Just a Floor Nurse

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Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.

I am a LPN who has been a MDS Nurse for more than 12 years. I recently left the office environment due to burn out to go back to the floor (First experience did not go well. See thread titled "Let go after 3 days") Since then I have gotten so many comments about how I'm "just a floor nurse now" as if it's something to be ashamed of.

It's very discourageing because I know what "just a floor nurse" is responsible for. We are not just pill pushers. We are tx nurses, admissions nurses, documentation nurses, we bring comfort to those who are alone, we care for those who can't care for themselves, we take care of acutely ill patients, we lift and push and pull, we are on our feet for hours on end, we listen to concerns of families, we take abuse at times, we work short staffed, we forgo breaks, we are expected to be super human by higher ups who have no idea what we go through and are constantly watching the bottom line, we ache and are stressed but we push through because precious lives depend on us...In other words, we wear many, many hats only to hear "Oh...You're just a floor nurse."

How sad it is that we are looked down upon for the work we do and the things we endure for the love of those we take care of and for our profession.

Just needed to vent. Thanks for reading.

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ITA! STNA's and floor nurses are the back bone of LTC and yet the higher ups are so quick to come down on a slight mistake, an off day , etc. I have posted a lot on here on how the LTC system burnt me out and put me out of nursing for a good 4 months to decide if I really did still want to be a nurse. All of us LTC floor nurses know how hard of a job it is and one you can only do right if your heart is in it. Sadly with things they way they are right now many of those nurses are running for the hills to try to find another job where you arent expected to work an 18 hour shift w/o break just to return back to work 6 hours later for another grueling shift. I went to a clinic and found my place, I hope you find yours as well soon! LTC nurses/STNA's IMO are everyday heroes and need to be treated as such.

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This is so true!!!!! We are under appreciated, used, abused, overworked and it is quite sad. I love being a nurse but there are times when I ask myself "what did you get yourself into?" Today we had 5 call offs (2 nurses and 3 CNAs) for the 11-7 shift and the DON took it personally when I told her that I could not cover and then she gave a major guilt trip about how she can't find anyone etc. but she seems to forget last weekend when I worked a double shift on OT to help them out because 2 nurses quit. It is really funny how they forget the things that you do to help them out but then they throw you into the lion's den because you forgot something.:sniff:

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Specializes in everywhere.

"JUST"?!?!?!?!? You have worked long and hard to get where you are. It is a pet peeve of mine when someone says "They are JUST a (CNA, LVN, floor nurse)......Sorry, I'll get off my soap box, but don't be so hard on yourself, and don't let anyone else get by with it either.

HUGS to ya!

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

I hate it when anyone in nursing puts a "JUST" in front of their title.

I'm JUST a LTC nurse

I'm JUST a floor nurse

I'm JUST a med/surg nurse

I'm JUST an ADN

I'm JUST an LPN

When will it stop??

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Specializes in Med/Surg,Cardiac.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

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Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.

It's pretty frustrating. Everyone who knows me as an "office nurse" now make statements like "Oh...you're going to be a floor nurse huh?" As if I have taken a huge step backwards. I know I shouldn't let others define me, but it's pretty hurtful to hear that from friends, and esp. family members. Some people just aren't cut out for office work and some aren't cut out for floor work. The world would be awful boring if we all had interests in the same things.

And I agree tokmom...It needs to stop.

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Don't you make less money as a floor nurse? Right or wrong, our culture really does view taking a position that gets compensated less as a "step back". Still not nice for them to say that, but maybe that's the real reason.

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Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
Don't you make less money as a floor nurse? Right or wrong, our culture really does view taking a position that gets compensated less as a "step back". Still not nice for them to say that, but maybe that's the real reason.

Not really to be honest. I was making $2/hr. more at the last job than as a MDS Nurse and most LTCs pay experienced floor LPNs maybe $1 less per hour, so not enough to make a significant difference. Then again, I do live in MS. and MDS Nurses here don't get paid much more than floor nurses. MDS RNs get about $25-$28/hour on average here, and MDS LPNs make $19-$21/hour on average.

I do see your point thought. Could very well be it.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
It's pretty frustrating. Everyone who knows me as an "office nurse" now make statements like "Oh...you're going to be a floor nurse huh?" As if I have taken a huge step backwards. I know I shouldn't let others define me, but it's pretty hurtful to hear that from friends, and esp. family members. Some people just aren't cut out for office work and some aren't cut out for floor work. The world would be awful boring if we all had interests in the same things.

And I agree tokmom...It needs to stop.

I am an attorney who went to nursing school, so I'm "just a nurse" to some people now. Generally these folks hate their job and hate that you went and did something that you wanted to do, rather than stay in something you hate because everyone else expects you to. I cut people like this out of my life.

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Specializes in Quality Improvement, Informatics.

I am an attorney who went to nursing school, so I'm "just a nurse" to some people now. Generally these folks hate their job and hate that you went and did something that you wanted to do, rather than stay in something you hate because everyone else expects you to. I cut people like this out of my life.

I'm a master level psychologist, got into nursing for more job opportunities. I loved my work before, but it was too hard to find a new job when I needed it- so I had to get into other areas like research. That ultimately led me to nursing.

Second career nurses bring a very different perspective to the nursing profession IMO. We know about the corporate world, nonprofits, the healthcare industry, and so on. So we are a bit more thoughtful on the "way it's always been done". I see this as our collective strength. We have power to make really great changes, if we can figure out how to wield it.

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