what's it like to be a LVN in LTC?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

When I became a CNA I intended to go on to be an LVN. I only worked in one nursing home and I never went on to LVN because from what I saw, 95% of their time was spent charting. I liked spending time with the residents. The charge nurses for whatever shift I was working would be there already when I clocked in charting and when I left would still be charting. As far as I could tell they only had direct contact with the res. when they passed meds or dressings once and a while, then chart chart chart.

I kinda formed the opinion that the further up the latter you go the less time with patients/ residents and more paper work. Now I am going back to work form being a stay at home mom for a while, my Husband has a injury and I dono when he'll have income, a CNA income alone might be OK but things would be real tight so I've been thinking of going to school part time while I work to better provide for my family. So my questions are...

was this just my excpierince? Are all nursing homes like this? I know as charge nurse paper work would increse but in all places is it that heavy everyday?! and in Hospitals what is the LVN excperince like? Do you have more direct contact? Is there's anyone whoes done both that could tell me the differance? Or any LVNs who miss being a CNA? any advice at all?

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Specializes in LTC.

Most places the nurses chart 75% or more of their day....the rest is assessments, dressing changes, meds and other things based on the acuity of your facility.

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Pre nursing student here, so i sorry in advance, but what is charting?

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Pre nursing student here, so i sorry in advance, but what is charting?

paper work to put it simply.

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Specializes in LTC.
Pre nursing student here, so i sorry in advance, but what is charting?

Nurses notes. Careplanning. Pain assessments. Medicare forms. Every time you blink they have another thing for you to "chart" on.

Most of my shift is a med-pass. I feel fortunate to be able to be out on the floor taking care of residents but some of them(most) really do hate taking medicine. I probably am one of the few who actually don't mind staying in the feeding room with the residents. I love to help feed and if nobody needs help feeding I will sit with them and talk.

Your residents become like family.

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Very hard work.

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Nurses notes. Careplanning. Pain assessments. Medicare forms. Every time you blink they have another thing for you to "chart" on.

Most of my shift is a med-pass. I feel fortunate to be able to be out on the floor taking care of residents but some of them(most) really do hate taking medicine. I probably am one of the few who actually don't mind staying in the feeding room with the residents. I love to help feed and if nobody needs help feeding I will sit with them and talk.

Your residents become like family.

so you still feel like you have enough contact with them then? I guess that's part of what I'm asking.

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Specializes in LTC.

You get more contact then you think you do by observing the nurses...Nurses get plenty of contact with the residents.

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I spend the majority of my 8 hour shift passing meds and doing treatments. My charting is minimal (we chart by exception) unless a lot of my residents have issues going on.

I worked as a CNA in LTC for years and years. To answer your question about any LVN/LPN's who miss being CNA's..I have to say yes and no. No because I don't miss working short handed, the back breaking lifting etc..yes in the sense that when I was a CNA I was able to (and expected to) spend a lot of time with the residents. As a nurse I've made it my priority to MAKE time to sit and chat with my residents, or to sit quietly and hold their hand and smooth their hair, to try and make them smile. I have a good rapport with my residents as a nurse..but I do miss that 1:1 I had when i would be helping them to the bathroom, bathing and dressing them etc.

But as I said, I make the time to talk with/sit with my residents. I will forego my breaks to spend 5 minutes with a few residents through out my shift. And when I have down time, I do the same thing.

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Specializes in LTC.
so you still feel like you have enough contact with them then? I guess that's part of what I'm asking.

Yes. But I don't have the time to sit down and have a conversation with each one of them every night. I save my charting until most of them are asleep.

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It's nice to know your able to find/make time here and there :)

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I believe they get real contact with pt.

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