LPN in LTC transition to RN hospital

[FutureNurse138]

Hi everyone! I am currently an LPN in LTC and I just became an RN. I have an opportunity to work as an RN in Pediatric LTC (vent/trach) which I am currently accepting, but I know I don't want to work in that setting forever. I was wondering if anyone has experienced the transition from LTC to hospital, which you prefer, and for what reason? Was one more manageable than the other? Which was more stressful? Just trying to prepare myself and would like other perspectives from people who have already done it.

[autism4life, ADN, LPN, RN]

I went from an LPN in LTC to RN in a hospital, and absolutely love it.  Comparing the two however is apples to oranges. Meaning they both have their pros and cons, and are very different.  

I wholeheartedly believe if you can do LTC you can do anything. There is a special place in my heart for the nurses that work in LTC. I mean, where else can one nurse care for 15+ patients, with no additional resources at their fingertips? The LTC nurse has an autonomy that no other nurse can lay claim too. They pass meds, assess, and care for the chronically ill,  predominantly elderly population with grace, and compassion almost on their own.

On the other hand in the hospital I care for 5 to 7 patients with varying acuity. I have every conceivable resource at hand from lab to X-ray, therapy's to MDs. However my patients are much less stable than those I had in chronic care, I have to move fast, and think faster. 

I do not feel that I am any less or more stressed in either environment because they both are so different. 

What I enjoy most about the hospital setting is the teamwork. I have never worked at an LTC (and I have worked for several) where the teams work so well and so closely together. From housekeeping to the MD, we work as a well oiled machine, with one goal, providing exceptional patient care. 

[anewsns]

I think hospital life is easier as there is more resources and a lower patient load. My unusual advice is to not bounce around the rooms. I was used to that from having a lot of patients and had to learn to stick around in a room to finish everything, which takes a long time in a stepdown. It helped with my hospital time management.