LTC... Let's vent! Comments, concerns, suggestions?

Nurses General Nursing

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I would like to know from the people who know best what you think about LTC. I feel like something needs to be done. For everyones sake. Please Comment on this issue .I am tying to build enough facts, information, and statistics to make a difference where it counts. I plan on trying to come up with a plan to help the Pt and staff in long term care but I need a plan... and I need to prove there is a need for change... please comment!!! You all are wonderful. I have a few more blogs I have put on here posted and your expertise and compassion are invaluable to my plight.:heartbeat:yeah:

Until society changes it's views regarding the aged there is nothing that can be done. We give lip service to respecting our elders but lets face it....we don't respect or value them. We treat the elderly and the disabled as a costly nuisance. Our capitalist society doesn't value anyone who is not able to work and "contribute" If we did then then LTC wouldn't be the way it is. I do my best with what I have been given to work with because I know that someday I will be in the same position.

I also think that CNA training is not intensive enough and the pay is too low. I was a CNA and an 8 week course that focuses on the technical aspects of basic patient care does not provide the type of education you need to deal with LTC residents. The same goes for nurses. My LPN program spent very little time focusing on geriatrics. We did one 8 week rotation in a nursing home during our fundamentals course and most of the time was spent learning basic patient care. Basically we went in and acted as CNAs during our first semester of the LPN program. I can't recall spending that much time being taught about how to deal with the disorders that affect the geriatric patient. Same thing for my RN bridge we aren't spending too much time focusing on how to take care of the geriatric population. The attitude that I get from my instructors is that LTC is the last place that you want to work for and the LPNs who have a position in a hospital are the real nurses. The rest of us are just "med nurses or pill pushers"

With that kind of mentality toward LTC is it a wonder that many nurses come out of school ignorant about the needs of the geriatric population?

New LPN gard. First job. LTC. Alzheimers/Dementia/Insulin Dependent/Treatments/Two feeding Tubes. 39 Patients and I am the only nurse. Concerned about the quality of care I can provide along with saftey issues. Two days or orientation. All in wheelchairs/Fall Risks. Wanted to work in this area to make a difference. Seems I will be spending my day passing meds twice a shift and thats it. Thoughts????

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