Is it like this in your facility?

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Specializes in hospital/physicians office/long term car.

I have been and LPN for 18 years but have only worked in Long Term Care for about 3 months. In that time the facility I work at has fired 5 nurses. The Administrator and the DON had only been there about 1 month when I started. The first nurse was fired just a few day after I started for falsefying records, supposedly siging off treatments and not doing them. The second was about a month ago with the reason she couldn't retain info well enough:banghead:which was true. The third was basically a no show no call which results in immediate termination. The ADON went on maternity leave a week after I started. When she returned after 6-7 weeks, the DON resigned the next day giving a 2 week notice but cleaning out her office the same day and not returning. :no:The last 2 were within the last week. One nurse had worked there for several years and was a very good nurse but her nephew who she has custody of was involved in a car accident and she left work without giving report to another nurse. The office knew she was gone but there was a patient on hourly o2 checks and the other nurse didn't know it and the daughter found her off her o2 and called the state. The fifth was a 11-7 nurse they said was sleeping on the job. I know these are all valid reasons if true, but what ever happened to warnings, suspensions, etc. We were already short nurses and now everybody including the residents:( are suffereing becuase of all this. Is it like that everywhere?:down:

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Specializes in medicine and psychiatry.

It looks to me as though the alledged offences are grounds for immediate dismissal. Leaving assigned patients without giving report to an accepting nurse can create licensing issues. Yes, I have been in institutions where there has been a rash of firings but most generally I beliee it is not the norm. Both of the experiences I had were in Long Term Care.;

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I'm wondering if this "rash" of firings points to a much longer problem of covering up too much also. Just a thought.

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Specializes in hospital/physicians office/long term car.
I'm wondering if this "rash" of firings points to a much longer problem of covering up too much also. Just a thought.

I'm beginning to wonder the same thing. There is way to much going on besides just what I've mentioned. I have actually heard other nurses say if they made a med error or such they wouldn't report it because they can't afford to be fired! :(

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I've worked in several nursing homes, and they have all had major issues with high employee turnover rates and low workplace morale. However, what you've described is somewhat extreme to me.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

Yes, yes, yes, I have never seen so much turnover as in some of the long term care facilities....not just the staff nurses, but the upper management as well....through the years I worked off and on at nursing homes and only a few were able to keep staff for any length of time....I wondered myself, reasons for such a turnover....I know there are bound to be personal and professional changes, but it is Ridiculous!!! I have been in a psychiatric facility now for years and not near the turnover.....but still, some....

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Specializes in Hem/Onc, LTC, AL, Homecare, Mgmt, Psych.

Yes... the ebb and flow of good staff members in a nursing home. We'll have a bunch of mediocre nurses/aides (at best) for a while and they'll all be fired or quit, then we'll have some fabulous nurses for a while until they burn out and leave. You're not alone. I've often thought a case study should be done on this phenomenon!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Rehab, Burn, dialys.

Sounds like a lot of undercurrent with upper management there that is not visible to staff. Good luck, but not all facilities are that bad. We got new DON and so far she fired one nurse, cause she did not like her, she tried to set her up but the nurses good documentation helped her. but she was still fired. Then DON snapped at SW and she quit, never to return. SW had been there for 18 years. Then the ADON quit due to DON doing things that were not ethical regarding firing employees. Your choice to stay or go, but good luck and watch your back.

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Hello. Yes, Im sorry to say it is somewhat like your situation in my facility. LTC is definitely a world in its own. Ive worked in LTC for 12 years. Ive also worked in a Family Practice and Hospital setting. I always seem to come back to LTC. I know one must have a calling for this type of work. I do get so much enjoyment and rewarding feeeling from just putting a gleamer in one of the residents eyes or sitting and listening to one of their stories from longgggggggggggg ago. Again, one must have a direct calling and love for LTC work. It's very hard working under these conditions. Most of the time your short staffed and stretched to the max. The facility im working for has gone 8 months without a DON and 4 months with no Admin. The Corp nurse (RN) came in until one was hired. LTC staff always seems to be caught in the middle. Corporate on one end and the STATE vulgars on the other. LOL... Now, Im working as MDS Coordinator and do love the work. It gives me the best of both worlds. Ive quit several time and swore I wouldnt go back to LTC but I soon get that feeling again .

Hang in there, it will get better in time. and for a successful LTC facility you have to have that definite TEAM WORK. Without that failure for sure. We have created all kinds of fun things and events to incooperate the staff with the residents to keep all of us in better spirits and closer.

I do hope Ive helped just a bit. Keep in touch,

Cheryl in Texas

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

I have just taken a second job in a "senior care facility" and will start next week....I am hoping that all will be well, but will see.....

It has been a while since I worked in a LTC facility...when I first called for interview, I talked with the DON, then when I went in for interview there was a new DON !! surprise, surprise......it never changes....

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Specializes in hospital/physicians office/long term car.

I am definately looking for another job. The DON, who just went from ADON to DON about 3 weeks ago tells us today that she has decided every nurse and cna is going to start switching halls. We will spend 1 month on a hall then move on to the next. Everyone is up in arms as we all know our residents and the continuity of care will definately go out the window but she doesn't care. Also, she hired a new ADON on monday and let her go today stating it isn't working out!:o

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I have noticed in LTC that you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you are so busy during the shift and you don't get treatments done and you don't sign the TAR you get in trouble for leaving holes but if you sign it even though you didn't do it you get in trouble. What do you?

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