Any new grad Ontario LPN'S in retirement homes?

linzz · Mar 6, 2007

Ladylurker: Your workplace sounds wonderful. Where are you and how do I work there, Just kidding. You guys deserve tons of credit for doing such a great job. Hearing your post restores my faith in retirement care. I wish all retirement homes would follow your lead.

LadyLurker · Mar 6, 2007

linzz: it's by no means utopia, but it IS a good place. our residents deserve our very best, and that means hiring the best and mentoring them while they learn organizational skills, and hone their assessment skills, and learn how to be an effective supervisor.

now, our pay rate is nowhere near union scale, but the RPNs make close to what nursing homes pay.

and we have management that really cares about us as individuals.

you may need to look around before you find a good place, but rest assured, they're out there.

karen

ladylurker

linzz · Mar 7, 2007

LadyLurker: It is interesting that you have low turnover despite paying less than nursing homes, I think that it shows that pay is not everything, esp to new grads. For me, at this point, my main concern is learning in an environment that is supportive. Your workplace sounds like it has this. I think five days orientation is fine given that there is a supportive environment. I do hope that I find somewhere to work like this.

trix_ctrn · Mar 7, 2007

When I was a new graduate, I applied in a nursing home first and was hired right away. I thought of it after, and realized that as a new graduate I have to gain more skills and knowledge. I applied in a teaching hospital, and was hired. I am glad I did the right move, and now is very skillful and knowledgeable. Remember, as a fresh graduate you want to be well equipped with knowledge and skills. If you're goal is to work in a special area, it's a must.

Mischa G · Mar 8, 2007

I totally understand when people talk about private retirement homes. I've been working in one for over 5 years now.

My opinion. It's a great place for new grads to learn but the disadvantage are that working in retirement homes are that you usually work alone and it's sometimes difficult learning when you are alone. I am alone with a personal support worker and 60 residents. It's very difficult. Like what was said in previous messages, we do have some residents that should NOT be in our facility cause they are wanders or palliative care even!! It's crazy and not fair. But it's all comes down to money.

We do have some help from agencies but we are now told that we won't have any more help that we do now even if we have a new admission that would require extra help cause the agency don't have any more employees to offer care. Whether it's true I don't know, but there always something!We don't even have anybody to assess these patient before they comes in..and yes I am serious.

Again, it's good to work in retirement homes if you plan just being employed for the summer of a limited time, not for long term. Too many things happend behind closed doors!!

LadyLurker · Mar 8, 2007

I totally understand when people talk about private retirement homes. I've been working in one for over 5 years now.
My opinion. It's a great place for new grads to learn but the disadvantage are that working in retirement homes are that you usually work alone and it's sometimes difficult learning when you are alone. I am alone with a personal support worker and 60 residents. It's very difficult.

Mischa: it does depend on what retirement home you work at. yes, there are some who staff the way you have stated. but there are others that staff better than that. private sector retirement facilities are never going to staff like LTC, but for the most part, retirement homes have more independent care residents than any LTC facility i've ever seen, and we are also not funded with gov't money (by classification).

for example, on a weekend 7/3 shift and 3/11 shift: we have one RN, one RPN, and 4 PSWs for a total of 90-odd residents. only 22 of those residents are on what we call "enriched care", and require far more nursing care and attention than 90% of the residents living on "traditional care". we don't do meds for the more independent residents who have made the choice to administer their own meds. but on the EC floor, the RN or RPN does meds, treatments, phone calls, family dealings, etc, as well as help with transfers and toileting and personal care. i work 3/11 on that floor, and also provide wound care assessments and "can you come look at...." assessments for the RPN working on TC.

during the weekdays, there are 2 RPNs working, and the RN in the facility is the DOC. the only time there is only one registered staff member in house, is on 11/7, and there are 2 psws working with them. and the RPN is strongly encouraged to call the DOC or the RN team leader with any questions.

