How is it like to work in LTC facility?

N1colina · Apr 9, 2011

Hey I haven't worked in LTC as a RN, as I still have to take my boards, but I have worked there for 3 years as a LPN, and in my experience the RN's were either supervisors/nurse managers of the floor. The supervisors would be in charge of the whole facility, while the nurse managers were in charge of that particular floor they were on. Supervisors were in charge of staffing needs, and any issues that would arise in the facility, such as falls, codes, or other emergencies.

tonyal · Apr 10, 2011

i need some views with this..
i am an rn with no rn-job experience...i was fresh out of school when i started at one last year
i am on the process of getting a job in an ltc facility/nursing home/hospice...
how is it like working their? depending on how the residents are feeling it can be a slow, good night or a ready to puul your hair out in craziness night.
what are the common duties and routines of a nurse their...when i am on a normal unit, i have anywhere from 38-52 residents i am taking care of so my day is consisted of: arrive to unit get quick report on if there were any falls, incidents and stuff like that. pull out any skin assmts, showers, then i go count the cart. grab my applesauce and im off passing meds. get done with meds most residents are in bed now and start the treatments. after that take a quick 5 min. break to grab a drink and then make up assmt sheet for midnight cna's. do midnight med pass, start charting, pray nothing happens between now and morning med pass. finish charting, take lunch if there is time, make sure all labs are pulled ua's done anything like that. start morning med pass. finish med pass and make sure charts are pulled for drs. hopefully morning nusre has shown up count off cart and be thankful it was a lsow night. if im on the subacute/rehab unit it goes mainly the same, however we have 2 nurses since the patients are a&ox3 and needing more dressing changes, pain meds and stuff like that, plus charting is a good 2-3 hours there and thats just for half the unit.
ill accept negative and positive views...positive i get to know the residents more than i think i would in the hospital, down side some night i am just run ragged with the amount of stuff to do orders being left 3 new admits to watch, not having all the meds waiting for pharmacy to bring them.on the positive side i do feel i have learned a ton from the other nurses, but negative side you will be a charge nurse and have to keep track of cna's and what they are doing consistently. it is just one more thing added on to the pile to do each night.
thank u so much...replies are highly appreciated...

i hope my answer helps it is rewarding just sometimes a lot and gets overwhelming

N1colina · Apr 10, 2011

Hey Tonyal- are you a RN? I ask because your answer sounds like you're working as a LPN. If not, news to me!

chillin4me · Apr 10, 2011

I hope my answer helps it is rewarding just sometimes a lot and gets overwhelming

WOW!!! that is so overwhelming...but this is the time on being not a choosy of where to work, knowing there's so much little opportunity for new grads and so many new grads out there

tonyal · Apr 10, 2011

Hey Tonyal- are you a RN? I ask because your answer sounds like you're working as a LPN. If not, news to me!

Yes I'm an RN

tonyal · Apr 10, 2011

WOW!!! that is so overwhelming...but this is the time on being not a choosy of where to work, knowing there's so much little opportunity for new grads and so many new grads out there

Myt thoughts exactly until I can find something else I want to do in nursing, this is paying my bills and giving me a little extra plus my benefits are great

chillin4me · Apr 10, 2011

Myt thoughts exactly until I can find something else I want to do in nursing, this is paying my bills and giving me a little extra plus my benefits are great

absolutely; if you can have 6-12 months experience then u can apply to a hospital and pursue ur career there...

i want to ask you this, since i'm a new grad if ill be hired in a nursing home should i be immediately the manager or the charge nurse even i dont have the experience?

and how long is your orientation and training? and how was it?

tonyal · Apr 10, 2011

my orientation was 3 weeks on days, and then I followed a nurse for a month on midnights. after the first couple days on nights, I took a side of a unit and she took the other. It was good because I had her to fall back on if I got stuck on something.

charge nurse for me is Im in charge of the unit Im on, and the cna's that are with me. I have a supervisor that makes rounds and is there if we need.

it all depends on how your facility works

BerryHappy · Apr 11, 2011

It is HARD to work in a LTC!

I am currently a LPN (studying for my cpne) and have a love/hate relationship with my facility. The experience you gain is immeasurable! From basics like learning meds, drawing blood, working IV's, to the more complex like reading & understanding labs, giving an MD who has never SEEN your pt a recommendation for tx, to letting family know their loved one has passed BY TELEPHONE:eek: ! Oh and how about all the care taking and hand holding for a pt you LOVE who is having a psychotic event:mad: and you get to do it because family is no where to be found:coollook:? That's all the parts I LOVE! :nurse:

Now, the part's I hate! Power struggles between nurses, nurses egos, management squeezing pennies, management doing mandatory in-services right before patient's lunch (blood sugar's, insulin...hello???), 20 sub-acute patients for 1 nurse, med's-pprwk-blood sugar's&meds-pprwk-woundcare-pprwk-family's-pprwk-inservice-pprwrk-YOU BETTER CLOCK OUT ON TIME OR YOU WILL BE WRITTEN UP!!!!-PAPERWORK!!!! UGH! And that's all in just 1 shift!

Ok, I'm done now. The love you will feel for your 25-30 patient's and their families, will hopefully outweigh the disdain you will grow to feel for management, and generally the "system". Working at a LTC helps you to grow thick skin, balls (if you don't have any), and makes you a MUCH SMARTER NURSE!

Good luck!

BTW, all the RN's at my facility do the EXACT same work as the LPN's but get better pay!

tonyal · Apr 11, 2011

It is HARD to work in a LTC!
BTW, all the RN's at my facility do the EXACT same work as the LPN's but get better pay!

The same at my place, except the LPN's can't start IV's unless a RN is right there, and they cant do TPN for some reason otherwise we work right next to each other doing the same stuff

jlynn2303 · Apr 30, 2011

I am a new grad who just started a job in LTC. I know people from nursing school who got jobs in hospitals, and others who are still looking. I started getting all sorts of calls as soon as I started applying to LTC. So far I like the work, and at this point, any experience is good experience, I figure, but it's frustrating as well. I have heard 1. get experience, ltc works for this and 2. Once you do ltc a hospital won't touch you. ???!!! I have to start somewhere, and I can't just live with my parents until I find the perfect job, on my own for many years, own a home, etc. So, my current plan is to work in the ltc, rack up certifications, etc and then look again. One of the things that is driving me craziest is the competition between LPN's and RN's, ADN's and BSN's. It is fierce and constant. Maddening. Ultimately, I want to work in hospice, hoping this will get me there.