How to get out of LTC !!!! Need Insight Please!

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Specializes in ICU/CCU, geriatrics some neonatal.

Greetings all....

I have been in LTC for about 4.5 years now and really NEED to get out. I HATE the environment, the amount of work that is placed on the nurses, and because I am an RN I have to function in a variety of settings. Most recently I have been doing the unit manager job and it is non stop craptastic work that seems to go on and on. I also think that the administration in this setting are not very encouraging for nurses. For instance in the time I have been there I have not once been invited to go to a nursing conference or have a REAL inservice on anything that would remotely increase anything in my knowledge base for LTC. I am constantly doing one unit and getting called to cover behavior management meetings for other floors because they don't have a unit manager or doing admissions on other floors due to the same reason, AS WELL AS MANAGE MY own floor. When recently asked to cover another admission on the 2nd floor about 10 minutes before I should be allowed to go home, I agreed, reluctantly, because yet again the DON was the Nursing Supervisor because they did not have one, nor did they have a nurse to do the back hall cart on my unit after 4 pm. She said they were getting 3 admissions. I said very calmly, "three admissions with no Nursing Supervisor, and No staff. " The ADMINISTRATOR screamed at me (who was in the office as well, but I was directing my comment to the DON who IS a nurse) and said very, very arrogantly, we DO have a Nursing Supervisor, we do have staff and we ARE getting the admissions. I was lost for words. The only reason I stayed is because I like the DON.

I am so tired of this. I have been really trying to apply to hospitals and such without so much as consideration for any job. When I worked in the hospital I worked in Critical Care and had my CCRN. But it seems that we don't exist once we are in LTC. My frustration level could be measure on the richter scale at this point. Any insight at all will allow me to consider not drinking draino for breakfast ( I am only trying to be funny). Thanks in advance.

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I know the frustration of LTC nursing. I have been a geriatric nurse for 23 years. It seems that you didn't choose the right specialty, however due to the lack of qualified nurses in the LTC setting it makes everything difficult for everyone. The most unfortunate is that the resident's suffer. It pains me to see nurse's who go into the long-term care setting to "get a break from real nursing". The acuity level is higher than ever because the hospitals are more interested in getting empty beds than the care of the elders. My advice is to learn to say, sorry but I have outside commitments and can't stay (the DON should stay-it's her responsibility to cover for shortages, not yours). Put applications everywhere you can, but remember the LTC is very rewarding, you can learn so much from the resident's, they are the ones that helped build our country.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Geriatrics, & Dialysis.

I was in LTC for over 10 years and became fed up with it and all of its BS. I would get ill on the days I was scheduled to work. I was looked over for a position I was more than capable of taking on and things got worse from that point. The facility began to bring in new grads who thought they knew everything about everything when in reality they knew absolutely nothing. The unit managers were all fat and lazy and passed their work off to the RNs, which were few. My last year at the facility I absolutely hated that job and a lot of the people I worked with. So one day I decided I could not take anymore and I went searching for a new job. I found a job in dialysis, I gave my facility a notice, and now it's all history. The only advice I can give you is to just do it. Leave. It took me 10 years to get out of that hole but I dd it. I am sure you're wondering why I stayed as long as I did. The job was ok for about 7 years, it was only 7 mins from my home, and it allowed me to raise my children and go back to school. If you can't find any legitimate reason(s) to stay and you do not have peace of mind, then it is time for you to move on. You won't be at your best there and ultimately the residents will suffer. I wish you the best and I hope that you make the best decision for you.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Just curious how many vacation days have you got? can you take a vacation? I had a nurse who quit and lost her pension because of it- when we all encouraged her to take 6 months off and come back. She was adament that she would never set foot in another nsg home again and left. 2 months later she came knocking back on our door for a job, she wanted to come back as if she never left, our CEO would only hire her as a new nurse (lower salary) SHe ended up going to a worse facility for less pay (her pride) after trying hosp nsg and deciding it wasn't any better

the grass is always greener....

My advice: take a vacation, clear your head, take some time off and try something else but hold onto your job - good ones are like husbands- hard to find!!!

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I left LTC after about 4 yrs., applied at a local hospital and got hired on the spot, that was 3 yrs ago, I haven't looked back. My worst night at the hospital is still like a vacation after working LTC. That's just my experience. I never say never, but I hope I never have to go back to work at a nursing home. Just from reading the posts and some of the pts. we get at the hospital, things aren't getting any better in LTC. I don't blame the staff, it's the politics that is involved that makes everything so unbearable. Keep looking, there is something out there for you. And God bless all LTC nurses and aides, there is a special place in heaven for all of you that are able to hang in there for all those underserved pts. that really need you.

