LTC vs. pediatric office job

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in LTC, geriatric, renal.

Hello all!

I will try to not be too long winded here... :)

I am a new nurse, LPN. The first job I found (after 70 resumes) was a LTC facility. I am currently working there PRN. I enjoy it but feel that I am still a little overwhelmed. I chalk it up to being that I'm still new and have so much to learn. But most shifts are very stressful for me, and i usually handle pressure pretty well. I can honestly say that I work in one of the nicest facilities I've been in. I feel like there is a lot more available for these patients than other places. Some weeks I get forty hours, some weeks I get none. I am currently in school to get my ADN, and have two classes left before I can enter the program.

My first question is, what do you think of LTC positions vs. others? Do they tend to be more stressful/overwhelming/satisfying/enjoyable? Am I wrong for being so stressed out by this job that sometimes I don't want to go inside? :-/

Also, just last week I was called by a pediatric doctor's office I applied at. One of my friends from LPN school works there and gave me a good reference after I turned in a resume there. I had an interview and they seemed interested. It is a full time job, 8-5, mon-fri. The pay is less than the facility I work in now. I know that I have not been offered the position, but I am wondering what I should do if it is offered to me. I would have to put off school for a quarter or two until maybe i could step down to part time (which my friend assures me other people have done at the office). I WANT to continue school, most definitely, but I don't know which job would be a better opportunity for me. What would be the best thing to do?

I appreciate everyone's opinion. I'm a new member here so thank you all in advance for your insight.

Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

In my opinion if you are going on for your RN, you are going to get more experience in LTC that will help you than you will in a doctors office. I am now an RN and most of my experience is in a doctors office as a LPN and I am having a difficult time finding a job as a RN.

On the flip side the stress is more manageable in a doctors office than in LTC. You really have to do what feels right for you and what is going to make you happy.

Hi,

In nursing it is always better to get into a specialty area and develope and expertise. Pediatrics is a good route if you have that opportunity and your are interested. Pediatric office is not easy to get into and it sounds like youve been handed a golden egg to me. 8 to 5 weekends and holidays off doesnt happen in nursing. They are the golden nugget jobs. Office pays less but the jobs are fewer and harder to get. Pediatrics is a great route because if you ever do want to trade over to hospital work you will have pediatric experience and can go into peds or a children's hospital. LTC is not the way for you from your post. You are not happy in it. It is hard work, it can be stressfull, it can be very gratifying but if you dont enjoy it now, you never will so don't get locked into something you dislike. Good Luck with the job choice and with school.

Hi,

I would talk to a nurse recruiter reason being. I as many as my fellow nurse's shot themselves in the foot and didn't even know it when we went to a LTC. LTC is more paper work not to much hands on acute care. And if your a RN you will or should be a supervisor. Just to let you know. So think long and hard where do you want to go in your nursing career before taking a LTC job. And talk to people and do research. Take this advice from someone who knows first hand. These are my thoughts use them as you wish

Nursing in an LTC facilty in my experience is NOTHING like in a hospital. I personally think--at least the way they are around me--a set up for mistakes and risk your license. Caring for 20 patients is just plain unsafe. And if a call in 40???? Um.....insane. Unsafe. Unfair to the residents. And to say its okay to have these ratios as these residents are not "acute" is just silly. I have worked both and yes are in general not acute but can become acute and need to go to the hospital. Can code. Have a zillion meds....half of them crushed. Then you have your one pill at a time folks with 30 to give them. Then there are all the treatments--between skin tears, decubs, heals, --in general lots of skin issues, peg tubs and colostomies.....its time consuming. The falls and time it takes to toilet and clean them. Its HARD work and to me the number of med errors and missed treatments with people rushing and cutting corners its just a set up for something bad!

If you like peds I would say go for the peds office and maybe keep your eyes open for a per-diem position in the hospital to get your foot in the door. If you want peds I would think that would be more helpful then LTC. Good luck to you.

Specializes in FNP.

I'd go with whatever route would get me out of either unsavory position the quickest.

Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

I would go with whichever one would be more flexible with your school/clinical hours if money isn't an issue. I like the idea of the pedi office, since you won't have to take care of 40 residents and be a nervous wreck all of the time. But then there are the nervous nelly parents to deal with. :lol2:I also like the idea of no weekends/holidays. I think you would get better experience in the LTC place, though, unless you were wanting to work on a peds unit in the future. Touch choice, I would go with whichever place was more flexible with your school scheduling.

Specializes in Emergency Room.

Do peds!!! A set schedule, no weekends, less stressful and peds experience will get you into a hospitals peds unit then your experience at a LTC. But you will be in immunization hell :)

I would probably take the peds office job. I worked part-time in a peds office while I was in nursing school and it was nice to have a set schedule which made it much easier to schedule my classes. During my senior year, I took a position as a Patient Care Tech at a small community hospital that hired me as an RN after graduation. I've been there for almost 10 years now. I've never worked in a LTC, but from what I've read on here, I think that would be an enormous added stress that you don't need while in nursing school. Good luck with whatever you choose!

Specializes in LTC, geriatric, renal.

Thank you all! I appreciate the feedback very much. Its hard to work while in school, but at some point we all have to do it. I think I definitely need to find a less stressful job while in school.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I am a peds ER RN and I have to say that although I love my job, I have absolutely had it with working nights, weekends and holidays!! I will miss Christmas this year because I have to work 11am-11pm. So basically I will be spending Christmas with everyone elses kids and not my own.

On the other hand, the amount of experience you will gain from a LTC position will help you out with your future education.

Really, it is up to you and what interests you more!! Do you prefer kids or geriatrics?

Good luck!!

Your choice...But I vote Peds. You will be on the run, the energy level is

high and you will sleep well! Peds will enable you to stay in Pedi or transition

to Family Practice where you will care for both kids and seniors. :nurse:

So you can really have a job where you work with both populations if your

select Family Practice in the future.

(Just a thought!;))

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