LTC or Hospital

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I will be graduating in May as an RN. I really want to work in LTC but I have heard that it is better to start out working in a hospital first to get more experience before going to a LTC.

Also, I have been told that if you work at a LTC it is hard to get hired at a hospital? Is this true?

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Specializes in nursing home care.

I dont think it would be hard to get hired in a hospital after working ltc as we all have different skills (when you mive from one speciality ward to another you would have to learn new skills anyway). I have worked ltc since qualifying and I love ltc and personally would never want to work in a hospital but everyone os different. Working ltc requires lots of stamina and you learn to captain the ship quickly when you work alone with no medica by your side.

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Specializes in LTC , SDC and MDS certified (3.0).

I 've been in LTC for over 13 years.LPN to RN Floor nurse to sdc now MDS.

a relative told me yesterday I was great with "old" People. I took it as a complement.

Go where your heart is and you'll never go wrong!!

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

Perhaps you may consider accepting a full-time position in an LTCF, and maybe a part-time job at an acute care hospital on per diem or PRN status. This way, you'll be exposed to the best and worst of both worlds, and can arrive at an informed decision regarding which area to work. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Case Manager, LTC,Staff Dev/NAT Instr.

You have to have the passion and patience to work in LTC, its not for everyone I see such a turnover with nurses not able to deal with geriatrics patients/residents...I have worked both areas as CNA, LPN, and now RN supervisor my nitch is still LTC....nowadays in a skilled LTC facility you get to utilize your skills as on a Med Surg unit..

Good Luck :cheers:

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I worked as a CNA and loved LTC, that is where my heart is, but I want to be able to provide them with the best possible care, they deserve it!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

If you want to work in LTC then do it. There is a big difference between hospital nursing and LTC nursing. Having hospital nursing experience doesn't necessarily prepare someone for LTC nursing--that is baloney. I've worked in both areas. LTC nurses are charge nurses; hospital nurses are not all charge nurses or even know how to be charge nurses.

However, it is true that if you work in LTC it is hard to get hired into hospital nursing. In order to do so you will need to take a refresher course that does clinicals in an acute hospital setting.

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hello, maybe someone on this thread can help me...... i was hired one month ago in a sub acute unit in a ltc facility...prior to this i have worked in hospital setting....well i was hired for a unit manager in which i thought there was a charge nurse also, but there wasn't...the unit is only a 31 bed unit and they had tried this "subacute" unit once again earlier this year and have a new person to market..well just a month ago the unit had 22 patients and now is full.....the place is chaos...they had 5 "unit managers" in 5 years.....the unit is terribly disorganized......since the census went up to 28 on this past wednesday they gave us a "charge nurse" on a day to day basis....the desk is a madhouse......and anyone who worked in this setting knows how mad the desk can be..my idea of a unit manager is seeing the whole picture and operations and try to help and make changes so that the unit runs more smoothly and clean up the mess, shape it up and organize the med room, supply room and the non functional set up nurses staying but very nice looking unit.....please tell me in other facilities is the charge nurse the unit manager and what is the role of each....i have my idea of it..but need to know how other places do it too....please share any information u have....i just know one thing...i cannot be the charge nurse and the unit manager in one....thanks.:pumpiron:

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I've been a unit manager of a 40 bed subacute unit. If I had spent my day cleaning the med room and making the place look nice, I'd have been fired in a minute. The unit manager is the heart beat of the unit. You must know the clinical status of all your residents, be available to help the nurses when there are 4 admissions on one shift, direct the CNAs, go to Care Plan meetings, family meetings, admission meetings, medicare meetings. It is not an easy job, especially on a subacute unit with sick people and a high turn over of patients.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Tele, ICU.

I tried hospital nursing when I first graduated and didn't like it. My heart was in LTC. I also kept hearing from nurses that 'you'll lose your skills in LTC'. I think this is all hogwash. I hang TPN, I have vent patients, I have PICC lines to deal with, I have to irrigate foleys, I have to do many different types of treatments, I have to listen to breath sounds and bowel sounds DAILY, I have neuro checks alot (falls), and the list goes on and on. I also get to be part of a team of nurses who really have to critically think because we do not have docs at our disposal immediately. Trying to get a doc to call you back can sometimes take hours! If I didn't have any skills then what would my patients look like after waiting 2 hours for a phone call???

The good part about LTC?! Hugs from your little old ladies who smile when they see you walk in. Families who appreciate seeing you on the floor. Team work. Becoming a part of their family.

Nursing takes many different types of people. Not everyone is meant for LTC. I'm not meant for the ER and that's alright with me. Follow your heart and like someone else already said - you can't go wrong.

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