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Take a vacation if you have one due.

Don't give up...keep looking for that hospital job....it will come!!

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I empathize with you. My solution: hang in there (have to have a paycheck)..decide what you are interested in and make plans to go for it. I want the ER. Where I work it isn't a "trauma" type ER, but I have to be proficient in EKG interpretation, ACLS certified and attendance is important..so keeping the goals in mind I KNOW that my current position will not be for a lifetime. Make a decision-make a plan-go for what you really want. It is sad, because going to work and feeling so burned out could easily be fixed by administration. HIRE ENOUGH PEOPLE so employees keep the motivation they came onto the job with. Negativity is contagious. Ignore the negative and the lazy...be happy anyway. You will arrive where you would like to be..it just takes some effort. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Telemetry, Psych.

How do you feel about Psych? I did it for 12 years, I am now doing Med/Surg Tele for the past 2 years, but they always need psych nurses and the work load is not that bad. Or go get your ACLS, that might help you get into a hospital setting. Jilda

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Specializes in ICU/CCU, geriatrics some neonatal.

Thank you so much to everyone who replied! Yesterday was sooooo ugly. 7 admissions, of which 5 were on my floor. I had 2 people being sent out because of major medical changes to the er, one of which was a resident that just returned!!! Then the medics want to get into a holier than thou debate over what is "critical.", of which I'd really like to say some choice words to them about "just take him and do some freaking cardiac enzymes on him, if I were in a hospital I would have been able to do the labs and EKG myself!!" The man was diaphoretic and ready to pass out, UGHHHHHHH! Then I had a resident with a new change in mental status who is a brittle diabetic....but her sugar was not so bad. Needless to say, I was SUPPOSED to be done at 4:30, and didn't get out of there until 20 of 7 at night. Again. I only got to scarf down a piece of mac and cheese that was given to me in about 5 minutes for lunch. Then I had a 45 minute ride home. What a treat. Not to mention the bickering between regular staff and had a new agency nurse that had never been to my facility.

I did apply for my license in the state that I live in so I can find a job that is much closer to home. I have just been discouraged at the lack of response of the applications that I am putting out there, with one specifically being able to be viewed "status" of the online application and seeing "sorry, not considered". What, you didn't even MEET me and judge by paper only? I have gone in person to some hospitals only to be told that they do everything online now and go home to apply that way.

But as some of you have expressed, I will continue to have my hope that better is on the way. I will be searching career builder today. I do not have to go back until Wednesday of next week! I refuse to believe that I have to stay in such hostile conditions!

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Specializes in ED, Rehab, LTC.

I am also very frustrated with long term care. I absolutely cannot stand it anymore. I am almost to the point where I would rather quite my job and live off of my savings (which is not much) until I find something else. I would rather quite nursing altogether then to do this for another year. I am a nervous wreck and every-time I go to work I try to have a positive attitude, but leave on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I am tired of the politics, working conditions, laziness, and abuse from staff as well as family members that I am experiencing for no particular reason except that they are just mean.

I can't wait to get out. I am so miserable.

I hope we all get out, but I also hope the nursing homes are able to keep some good nurses and cna's for the patients sake. I just can't be on of those people.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

PeacefulHeart,

I understand how you feel. I also have those wonderful EMTs that think that the nursing staff at LTC are just sending people out for no good reason. I just want to wring their necks when they get their superior smirk on their face as I am giving them report. I know when a resident needs to go to the hospital. Believe me I will not do all of the paperwork involved with shipping someone out unless I am pretty darn sure that they need to be at the hospital.

I also love it when the ER nurse gets the holier than thou attitude. Come on I have RN after my name the same as you do. I just have a different job. We are all in healthcare and I wish that everyone could just treat each other with respect. I know that I do not want their job and they would probably run screaming after the first med pass at my job.

I wish you lots of luck finding your hospital job.

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Ughh I am fed up too. Not so much with Long Term Care, which I really love,but my facility. I am getting chest pains frequently now. It's mostly my co-workers and bad attitudes and no money for the facilty and all the other petty things that go along with the place. I cannot understand for the life of me why I cannot find another nursing home to work in?? I have tried a dozen and always come back to this one. It..the facilty and the patients feel like HOME. But I am so stressed lately, I feel like hanging up nursing! I am taking a vacation very soon... if I can find coverage that is. I have applied at hospitals, but since I have worked Long term care my whole career, no one will touch me. I so feel your frustration. How come I can't find somewhere else? It is killing me..

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