long term care facilities

Monamii · Dec 4, 1999

Long term care is always changing. I dont know where your are from but the system has gotten bogged down in paper work in more ways then one. Ive worked in long term care for 9 years now and the work is constant and there is plenty of it to go around. The wages are not any thing to be writing home about,but the elderly need the love and attention we can give them. Perhaps you could try it for a while to see if it has changed. I would check into the staff/patient ratio on the shift you are applying for that should tell you something about if there is enough help. A good ratio is one aid to each ten non incumbered resident ie: (2 assist,total care or major medical problems). find out if you have a treatment nurse, med aide, or backup nurse on the same floor to help with duties. And not one that is responsible for her own residents.these are a few things to check into. As for other things take a tour of the building before going to work there, pretend you are a inspector. Go in at meal time and look at the food and the way people are dressed ,staff and residents. Is every one hurrying around and does any one stop to help you. this would indicate if they are under stress to get thing done in a short time (maybe they are short on staff??). hope this helps. i hope you find things if good shape.

danam7 · Jan 15, 2000

I have worked in longterm care for 14 years.

I dont know what state youre in but I work

on a 39 bed unit and I am responsible for

19 residents giving meds and txs.many long

term care facilities are doing team nursing

which makes it nice . we have 6 cnas 2 lpns and 1 rn on a unit.The pay is very good

I am making 17 an hour.Good luck

Winddancer3 · Jan 15, 2000

Well good luck, I have been a nurse for 5 years now and 3 of those in long term care. 2 years ago we moved to a small town with a 30 bed hospital, two nursing homes and a clinic that only has one liscensed nurse in it. The clinic hires people with a little experience and calls them nurses. They make about $7 anhour. So this leaves the hospital and the Nursing Homes. I have been at one of those for 2 years now, we have 65-75 residents and last July switched to total care nursing. On average I have 25 residents to care for, give meds to, do treatments for and chart on. also included is weekly skin rounds and monthly summaries. About 2 out of 4 days at least 2 aides call in leaving only 4 for 70 residents, and usually a nurse calls in too leaving only two nurses for 70 residents. Sometimes they wiill get a med aide to pass the pills only on those halls.

But I love those residents. Remember the reward for Nursing Home nursing is those people become family. They have watched me through two pregnancies, and watched my oldest grow up to his 19 months. They ask about him all the time and now ask about my daughter. They reccommend my husband to their families,(he is a contractor) they ask about my life, and are happy when my son has to come to work with me in the mornings. I can have the worst day immaginable and one of them willl come up to me at the end of my day and say something that takes it all away. Anyway good luck. And one thing i have noticed about small town nursing is the hospital has the same patients in it as the nursing home, but their problems are acute then. The hospital also has the same staffing problems we do.

AHarri66, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2000

I work on a LTC unit with 45 beds, two nurses (one for meds, one for txs and charge) and a Unit Manager on weekdays (mostly paperwork). We're slated for 5 CNAs, but are lucky to have 4--many many days it is 3!

Regards,

Angela

millionstars · Sep 16, 2000

Originally posted by brown sugar:
I would like some input from anyone working in a geriatric long term care facility. I have relocated to a town that is small and jobs are scarce for LVN'S (moved due to husband being in military). The only jobs available are in this type of setting. I want to know if working conditions have changed in the last ten years. I worked in the geriatric field part time several years ago, and swore I would never go back because of the workload and conditions of these type of facilities. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

HI! I work in LTC on a vent unit where there is 33 pts 22 are vent dependent and 26 are g-tubes. There are 2 nurses and one of those nurses is the unit manager who also passes meds and does unit paper work. There is a treatment nurse who only does treatment and measurements.There are 3 CNA's during the day shift and 3 resp. therapist. The evening shift also has 2 nurses and 3 cna's the night shift has only 1 nurse and 3 cna's. Our corp. doesn't think we need more help. They think we have plenty of time. The pt's are lucky to get turned and reposition q 2hr. The am med pass take 2.5 to 3 hr to pass due to all the crush meds for the g-tube. Most of the pts have 15-20 meds a piece. All are on pain meds and psychotropics meds. These pts are alert and do use there call light alot and do demand alot of your attention. I do make $18.00 an hour, but sometimes it doesn't seem worth it.

I am always stress and worn out after a shift. RT is suppose to help turn and answer call lights but rarely do. Ususally they hide in there office. Hope your job is better than mine. Thanks for letting me vent.

ratchit · Sep 21, 2000

Even for "stable chronic" vents, 1 RN and an occasional RT is NOT safe staffing for 33 patients of any kind, let alone 22 on vents. It's a pity, but it will probably take 2 people popping off at one time and only one person being helped in time to fix it.

If you're a rehab/long term setting, what did JCAHO say on it's last eval? Does your state board know? Some states have ombudsmen to speak for patients. That's just scary.

Marlene50 · Sep 24, 2000

I have worked in LTC for 30 years, the shortage? it is cyclic...our facility houses

80 residents,if I do not schedule 10 aides for the day shift, the attitude is awful, please give me some guidelines for staffing ratios, although if you dont have staff to

fill those hours there isn't much you can do.

I have been contemplating working our an every third weekend rotation for the aides just as our nurses do...suggestions welcome