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.
