Tomorrow will be the day from .......!!!! I've been training/working at this LTC facilty for appx. 3 weeks prn and tomorrow I found out I have to work with only one other LPN. There is 79 patients, some are tube feeders, alot of brittle diabetics, 2 colostomy's, and residents that fall left and right. I'm still uncertain about how everything runs and I'm slower than molasses when passing meds. How in the heck will I pass meds to 40 residents, chart, do dressing changes, etc. all in 8 to 10 hours? I consider myself a fast worker but not when it comes to giving meds, because if I mess up someone gets hurt. I wish I could find something that stated patient/nurse ratio. I live in Illinois if anyone finds out something. I've already told the DON that I didn't think I was cut out for the LTC environment. I told her she would never have one resident complain about my care or empathy I provide, but the facility will eventually get mad because I am slow with the med pass, not only because its to large, but because if I go into a residents room and their messy and the CNA's are busy, I don't just walk out, I clean them up. Now I'm behind, and then the next resident is messy, so I repeat the cleaning and now I'm further behind. Yes, we work our CNA's short too. They usually have 12 residents a piece on days and 20 on PM's. I see a lot of good quality care, NOT!!!. The CNA's that work with me do a very good job, but they to are only one person taking care of to many residents. It seems like this scenerio is something I've read way to many times. Why as nurses can't we just do what we went into nursing to do. Take care of patients, help heel through touch and hollistic nursing, not just pop pills into someone's mouth and walk away. It's a viscous cycle.