I currently work on a Med/Surg floor and love it! However my husband took a transfer with his job and we are relocating. I did some job hunting and accepted a job in a LTC/Rehab facility. I am really excited as I LOVE the elderly population. I believe they are underserved and are ones who need a little extra TLC. Also, the job has great hours and great pay.
My current unit is sad to see me go but excited for me. I made mention that I accepted a new position and some of the responses I got were "Ew." "Oh Really?" and "You're so much better than a nursing home!"
My question is, why is there such a negative stigma when it comes to a nursing home or being a nurse in one? Sure it may not be glamorous but I didn't get into nursing to be glamorous. Some of the most caring and intelligent RNs and LPNs I've met work in LTC. I personally am excited for my new journey. Can anyone shine some light on this?
Personally, I think the more critically ill the patients, the more respect the nurses get. I definitely don't agree with that assessment, especially as I currently work in LTC. Creativity and assessment are crucial. On top of it, if a patient has an emergency, you almost have to switch gears completely and "become" an acute care nurse immediately.
Another consideration: LTC facilities usually will hire graduates of technical schools more willingly than hospitals, and I think that's another issue. Also factor in the burned out state of many of these nurses from being totally overloaded for years, making it appear as though they don't enjoy their job, and you can see why respect is lost. Definitely not rightfully so, however!!
My question is, why is there such a negative stigma when it comes to a nursing home or being a nurse in one?
People like to judge others for no reason. I am sorry, I don't know if you have kids, but you see judgment all the time in parenting. It is all stupid really. People need care, so why should we judge the ones who provide the care?
Long before I knew I wanted to become a nurse my grandmother was in LTC. The first time I saw her there she was nothing like the person I remembered (dementia and depression). I sat in the hallway sobbing. A nurse came and sat beside me, not saying a word, and she supplied me with endless tissues. This same nurse was there with tissues the last time I saw my grandmother. Thank God for this nurse! She was amazing with the patients, but was also there for the families. Great nurses are just that...great nurses. It is not dependent on where they work as no single unit is better than the other.
People like to judge others for no reason. I am sorry, I don't know if you have kids, but you see judgment all the time in parenting. It is all stupid really. People need care, so why should we judge the ones who provide the care?
Long before I knew I wanted to become a nurse my grandmother was in LTC. The first time I saw her there she was nothing like the person I remembered (dementia and depression). I sat in the hallway sobbing. A nurse came and sat beside me, not saying a word, and she supplied me with endless tissues. This same nurse was there with tissues the last time I saw my grandmother. Thank God for this nurse! She was amazing with the patients, but was also there for the families. Great nurses are just that...great nurses. It is not dependent on where they work as no single unit is better than the other.
Sometimes LTC can be a place for less-than-caring nurses and CNAs to hide out, which I find is where much of the stigma comes from. Or at least that's what I hear from other nurses I work with. However, the bad apples usually don't get to hide out for long - a good DON can figure out pretty quickly what they're doing (or not doing) and show them the door. But then we end up having that revolving door syndrome. For the most part, a majority of my coworkers are hardworking, dedicated, caring professionals. Every place you encounter these days will have a bad apple or two.
Still, I had a seasoned RN come up to me the other day and tell me that I had a "higher level of skills" and that while she was glad that I was there to help her, she didn't understand why I was there because, according to her, I could "do so much better." I can't fathom what motivates people to say such things - LTC has been much more challenging to me than acute care, in my experience.
I admire you for being a nurse who can provide the care that you do to your patients. I don't understand why other nurses say the things that they do, sometimes.
For the shortest criticism ever of LTC nurses, get this: I think the first time I ever saw a particular LPN (who's working on her RN) at work, she saw 'RN' on my badge and blurted out "What are YOU doing here?", obviously insinuating '... with a RN', as if it was totally beneath me to work at our LTC/rehab facility. I don't remember what I said, but just for starters, I hate that instant-judging thing that far too many people do these days. She obviously has zero idea why I started there or why I'm still there. And she continues her annoying ways...
My own past experience with LTC (think > 20 years ago) was lack of necessary staff, and the extrordinary number of things expected of the patient care staff - CNA's, LPN's and RN's. Correct this problem then it is a nursing job just like any other, worthy of respect.
I hope you love your new job! You're right about one thing most vehemently: the elderly are an underserved population, and they need someone like you with a big heart!
There were a couple of phenomenal nurses who took care of my grandparents in LTC. They ran that place like a well oiled machine. I am eternally grateful for them. One RN took my mom's concerns about my grandfather's new symptoms seriously when she mentioned shortness of breath and swelling, and the RN had my grandfather worked up for CHF within 24 hours. It cannot be an easy job, covering that many patients and dealing with administrative stuff.
I can't fathom what motivates people to say such things - LTC has been much more challenging to me than acute care, in my experience.
esrun77
80 Posts
Personally, I think the more critically ill the patients, the more respect the nurses get. I definitely don't agree with that assessment, especially as I currently work in LTC. Creativity and assessment are crucial. On top of it, if a patient has an emergency, you almost have to switch gears completely and "become" an acute care nurse immediately.
Another consideration: LTC facilities usually will hire graduates of technical schools more willingly than hospitals, and I think that's another issue. Also factor in the burned out state of many of these nurses from being totally overloaded for years, making it appear as though they don't enjoy their job, and you can see why respect is lost. Definitely not rightfully so, however!!