I am leaving LTC yet again

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They say that some people never learn from their past mistakes. When they said that, they must have been talking about me. I left LTC many years ago stating "I will never ever do LTC again". However, after working private duty for a few years, I returned yet again to LTC. I was under the delusion that perhaps things had changed for the better at LTC. They haven't. Things are much worse. I am now job hunting for "ANYTHING" but LTC. I will take a pay cut. That's OK with me. All I want now is my "sanity" back. Is anyone else planning to leave LTC?

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

Not until I retire.I came back to LTC and despite it's many challenges and the weirdness unique to my facility I believe it's one of the good ones.

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Not until I retire.I came back to LTC and despite it's many challenges and the weirdness unique to my facility I believe it's one of the good ones.

You are very fortunate that you found one of the good ones. Congratulations. I must have some really "bad Karma". I only seem to find the worst of the worst ones.

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Big hugs black cat.... wish I had a magic wand that made all LTCs wonderful places for nurses, CNAs and residences.

Hope you find something you love...

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Specializes in PCT, RN.

Not a nurse, but I left LTC (and actually healthcare altogether) about a year and a half ago and have not looked back. I loved my residents and the people I worked with as a CNA, but I was way too overworked and severely underpaid for the amount of duties I had.

I'm starting nursing school in the fall and have been applying to hospitals for CNA/PCT positions but I will not return to LTC. It's constantly getting worse.

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I also left LTC saying "never again"... then (briefly) came back, then left again, this time for good. I have total respect for those nurses who do the best possible job with all of the roadblocks and impossible expectations that are the norm and not the exception in most places.

I had higher anxiety some days in LTC than I've ever had in my current hospital job, and I now know I am not cut out for it.

I hope you find the right position soon, Blackcat.

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I feel your pain blackcat. I plan on leaving LTC and I cannot wait. I absolutely hate it. I've bounced around from one LTC job to another thinking that it was just the facility, but it's not. It's me! It's not where I'm meant to be. I'm not an LTC nurse. I started off as an STNA in LTC and hated it then, I don't know why I ever came back. There isn't anything that I enjoy about it. In a couple of months I plan on going back into home health (never should've left) and never looking back. I rather leave the field totally than to go back to LTC. #soserious

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Thanks to all for your comments and hugs. Yes, why can't all LTC's be wonderful places for all? Always short-staffed, always being overworked. Enough is enough. I too have lots of respect for the wonderful LTC nurses who always seem to manage to do such a good job. I cannot wait to leave either. I absolutely hate it. Best of luck to those of us who need to leave.

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

When I first moved to my current area I worked for a LTC facility because they hired me instantly and I needed to get established in the job market quickly. I believe that mine was typical of most. Paid about $4 per hour less than the area average, I was the only RN on a 120-bed unit, and for the first month I also had to pass meds to 40 patients because they didn't have enough LPNs to cover all the hallways. I handled all the doctor contacts, all of the orders, all of the family contacts plus I had to oversee the issuing of supplies every shift (this place rationed everything, and CNAs were not allowed to go into the supply room alone). Care plans were also mine.

The best thing that came from this job was that I made a connection that led to my next job. I left this place after about 90 days, and I worked under three DONs during that time.

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Specializes in Rehab, acute/critical care.

This is how I feel. I currently work in one but stay because I love my hours and pay. I don't like how we run out of supplies occasionally, understaffing, and there isn't educational opportunities. Even poor orientation to new hires. I also entered long term care because it was a foot in the door for me. The hospitals didn't have the graduate nurse programs avaliable at that time (diff. time of years) and they wanted to hire experienced nurses. So LTC it was! I'm honestly embarassed to tell other healthcare workers where I work in person because the building has it's own bad reputation. I've really learned a lot working there. I'm on the borderline of spreading my wings to fly. And yes, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. It's overwhelming.

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Corporations are the problem. Corporate big-wigs do not respect Nursing, therefore they cut expenses by cutting nursing staff. The "PPD" is their guideline (state minimum hours required for care per resident) and as long as they are at the minimum, the corporate people are happy. They can obtain bonuses by cutting expenses. They do not value the very product they are selling, which is NURSING CARE!

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Left LTC in the first 6 months. I could literally walk to work from my house, but now I drive 30 minutes to a hospital. The convenient location wasn't worth it for me. The nurse/patient ratio was 1:40 and I was constantly stressed out. It didn't help that there was so much back-stabbing and unprofessional behavior among the nurses. As soon as I found another position I was out. And I hear this LTC is one of the best in the area.

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