LTC environment boring and unstimulating!

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Specializes in Licensed Practical Nurse.

hello all, i'm a new nurse, i've been working for a month now in a lovely ltc facility!!! ltc is the complete opposite of where i want to work- the icu!!, but i'm an lpn and i cannot work in icu, my point is i find ltc to be unstimulating, its the same thing everyday!! passing meds to 40 residents, etc.., etc.. hospital jobs in ny for pn's are plentiful but they take forever to respond!! i don't know how some people like geriatrics, because most of the residents are half asleep and have dementia so they cant really hold a conversation, there is no patient interaction just massive amounts of uneventful and uneducational work! i just feel like i'm not learning anything!! what's your viewpoint on ltc??

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Do you look at the glass as being half full, or half empty?? There is quite a bit of "nursing" to do in the LTC facility. There is always teaching that is being done. It's my humble opinion that if you find LTC unstimulating and boring, it's not about the residents, it's about you. There may be areas of nursing that are faster paced, but there is plenty of "nursing" to do in LTC......you may not being doing it because you think that all the residents are "half asleep or demented". There isn't a day that goes by that I don't gleen some educational moment. Open your mind...open your eyes....there is a wealth of knowledge to take away from having to care for geriatric patients. Not just "their" personal history....I'm talking about BPH, CHF, COPD, just to name a few dx. It is what you make of it. If you have a negative attitude, you'll have a negative experience. It's all good!!!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Since I'm inherently lazy, I prefer a laid-back, unstimulating work environment. However, I have not found that in LTC.

I work at a nursing home (LTC/SNF combo). However, I work on a short-term rehabilitation unit where the typical patient is discharged home in 2 weeks.

I deal with mostly postsurgical patients who are too deconditioned to go home. These patients are CABGs, knee and hip arthroplasties, thromboembolectomies, hysterectomies, post CVAs, fractures, and so forth. One time I received a gentleman who was badly beaten and robbed, and needed reconditioning. Many of my patients are middle-aged, and wouldn't fit the description of the average nursing home patient.

I regularly give drugs via IVPB and IV push, especially antibiotics. I remove sutures and staples, dress complicated wounds, operate CPM (continuous positive motion) machines, iceman machines, oxygen tanks, concentrators, and PEG tubes. I had been employed on a traditional long term care unit for a year, and I had not been exposed to some of these skills.

There's always something to learn at my workplace. The opportunities might not be so obvious, so you have to be aggressive and seek them out.

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Specializes in Licensed Practical Nurse.
do you look at the glass as being half full, or half empty?? there is quite a bit of "nursing" to do in the ltc facility. there is always teaching that is being done. it's my humble opinion that if you find ltc unstimulating and boring, it's not about the residents, it's about you. there may be areas of nursing that are faster paced, but there is plenty of "nursing" to do in ltc......you may not being doing it because you think that all the residents are "half asleep or demented". there isn't a day that goes by that i don't gleen some educational moment. open your mind...open your eyes....there is a wealth of knowledge to take away from having to care for geriatric patients. not just "their" personal history....i'm talking about bph, chf, copd, just to name a few dx. it is what you make of it. if you have a negative attitude, you'll have a negative experience. it's all good!!!

i see what you mean, but actually i think you misunderstood me. i will be the best nurse i can be in ltc, i go-over all my diseases and drugs that relate to geriatrics, although its not the type of nursing i want to be in i still need to be knowledgeable about my work!! i'm talking about the type of things that i do, ofcourse there is plenty of ''nursing'' to do, i stated that! besides knowing nursing care it is good to know your residents, that's what i was mentioning, but ltc,or atleast the ltc i'm in isn't like that!! i feel that i'm not learning as much as i would learn in a hospital setting!! that's all. and p.s if you were in a nursing speciality you didn't like you would feel the same way too, i wasn't bashing ltc, i just dont think i'm getting all my nrsg info in!!

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Specializes in Licensed Practical Nurse.

Yeah, the LTC I'm in has a rehab unit, and I love it, but I'm a float nurse so I'm not up there regularly!! Usually I'm the med nurse, just giving out meds and thats it ,so I dont do anything else, I'd love to be charge nurse so atleast I can do rounds with the M.D and catch a little more knowledge!! but for now that's all I do, I do make the most of it, but on the job I wish I could do more so I could learn more, that why I use the terms unstimulating and boring, but maybe their too strong!!

