LTC nurses-Are you worried about being fired?

[Blackcat99]

When I recently worked at a LTC. it seemed that most of the LTC nurses were worried about losing their jobs. When I attended nurse staff meetings there seemed to be a lot of threats from nursing management. Instead of just saying that the state said we have to do things a certain way so do it that way, it was more about you will do it this way or you will be written up and possibly terminated. Is your LTC facility like that?

[NurseDirtyBird]

I have worked in a place like that. Everybody was afraid of trying to change things or "rocking the boat," because of the implicit and sometimes explicit threats at every staff meeting.

Staffing was terrible all the time, our state surveys were always terrible, staff was asked to document false information, and worst of all, patient outcomes were awful.

It was an awful place to work. The final straw for me came when it was a new-grad orientee and me covering 80 patients. I quit as soon as relief showed up.

[Fngrpntsnotasin]

No way! But where I work is really awesome so....

[MotherRN]

Yes, I WAS just fired from a LTC like this. Every shift was starting with a 'huddle' in the DON's office where she would issue threats of do this or that or you will be written up and ultimately fired. Funny this is that a classmate was also fired that same week from a different LTC in town that was very similiar.

[JZ_RN]

I almost was fired from a LTC I worked at, senseless write-up after senseless write up and no training or help, horrible understaffing. When they needed me though, I was doing a great job! I was treated like I was terrible (which I was not) but if they needed me they were more than happy to have me..

[echoRNC711, BSN]

I have never worked LTC but I did have a manager who ruled with an iron fist and was always threatening we could get fired. She delighted in having meetings where she ranted on about minutia. It was just awful. I was a new nurse so didn't realize to get out of their fast

Fear tactics may work short term but long term morale suffers and it becomes reflected in care.

I have heard of very punitive type management skills in LTC from nurses on this site and I am wondering why. Are these types of managers just fearful of repercussions or are they just power hungry bullies?

The nasty manager that I had, I am pleased to report, was eventually fired. I did 3 lapse around the garden in celebration. with a lot of "yahoos "

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Nope, cause I got a union!

[LisaStew]

I work a part time job in LTC and nursing management is exactly that way. It is their way or the high way and you like it or you don't. No respect and never "Job well done". It's more a constant of this is wrong and that is wrong.......why can't you get it right? Makes you want to quit but I am just the kind to stick it out! Gets old though that is for sure.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Nope, cause I got a union!

Same here fortunately.

[Blackcat99]

Yes indeed. It looks like the only nurses who are not worried about getting fired are the union workers. No respect -that's for sure. Just constant threats of getting written up and then fired. I sure wish one of the LTC's in my area had a union.