I was "high power" for 20 years. I lived the fast lane at Rush University Medical Center, U of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, and 13 years at Loyola University Medical Center.Suddenly, in 2001, my life changed. I was not happy about it. I missed the medical center atmosphere so much! I dabbled in Public Health. I am still in the Medical Reserve Corps for my county. But county politics? OMG.A few years ago, Three exactly, my mom began deteriorating. My brilliant mother, an RN, herself, developed dementia. I needed to know what to do for her.I felt I was "lowering" myself a bit, driving into an LTC facility. After all, there is a stigma about LTC nurses. They are the nurses who cannot manage anywhere challenging. But Mom needed me to be knowledgeable, and savvy. To be an informed consumer. She did not know that, but I did.So I told myself that this would be a brief stint until I got things back together again. Then I could go back to "high power."Little did I realize that I was walking into HIGH POWER! Whoa!I was so impressed by my colleagues. What an incredible group of clinical nurses! LPN's included. My career had been women, and children's health, including clinical trials.I had limited med/surg background. But the fine, HARD, physiology courses from my bachelor's education came back to me. I had been educated, not trained. And these nurses, LTC nurses became my mentors.I had mastery of women's health. Gyne Onc, Infertility, Menopause, gynecology, perinatology, so many things. I was at the top of my game. And the research, I loved it! I helped our OB residents set up their studies. I was involved in the college of nursing.And here I was in a "nursing home". I did figure out how to help mom. And as siblings, we had our differences. My sister was POA. So we kept her at home with a caregiver. I thought that a beautiful private assistive living center would have been better for her.But I realized that the relationship with my sister was much more important than disagreeing about the placement of mom. because I knew that her outcome would have been the same, either way.But the time did come to move her to the assisted living place of my choice. My sister and I made the decision together. She was all ready to move. The Dr. appointment, the TB test, all of that on Friday. On Sunday, she stroked.The following weeks were a blur. And heart-wrenching. Mom died on hospice. The one I chose, in the facility I chose. NOT the one I worked in. I had been doing the behind the scenes work of checking out facilities and getting her on the waiting list.But this was all, in hindsight, a gift to me. I understand families as they grope to deal with aging parents. Dementia, or stroke, always comes as an incredible surprise. I understand them. There are few right answers. It is just trying to make the best decision one can make with the tools that they have.I realized that LTC nursing was hard for the inferior nurse at all. NOT ONE BIT!!! It is very acute, and very busy. Our patient load is staggering, And people are not well. They are very sick. They go downhill rapidly. We have lines, and wounds, thach's, tubes, and nebs. We do them ourselves.I did try to go back "high power" a few months ago. Then I discovered that I truly did not want to. Amazing!! I did not want to, after all.I wanted to do LTC. LTC is as challenging to me as PICU or L&D at a medical center. I am just not running to codes, or hopping onto beds, with my fingers up a woman's cervix, riding with her into the OR. I'm too old for that anymore.Also, in honor of women, I had cared for I have become a breast cancer awareness advocate. I have been medical crew for some of the walks. It has been incredible. And I have met nurses from all areas of practice. We crew together in the same teams. We have bonded so much.So I recently became medical crew for a different organization. As I called the nurse medical crew coordinator for my assignment, I was floored.She told me something to the effect that I was going to be in triage, because she did not think I could handle the acuity of the medical tent. IV's and emergencies and things. It became a very unpleasant discussion. I was incensed. There were other things that went on. But the stigma does exist. The stigma that LTC nurses, are fit to only do BP's, and pass pills.LTC is my choice. I have grown to love it. Me, the nurse who was told that I have so much promise I am doing my finest work now.And when I was a different nurse, I never would have believed that.Thank you, Mom. For what you have given me. 1 Down Vote Up Vote × About RATCHETT, BSN, RN 11 Posts Share this post