad thing. And they did offer to help you as soon as they noticed you. So what if it was a family member/state surveyor, etc unless it really was obviously inappropriate. Laughter and commarodity (sp?) is a good thing!

[kstec, LPN]

It's the same one's you saw sitting on their butts laughing, that run around like the biggest and best employee of the facility, dictating what is and isn't getting done, rather than getting of their a$$es and helping. That is one of my biggest pet peeves where I presently work, is that I and my CNA's are sinking due to high resident ratio to staff and all the higher ups can do is either write you up, give you more to do (like we don't have enough already) or complain about things not getting done. I have a new job that I will be filling out the HR paperwork for next tues. I'm nervous because the reason I'm leaving is due to short staffing, poor moral, too many chiefs and not enough indians, but my heart wants to stay because I thoroughly care about my residents. I could give a rats patuty (sp) about the higher ups, but my residents make my day and almost make it worth putting up with the coorporate greed and dictatorship. But like all nurses in LTC, I have the fear of losing my license, due to the way things are run and the nurse/resident ratio. If I knew anything about politics and even knew where to begin, I'd love to figure out a way to change the way we treat our older generation. All I can say is nursing is not what I thought it would be, only because society has made it to hard. It all comes down to the mightly dollar. Sorry, just needed to vent, and this isn't even a quarter of my venting.

[sharlynn]

Are you sure that they were in fact "gossiping"? Unless you actually overheard the conversation (and it was truely inappropriate) I can't understand why this is such a big deal that the cooperate office would need to be informed. There is a whole lotta stress in LTC, and health care in general. Blowing off steam and "whooping" it up a little isn't necessarily a bad thing. And they did offer to help you as soon as they noticed you. So what if it was a family member/state surveyor, etc unless it really was obviously inappropriate. Laughter and commarodity (sp?) is a good thing!

The fact that there were no nurses at the nurses station ( no doubt out on the floor working!) and they KNEW she was there would be enough reason to inform corporate whether or not it was "gossiping". It's called good customer service!

[jessiern, BSN, RN]

It's called good customer service!

And Heaven knows more good customer service is exactly what the healthcare industry needs!

If patients were being denied care due to this, then yes, it was a big deal. If the patients were all clean and dry, and happy, then I don't see a problem (unless the convo was innapp. and LOUD ENOUGH for others to here without having to seek them out). They probably left a sec. at the desk, who had to go to the BR, or step away from the desk.

If you have a problem with it the situation, and it gives you a bad feeling, then stay away.

[Karynica, RN]

yes, they were laughing and cutting up. No, I didn't hear the whole conversation, but I was standing within 4 feet of them. None of them bothered to ask me if I needed help. It is poor customer service. I have worked in this place before and the reason that no one was at the nurses station was exactly as another person stated, the REAL nurses were working...., but these 3 ladies were in no way working.

If I were a family member and needed to talk to the administrator, I would have been left there to stand until I decided to stop their little "meeting" and interupt, which is exactly what I had to do to get their attention. That is really sad.

[noc4senuf]

I don't quite understand. First you stated you did not know these people and then in the next post stated you knew they were the NHA and DON. What made the difference? Those of us that have been in LTC for years know the stress and pressure that permeates every bone in our body. We do find times to let off some of that with laughter (I want to keep my sanity). I am also one of those that work 9-12 hours most days, eat many a lunch at my desk while continuing to work, hold my pee for hours on end before I race down the hall before I wet my pants, toilet residents (even stopping to do so during an interview of a potential nurse), answer call lights, feed, help on the floor, screen MDS's, multiple meetings, the list goes on...........

If during one of our impromptu get-togethers in an office or in the hall, we happen to laugh.... gosh forbid it offends someone. Maybe if you knew the exact conversation, it had more meaning than you are interpreting it was.

[Karynica, RN]

let me clarify. I knew that the lady behind the desk was the administrator of the facility only by the fact that she was sitting in the administrators chair and did give me an application. The only reason I knew that it was the DON and ADON because I heard the other nurse call her by her given name. I have a friend who works at this facility and had talked to her before coming in for an application. I had also talked to the administrator on the phone before coming in. Since no one else is allowed in the administrators office, I could easily come to the conclusion as to who each of these people are, and after talking to the friend, I was right. It's not too hard to know who are the "chiefs" and then come the "indians". :wink2:

But do you ignore someone obviously looking to talk to someone in charge? I never have in my time as a nurse. I always ask someone obviously in need of help how I can help them. It's called common courtesy.

[Psychtrish39, BSN, RN]

It's the same one's you saw sitting on their butts laughing, that run around like the biggest and best employee of the facility, dictating what is and isn't getting done, rather than getting of their a$$es and helping. That is one of my biggest pet peeves where I presently work, is that I and my CNA's are sinking due to high resident ratio to staff and all the higher ups can do is either write you up, give you more to do (like we don't have enough already) or complain about things not getting done. I have a new job that I will be filling out the HR paperwork for next tues. I'm nervous because the reason I'm leaving is due to short staffing, poor moral, too many chiefs and not enough indians, but my heart wants to stay because I thoroughly care about my residents. I could give a rats patuty (sp) about the higher ups, but my residents make my day and almost make it worth putting up with the coorporate greed and dictatorship. But like all nurses in LTC, I have the fear of losing my license, due to the way things are run and the nurse/resident ratio. If I knew anything about politics and even knew where to begin, I'd love to figure out a way to change the way we treat our older generation. All I can say is nursing is not what I thought it would be, only because society has made it to hard. It all comes down to the mightly dollar. Sorry, just needed to vent, and this isn't even a quarter of my venting.

Amen to that KSTEC... its true