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Specializes in MS, LTC, Post Op.

I have worked in a hospital AND LTC. I prefer LTC because I became a nurse to have that human interaction. I prefer getting to know my residents and anticipating their needs. Yes it can be mundane work, but I enjoy my "dementia" residents, more so than my "with it" residents. They are funny and won't nit pick ya to death! ;-)

Like I have a little lady now that follows me up and down the hall..she is OUT of it. But I love her to death cause she makes me laugh and is always ready with a hug or a kiss.

I went into LTC thinking that it would be until I got a hosptial job. I eventually went to the hospital where I worked rehab, post-ops, cardiac, and oncology. I learned ALOT while I was there, but I missed getting to know people and their families.

I am proud to be a LTC nurse. I wouldn't go back to a hospital for any amount of $$ at this point.

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Specializes in acute care.

have you tried applying to the hhc hospitals? they hire lpns.

hello all, i'm a new nurse, i've been working for a month now in a lovely ltc facility!!! ltc is the complete opposite of where i want to work- the icu!!, but i'm an lpn and i cannot work in icu, my point is i find ltc to be unstimulating, its the same thing everyday!! passing meds to 40 residents, etc.., etc.. hospital jobs in ny for pn's are plentiful but they take forever to respond!! i don't know how some people like geriatrics, because most of the residents are half asleep and have dementia so they cant really hold a conversation, there is no patient interaction just massive amounts of uneventful and uneducational work! i just feel like i'm not learning anything!! what's your viewpoint on ltc??
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Since I'm inherently lazy, I prefer a laid-back, unstimulating work environment. However, I have not found that in LTC.

I work at a nursing home (LTC/SNF combo). However, I work on a short-term rehabilitation unit where the typical patient is discharged home in 2 weeks.

I deal with mostly postsurgical patients who are too deconditioned to go home. These patients are CABGs, knee and hip arthroplasties, thromboembolectomies, hysterectomies, post CVAs, fractures, and so forth. One time I received a gentleman who was badly beaten and robbed, and needed reconditioning. Many of my patients are middle-aged, and wouldn't fit the description of the average nursing home patient.

I regularly give drugs via IVPB and IV push, especially antibiotics. I remove sutures and staples, dress complicated wounds, operate CPM (continuous positive motion) machines, iceman machines, oxygen tanks, concentrators, and PEG tubes. I had been employed on a traditional long term care unit for a year, and I had not been exposed to some of these skills.

There's always something to learn at my workplace. The opportunities might not be so obvious, so you have to be aggressive and seek them out.

IN Texas you can give IVPB and IV push of antibiotics? Hmm what is the difference between the california liceanse and Texas liceanse?

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Do you look at the glass as being half full, or half empty?? There is quite a bit of "nursing" to do in the LTC facility. There is always teaching that is being done. It's my humble opinion that if you find LTC unstimulating and boring, it's not about the residents, it's about you. There may be areas of nursing that are faster paced, but there is plenty of "nursing" to do in LTC......you may not being doing it because you think that all the residents are "half asleep or demented". There isn't a day that goes by that I don't gleen some educational moment. Open your mind...open your eyes....there is a wealth of knowledge to take away from having to care for geriatric patients. Not just "their" personal history....I'm talking about BPH, CHF, COPD, just to name a few dx. It is what you make of it. If you have a negative attitude, you'll have a negative experience. It's all good!!!

from a LTC nurse:yelclap::yelclap::yelclap:

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I just left LTC for some of the reasons you describe. The Commuter is working in a rehab, where she gets to use some clinical skills. I mostly stood at a med cart baging out meds over and over again like a trained chimp.

I had a lot of interaction with my residents, though, demented ones included. Everyone appreciates attention.

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Specializes in ER.

If you are a new grad the most important skill you will learn is juggling, and giving high quality in a low quality environment. LTC has great potential there. Bloom where you're planted, but keep your resume updated.

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Just a side note, I started my ICU/Critical care rotation the other day and almost every patient was a senior citizen, and a lot were from LTC facilities. So you will come across that population alot it seems unless you are in PEDS/maternity etc. But im at the other end i have learned so much from my older patients, im actually considering going to work in a Big LTC facility once Im done with school

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