LTC facility interview

Always ask the turnover rate with staff. How long has the Adminstrator been there, the DON, the ADON? What is the nurse/patient ration. Is it a skilled facility or more stabilized residents, it definitely makes a difference in the nurse/patient ratio. Do they have a treatment nurse, a charge nurse for orders to save you time, how many vents, trachs, g-tubes, and diabetics. I would then gather the information and let us know and we will tell you if it's a good thing or a bad thing since you don't have to give them an answer that day, even though some facility's are so desperate they'll hire you that day. How does the place smell. Do the employees look like they were drug out of the homeless shelters or do they take pride in the appearance. These are the things I've learned so far from working at my job and interviewing at other facility's. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Take a walk around the facility and breathe. If the place smells like urine and it isn't just because the laundry hasn't gone downstairs run! Do the staff people look harried? How do the CNAs interact with the residents?

I said no thanks to a job once because at my 2 interviews the DNS had food all over her clothes...and it wasn't anywhere near lunchtime!

You will probably have a 90 day probationary period. It works both ways. If you don't like it you can leave without too much of a problem.

Try not to just think about which facility pays the most, or which one is the prettiest. The prettiest home around here was in the paper for months for issues with not reporting abuse. Good luck

:lol2:If all looks good ask how the last survey went and what they are doing to improve? Most LTC get tags but see how serious they are and

GOOD LUCK!!

Nurse to pt ratio, CNA to patient ratio. All facilities will have a high turn over rate with staff, nature of the game. Smell the place, look at the residents. Are they clean, how are the smells, is it all over or just in one room? Do the residents seem well cared for, are there activities happening for residents

Ask how long the orientation period is, and who will be your "helping hand" when you don't know how to do something. Be wary of any orientation less than two weeks........... be very wary if they are purposely vague about how long your orientation will be. Good luck!

Thanks for all your inputs :)

I just came back from the interview. The place was better than I expected. I waited for about 20 minutes before the DON met with me. In the meantime I sat in the reception area, and since it's nice out today I observed the residents that were already outside enjoying the weather, and the ones that were being brought down. They all looked clean and I interacted positively with a couple of them. When the DON finally met with me she told me about their facility of course, that it's a 90 bed long term care, with some sub-acute, and 30 beds for assisted living which is separate from the 2 floors of ltc/sa. The position I was being interviewed for was for 11-7 shift, so she went through the things the night nurse would have to do. Talked about charting, how they document their meds, etc. For the night shift the ratio is 1 RN:3 CNA: 30 residents/floor, so that doesn't seem too bad to me. Or is it?

Orientation will be 4 weeks extensive training on the day shift, and then when I start 11-7 I'll have additional orientation as well. Starting salary is $25/hr.

Took a tour of the facility, very clean and they have activities for the residents too. I'm very happy to say there were hardly any foul smells of urine and others. The CNAs were taking laundry/changing linens when I visited the floors. Good interaction between the DON and the staff that were in the nurses station, including PT, MD, RNs. Good interaction between the staff and residents as well.

The DON are interviewing 2 others for this position as well so I'm supposed to hear from HR by Friday. I'm just worried that my having to be petitioned before I can even work will be a big strike against me. I did put forth this information right from the start and the person in charge of visa processing for their health care system did inform the facility of this issue before the interview. Overall, I felt positive about the facility; I didn't feel any "cover ups" and I didn't feel like I wanted to run out of the place. So all I can do right now is pray that I'm offered this job.