Like what was said in previous messages, we do have some residents that should NOT be in our facility cause they are wanders or palliative care even!! It's crazy and not fair. But it's all comes down to money.

our care level has increased in the past five years, but our staffing has kind of kept up. our DOC doesn't hesitate to charge families for supplemental care, and uses this money to bring in short shift psws to help with the care.

i am finding, however, that we are caring for more and more cognitively impaired residents, and we are keeping them for longer, as opposed to asking the family to start the LTC process with CCAC. we will, without question, "firmly encourage" families to expedite the LTC process if behaviours include aggression and intrusive wandering/rummaging/hoarding, and we make full use of the local PASE team.

as for palliative care, we welcome that. our residents and their families become part of OUR family, and we are passionate about doing all we can do to bring someone "home" from the hospital, so they can pass away surrounded by staff who know and care for them, if this is the family's wish.

We don't even have anybody to assess these patient before they comes in..and yes I am serious.

our DOC sees every resident before admission, does a full assessment, and makes HER decision whether they can have their needs met by our facility. quite often , if our facility cannot take them, one of our sister homes can, and will, admit them.

Again, it's good to work in retirement homes if you plan just being employed for the summer of a limited time, not for long term. Too many things happend behind closed doors!!

you have to research the homes you apply to. talk to the staff. look around the home. ask about residents with special needs, and how those needs are met. be honest in your interview and ask the hard questions about staffing and orientation. there IS a shortage of registered staff in ontario.... asking shows that you are actively thinking about what working in that place will be like, and the DOC and HR people know that we can apply just 'bout anywhere these days.

not all retirement homes are places to avoid.... i chose to work at my facility instead of in LTC, where i had been at one NH for almost my whole career. most of our staff has been here for years, and new grads tend to stay for at least 2-3 years.

they're out there... you just hafta look for them.

karen

ladylurker

linzz · Mar 8, 2007

LadyLurker: I still maintain that your facility sounds wonderful. From the handful, I have seen in my area, not one has been like yours in regards to staffing. I hope that you are right and that there are some like your facility because in my area our hospitals no longer hire RPN's, LTC's are full because of this and only offer PRN work. This leaves retirement as the only choice for many new grads and as we all know it is very distressing to be the only registered staff member on 3 - 11 and nights when you are not experienced.

rpn_exam · Mar 8, 2007

Hi there, i'm a new grad. I passed my rpn exam but can't work because i have to wait for my registration number. I accepted two job offers. One is full time nights and the other one is through an agency (part time). There are high demands for rpns especially in LTC. I'm from a small city in Ontario and just moved to Toronto recently. I've accepted this job(full time nights) because it's full time ( you get benefits, etc. ) and I want to move to toronto right away and the first interview i got from GTA. As from the previous posting, I've read that you only get 3 orientation and that's it. As for working nights, I'll be managing 2 floors (60 residents on each floor). This seems overwhelming. I think that's too much for a new grad. I'm currently working as a PSW in that facility while waiting for my license and i didn't feel welcome at all. I now stopped working as a PSW because its too much work and the staff doesn't want to help. I'm like maybe they treat nurses differently.

I've noticed that compare to small cities, In big cities, the pay is almost the same and the workload is heavier. I applied in another LTC in toronto, they have 25 beds but they can only interview me if i have a license. I'm now looking for less residents, clean facility, welcoming staff, and money is not an issue as long as its a reasonable rate. I feel overwhelmed, happy and confused at the same time. Many jobs to choose from and i dont know which is the best facility for me. I don't know if i should quit the full time nights job even though i havent started working. What shift is good to start as a new grad? Is it better to work in LTC? retirement home? hospitals? I need some feedback. Thanks a lot!

Fiona59 · Mar 9, 2007

Aren't you issued an interim work permit when you graduate? That's what happens in Alberta, you are issued with an interim licences until you write CPRNE and then you get a "full" license.

I prefer evenings in all honesty because there is adequate staff until after supper and then all hell breaks loose...

LadyLurker · Mar 9, 2007

"all hell breaks loose..."

yep, i just worked that kind of evening.

karen

ladylurker