ltc nursing

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Aug 27, 2007

witter, go into the Geriatric/LTC forum. TONS on information there.

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 27, 2007

Thanks, suesquatch.

Thread moved to LTC forum.

Jen1228 · Aug 28, 2007

I worked in LTC as a CNA before nursing school. As a nurse, I worked in the rehab of a LTC facility, but also worked the LTC floor occasionally.

In my opinion, the pros are:

Predictability-you get to know your patients very well and know what drugs they get, when treatments are due, etc.

Low stress (sometimes)-because you kind of know what to expect

Autonomy-especially since you will be working 3rd shift. You pretty much handle everything all night.

Rewarding- I always felt like I was really helping the patients, some don't feel that way though, because the patients conditions stay the same.

It's night time-most of them are asleep.

The cons:

The patient load-I had 25 patients on day shift. At some places, the ratio can be as high as 40. That is a lot of people to take care of.

Staffing-there tend to be alot of call outs (at least where I worked).

Paperwork-most paperwork is done at night in LTC.

It's night time-some patients stay up all night and can drive you crazy.

Lack of opportunity to use skills-this is very dependent on what type of facility you will be in. I gave mainly PO and topical meds, and insulin of course.

The lack of opportunity to develop my skills was really one of the only reasons I chose not to work in LTC. I'm a new grad and I didn't want to lose my skills. I might return to LTC one day though.

The first couple nights, or weeks, will probably be overwhelming because there are so many patients. But once you get to know everyone, I think you will enjoy it. Good luck with everything and let us know how it goes!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 28, 2007

For a licensed nurse, a ratio of 1 nurse for 30 patients is normal on day shift and evening shift. For the graveyard shift, you could be legally responsible for up to 80 patients.

3rd shift is nice because you will not have to deal with the rude doctors during rounds. You will also be able to avoid the abusive family members who are convinced that all nursing home employees are out to neglect their loved ones. Just remember that you do not have to do full assessments on all of your patients, since they tend to be stable with predictable outcomes. Also, do not spend too much time on one needy patient. Good luck!