I am a new grad and got a job as ALF director position!

Calixan · May 27, 2011

...I think the OP was referring to initial assessment. At least in my state (CA), the BRN requires it to be done by a Registered nurse.

Well that would make more sense. Yeah LVNs aren't suppose to do initial assessments but usually the patients in long term care or rehab are there for a while and an LVN would need to do an assessment on them. Thats why I was kind of shocked that the OP thought an LVN couldnt do a nursing assessment.

Katie5 · May 27, 2011

Do you really think that the nurses under you are going to respect you or be able to take direction from you? Heck no! !

She's going to be the director, there will be, I trust, a DON. As to respecting her,either you're for her or you're against her. Opinions will be welcomed and even encouraged, but an intent to be damaging should not be welcomed.

Katie5 · May 27, 2011

I have my LPN. That is my pay scale at this moment until I finish 4 months training. I will take my board in a few months so yes if I fail my board HECK! LOL ok it is not funny. They already told me after 4 months of training if I don't like it, I have a choice to step out - wish me luck! And again. Thank you ya'all

What's your degree exactly?

Katie5 · May 27, 2011

I've been at this for a long time. I love it. I'm never bored with it, and there's nothing like the satisfaction of finally pinpointing why we can't keep a particular resident off the floor and fixing the cause. But frankly, I wouldn't work for a company that would have hired me for the DON position fresh out of nursing school; that proves to me that they are concerned more with their profits than the quality of resident care. With all due respect to the OP, NO new grad is ready for this sort of responsibility......heck, there are some days when I'm not sure I'M competent, and I'm one of those anal-retentives who takes her copy of the P & P manual on long car rides, to bed, and when she goes to the bathroom. :)

What is the definition of a new grad?

Speaking totally independent of this thread, a new grad may be new in that particular field with tons of leadership experience in another career path. Or a career change. We just never know.

And speaking to this thread, unless the OP posts a copy of her resume to be critiqued, we don't know.

netglow, ASN, RN · May 27, 2011

Unfortunately this is more and more common. I know of a hospice clinical director over a pretty large region who was given the position after just a couple months with the private company. A new grad. No prior healthcare or corporate management experience. I think it is just all about money and that a NG will just do what he/she is told unknowing of the danger to patients or nursing staff licenses. Some just take the job thinking it will all work out and because they need a job. I strongly advise that after or better yet before an interview search your state BON to see how long your future boss has been a nurse. Just remember, these tend to hire other new grads so they won't have to fear experienced nurses as staff. If you call them to handle something important, don't be surprised if they run and hide simply because they have absolutely no clinical experience much less professional business experience at all. I think that most really believe that there is training and that if the owner etc tells them to do something that they can tell the BON or court that they were doing what they were told to do and that this will protect them.

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · May 27, 2011

When I moved to the city I live in currently, I had a hard time finding a job for about 3 months. At one point, I applied to be a salesperson for Cutco. You may have heard about this company, which sells knives they say can last forever, though that may be a lie. Cutco offered an appealing base pay, and the commissions were not too shabby for someone so desperate for a job. Needless to say, I went for their first day of training and didn't come back. I had a bad feeling about this place. Seemed like what they were offering was too good to be true. What I've read on the internet about Cutco confirmed my gut instinct.

The point is, if it does not feel right, don't take that job. And my other point is, some jobs are just bad even if one is desperate. I hope I'm never that desperate again.

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · May 27, 2011

Assisted Living was meant to be this way in a perfect world, but you end up having higher acuity residents that obviously need to be moved, but facility/company will not do anything because they don't want to lose $3,000 a month that the resident brings in. As a result, the CNAs and med aides or LPNs are then expected to pick up the slack when the reality is that the facility is usually just not equipped for those type of residents. I am in my 2nd year of an ADN program and I worked in an ALF as a med tech for over a year. Sure it was a beautiful facility... gorgeous in fact, but it was hell. We went through 3 Resident Service Directors (DONs) and 4 memory care unit LPNs within 1 year. With 4 staff on the floor (2 med techs/2 CNAs...no nurse after 5pm) we were responsible for 45+ residents..some requiring assistance with showers, most needing meds, helping some get to bed, FEEDING some, 2 were total care, changing briefs for the incontinent, 1 guy needed his catheter emptied, 1 had some kind of psychotic behavior going on and was a hoarder and was addicted to narcs. It may as well have been a nursing home. There was ALWAYS medicine running out before the pharmacy would refill it because meds were being stolen, diabetic supplies were always used for the wrong resident, family issues, fighting residents, theft, etc. Our DONs were seasoned and couldnt take it. They dealt w/ family issues, new residents, assessments, were mainly oncall 24/7 when falls or emergencies occurred or when a residents blood sugar was too high, they had to clean up the med situation as best they could before we were fined by the state, they dealt with staff scheduling, had to come in and work if we were short, resident concerns, ordering supplies, etc. It was a royal mess. Based on my experience, I would use extreme caution when taking on a position like that...especially if I was brand, spanking NEW. Heck, don't plan on doing anything like it when I graduate next year. Good luck to you dear!

