Hello! I'm an ADN student about to graduate in May and I'm currently looking at job opportunities. I've heard my classmates brag and state that they can't wait to graduate as RN's so they can work in acute care and be able to stay out of SNF's and LTC's. I was wondering if someone could explain the stigma about working in Longterm care or Skilled nursing? I know some people must like it! It feels more and more like Acute care nurses thing they're better than the rest when they seem to be the first ones to burn out.
When I was a LVN I worked in LTC. I honestly loved it, taking care of the residents. What I hated was the chronic understaffing of CNAs and deplorable conditions some of the residents were left in. I remember one night I was charge with one CNA with 50 residents. I was furious. What I was not going to do is have one CNA do all the work. We were a team that night. After the first round I told her get some rest. I will catch your lights and we will begin again at 5am. When the administrator walked in I let him have it. I can see where the stigma comes from but truth be told LVN/RN work hard and manage a large amount of patients. Acute care is also an option but it is not the holy grail of nursing. You can find an area of interest and take it from there. No matter where a nurse chooses to work his/her foundation can still be enriched from the experience.
Yeah, places that would allow 1 CNA to 50 residents are deplorable and should be criminal! It's LTC facilities like that causing all LTC to be lumped in with the perception that they are a terrible place to work and an even more terrible place to live.
It's not always like that though. There are plenty of LTC/SNF that do treat their residents with dignity and respect, that while they don't staff well they at least staff adequately, that the staff are treated with respect as long as they give that respect back. In short, we don't all suck.
kbrn2002, ADN, RN
3,970 Posts
Yeah, places that would allow 1 CNA to 50 residents are deplorable and should be criminal! It's LTC facilities like that causing all LTC to be lumped in with the perception that they are a terrible place to work and an even more terrible place to live.
It's not always like that though. There are plenty of LTC/SNF that do treat their residents with dignity and respect, that while they don't staff well they at least staff adequately, that the staff are treated with respect as long as they give that respect back. In short, we don't all suck.