ltc to hospital job

debRN0417 · Feb 7, 2011

It is not hard anymore. LTC has changed so much in recent years. The residents are so much sicker and require more advanced care than was once provided in the LTC setting. LTC/Skilled care facilities are doing IV's, wound vacs, dialysis, and so much more than just getting folks up, getting them dressed, passing pills, and turning and positioning. Wound care has become a speciality and requires so much more skill and care. Documentation is pretty much the same as the hospital, though I think in most cases, the documentation for LTC far exceeds hospital standards. The "skill level" is there that wasn't in the old days. If you go into the hospital setting, most likely it would be to a speciality area, like orthopedics, cardiac, PACU, med/surg, or something and most hospitals provide some type of orientation specific to that area. I think the issue with it being difficult to move in to the hospital setting would be "getting in the door" and how the person wanting the job presents themselves. I mean, if you apply for a hospital job and don't "sell yourself", that you are a knowledgeable, professional nurse, who really wants to learn, then you probably would not get the job over someone with more hospital "experience". (This also applies to LTC as well) The hospital is looking for the same thing that LTC is: nurses who are confident, dependable, dedicated, and who care about what they do. LTC/Skilled is a "different animal" so to speak, but the patients are just as sick, though most are older persons, as you know. In my personal opinion, the LTC/Skilled nurse, although stretched to the limit, seems to find the time to be at the bedside more, which is where a nurse needs to be. But, I am a little biased, because my heart is in LTC.

jlynn2303 · Apr 27, 2011

My question too! I just graduated with a BSN and got tired of waiting for a hospital job, took an LTC job. The pay is almost the same. I am actually making more than one friend who started in a hospital. But man, the hierarchy is fierce. The LPN's (most of the staff) say - 'when I get my RN I'm going to go work in a hospital' and no one understands why a BSN would apply at a nursing home. Um, because I needed the job! I am starting to feel bad about this- like what's wrong with me? But I have bills to pay and I know classmates who can live at home til they find something. Not an option for me- gotta pay the bills! I do want to get hospital experience, since that is what everyone seems to want and am confused as to whether LTC would help (hopefully) or hurt my chances of doing Acute care someday. What I really want to do is hospice. It's crazy - every body wants experience, but don't get the wrong kind of experience!

ssmandile · May 1, 2011

I don't get it, the apparent self-loathing that occurs in LTC, it seems everyone wants to be somewhere else, don't get me wrong I think upward mobility is great and I think everyone should seize opportunities when it present itself, but it seems that people need to put a qualifier on the end of I am going to school, like to get out of long term care. Long term care is just a different nursing venue, like assisted living, home health or hospice. I have always thought of it as a specialty are, one that requires an understanding of geriatrics,med-surg, principles of rehab, psych, community health care. I don't see it as a negative at all, LTC needs bright new nurses to bring a new perspective to practice. Am I the only one out there that feels this way?

Night Owl RN · Jun 9, 2011

I became an RN in June 2010 and like many others, couldn't get a job in acute care. I've been working in LTC/Skilled since January while I completed my BSN. I actually like geriatrics and LTC; having been inspired by caring for my own mother before her passing; but most of my classmates treat RNs working in LTC like we are losers and substandard nurses. LTC RNs are not well respected by acute care HR professionals either. I've heard that the few LTC nurses that my company has tranferred into acute care positions "had a hard time keeping up with acute care." I guess the feeling is that we LTC nurses set around the nurses station most of the shift. Maybe they do at some places, but at my facility I'm the only nurse to pass meds, assess, take orders, manage aides, and administer treatments (not to mentions charting) for 25 patients on day shift. My day is constant motion and never being caught up. If LTC experience was valued like acute care experience, RNs working in this area would not feel the need to validate themselves as nurses by moving into an acute care environment. I hope I can get a transfer to acute care so I will feel like and be treated like a "real" nurse.

Lucky724 · Jun 9, 2011

When I was in school LTC was not a rotation we had to go through...I think it should be. LTC, like home health and hospice, are HIGHLY misunderstood in both the medical professional world and the general, non medical public. Hospitals are NOT hiring, even seasoned nurses, like they once were. It will change eventually but for those that turn their noses up at LTC just may find that is their only choice if they want to feed themselves and their families.