I'm a new grad LPN and I took a job at the nursing home where I did my leadership hours. This is a privately owned facility just north of Atlanta. Most of my classmates thought I was crazy to take the job. Who in their right mind would accept a job at a nursing home???? Well, I did!
This is a clean, well-run, and decent facility, with lots of wonderful, friendly staff. My preceptor is patient and nice, the administration is friendly and welcoming, the DON is great, and the other nurses are friendly as well.
Granted, it's HARD work, and my feet are aching as I write this! And some of the residents are a big pain in the you know what, but some are sweet as can be, and overall, it's really not so bad.
They are giving me 3 full weeks of orientation, throughout the month of December. I passed meds for the first time tonight ---- 30 residents ---- once at 4pm and again at 8pm. I managed to get it all done, but I was an hour late. No big deal, my preceptor said, not to worry, it was my first time and she has seen worse! Everybody got what they needed, and despite many interruptions for additional PRN's and other various requests, I managed to get it done. My preceptor was nice enough to do the other treatments, vital signs, and documentation that needed to be done so that I could focus solely on getting the med pass down.
It's very hectic, and seemingly impossible at some points throughout the shift. Sometimes I stop and think, "Oh My God, this is crazy! I can't do this!", but I keep plugging away and eventually, you see a light at the end of the tunnel, and before you know it, the night is over and it's like, "Oh My God! I made it! I did it! I survived!"
I have to say, there was one point in the night when the CNA's cleaned up a resident and the smell permeated the hallway ...... really, really unbearable smell. I decided the best way to deal with this was to breathe through my nose and hope that the smell dissipated soon. :uhoh21: But this kind of stuff is unavoidable. There are going to be smells. No way around it I guess.
What really keeps me going is thinking that "these people are depending on me, they need me to do a great job" and I treat them as I would treat any family member or friend.
Overall, I don't think LTC is a permanent career choice for me as I'm planning to continue on and get my RN, but I think it will be a nice transitional phase for me with lots of opportunities for learning. It will definitely prepare me for time management and dealing with the geriatric population, which comprises most of a Med/Surg. floor at a hospital anyway......
After reading all of the bad posts regarding LTC, I thought I'd throw a positive one in the bunch. There are a few good ones out there...... :) I'm working at one now!