If I could give kudos to this post twice, I would!! :yeah: I'm finishing up my 1st semester of nursing school, and have been a CNA/GNA for two years. My first healthcare job was in an assisted living facility that caters to those with various forms of dementia. As you mentioned, assisted living facilities are very, very nice looking and have a "homey" atmosphere; whereas nursing homes can sometimes have that "hospital" feel. When I was interviewed for the position, the Resident Service Director( basically just another name for DON, lol) explained to me that the facility did not accept residents who were diabetics, did not accept patients who had indwelling catheters, and did not have a foley lift in the facility because the residents had to either: be able to ambulate for themselves or be a one-person transfer. At the time, the facility only had one LPN on the premises until 8pm, and the RSD would be on-call in case of emergency.

Over the past couple of years, I have seen residents brought into the facility that belonged in nursing homes(and some have even been MOVED to our facility from nursing homes!), and honestly there are very few that don't require SOME type of assistance. When I had my annual evaluation last year, my RSD told me that she did not feel like the people she assessed belonged in the facility either, but "due to the economy", the company felt that it was best to accept anyone who wanted to come live there. Did I mention it costs $7,000/month to stay there? These places are just concerned with the money, not the well-being of the staff or the residents.

I have read all 8 pages of this thread, and at first I was happy for the OP finding a job because it is indeed extremely rough out here for new grads. But considering about each differing opinion, I think that this is not a wise choice to accept this job. You do not know the intentions of this company. Since I've been at my facility, management has been like a revolving door. And don't get me started on the turnover rate with nurses & aides:uhoh3: It just seems like the best thing to do is to keep looking for a new job. As a new grad, I think it would be best to hone your skills at the bedside for a few years before you decide to move into management.

I'm not trying to hate, just offering my :twocents: . Good luck OP with the NCLEX:yeah: Hope you pass on the first try:up:

eve5483 · Feb 26, 2012

So... I am the OP writer :)

It has been almost a year (last May I got hired, took RN board in Aug, passed in one shot :yeah: )

My director decided to stay a little longer and still is staying with me and mentoring me.

It has been almost a year of training.. many things happened (missing resident, unexpected death, family issues, staffing issue, state visit, communicable disease report, sexual harrasement.. etc) WOW

yes it has been GREAT! Good thing is , everyone loves me.. at least I think.. haha

They gave me a choice of staying as an assistant or becoming a director..

After almost of a year of experience in management (as a new grad), I am still debating and decided to read this post again!

I think I will stay as an assistant, and go back to school- I have BA in something else, associcate in nursing.. now bachelors :)

Wish me luck and I always respect your opinion... !

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Feb 26, 2012

So... I am the OP writer :)
It has been almost a year (last May I got hired, took RN board in Aug, passed in one shot )
My director decided to stay a little longer and still is staying with me and mentoring me.
It has been almost a year of training.. many things happened (missing resident, unexpected death, family issues, staffing issue, state visit, communicable disease report, sexual harrasement.. etc) WOW
yes it has been GREAT! Good thing is , everyone loves me.. at least I think.. haha
They gave me a choice of staying as an assistant or becoming a director..
After almost of a year of experience in management (as a new grad), I am still debating and decided to read this post again!
I think I will stay as an assistant, and go back to school- I have BA in something else, associcate in nursing.. now bachelors :)
Wish me luck and I always respect your opinion... !

Love it!

Leaders are born, not made.

Great leaders however, are made: by humility, listening to their colleagues, knowing their limitations and then taking the appropriate steps and time to overcome them.

Sounds like you're on the way. :)

PinkNBlue, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2012

4 Months? Or 4 Mondays?

Good one? @@

DSkelton711 · Apr 13, 2012

while I agree with some of the warnings and concerns...I think the OP is speaking of an Independent Assisted Living & not LTC/nursing home/SNF. This would be very different as the residents do not require routine daily care..these old folk live in their little apartments and do their own care- even cook for themselves in some cases. They are not disabled or ill.
Management as a new grad would be very difficult though

Independent is not the same as Assisted Living. It is regulated and they are given meds by unlicensed personnel in some instances. My facility has ALF/SCALF. SCALF requires RN oversight. What is good is the OP has a good attitude towards learning. The bad news is she thinks there is black and white and no gray. People needing skilled nursing care stay in Assisted living all the time. Everyone is older and sicker. Sounds like they have given her a bit of a snow job. 4 months training--who ever heard of that? They picked her so they could mold her. Hopefully it will all go well. Just think OP is a little too naive.

eve5483 · Apr 16, 2012

I got a new job in a skilled nursing setting and left ALF facility :)