LTC / Rehab...as bad as they say?

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Hey all, just wondering what the general consensous is regarding sub acute / rehab / long term care.

Is it really as bad (for a new grad RN) as we always hear?

Could it be that a few bad apples have made the rest look bad?

Im a new grad, I have worked in a hospital for 4 years as a PCT and have gotten diddly squat for RN jobs, so I am pondering the thought of working at *GASP* a nursing home!

I do believe that there are times when everything we hear my taint our ability to be objective. (That ''annoying'' / ''mean'' patient or that ''lazy'' coworker you havent met yet)

ALSO- Do you think that 6 months in a nursing home will open some different doors to med/surg hospital units?

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

There is good and bad, I have to tell you I have been in LTC for a good long while and seen mishaps come from the hospital to us.

I have had 2 family members sustain ill outcomes from poor nursing care in the acute hospital.

You sound like you are already looking down on nursing in LTC.

Maybe home health is more your ticket.

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER, Pediatrics, Corrections.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do for a job. Although, I know some nurses who LOVE elderly and LTC. I myself have a soft spot for the elderly. :) Give it a chance! Experience is experience.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I work on the ortho rehab floor in a SNF and I wont lie, it's a different world from my hospital clinicals. Having said that, I love it, even though I have 24 patients and feel lost a lot of the time. I love the older patient populations. I say go for it.

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Mmm, you can expect it to be much different than school. Since it seems like the only type of place willing to hire new grad RNs, I would consider working in LTC ...AND volunteering. Sorry, but I have found that LTC is a place for nurses with few options. I'm a new grad in LTC ---love my residents, and even my aides, but not thrilled about some of the other things. Find a good facility and you should be alright.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
There is good and bad, I have to tell you I have been in LTC for a good long while and seen mishaps come from the hospital to us.

I have had 2 family members sustain ill outcomes from poor nursing care in the acute hospital.

You sound like you are already looking down on nursing in LTC.

Maybe home health is more your ticket.

Note: the bold lettering above was my doing (not the poster's)!!!

I'm probably going to be 'flamed' for my opinion. But PP said it first for me - you're already snubbing your nose at LTC *GASP*. And should you find a job in LTC *GASP* you'll prob be very unhappy about it having had to settle without securing your 'golden fleece' hosp job.

You know, in LTC *GASP*, nurses become very astute at sensing things that aren't always obvious to others. I can sense when a new employee isn't happy to be working with us. I can tell when we're being thought of as just LTC *GASP* nurses. So will it be any surprise that you're not lovingly included into the fold?? But then, I'll be accused of being a 'bully' and 'mean' and 'she doesn't like me'. Sorry, but I have no overwhelming desire to put too much of my time and effort into someone who is prob just 'putting in their one year (or "6 months in a nsg home").

Because my pts' safety is at risk, I will help you to be as safe and as skilled as poss. I will. I recognize that your orientation was prob minimal and your school clinical practice left room for improvement. But I HAVE gone above and beyond for helping those who strive to be good LTC nurses.

I do hope you find your hosp job because I doubt it very highly that you'll be happy with LTC *GASP*. It's such a shame that you have so little regard for our specialty so early in your career. You did a disservice to us LTC staff (but you're not the only one who does it).

Hey, we have the abbreviation NETY for 'nurses eating their young'. I suggest a new one - NBOB = 'nurses bashing other nurses'.

As I write this, I'm reminded of theCommuter's not-too-long -ago article about 'high value' nsg and 'low value' nsg. Guess we got whacked with the 'low value' stick again.

To answer your question, there are good and bad facilities in LTC just as there are good and bad hospitals. And like PP Ruas61 (and other acute & LTC nurses), I/we could tell you hosp stories that could make your hair stand on end. If you already don't like LTC, then settling for a position in one would only be masochistic.

Why do it to yourself? JMHO

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I focus on my patients and my care and am always trying to learn and develop my nursing skills in my sub-acute setting. I have learned so much in my setting because I choose to. I also know right from wrong as a registered nurse, and I choose to high road. Nursing is what YOU make it, and different settings offer different opportunities for learning. I must say, though, if your attitude is negative or your opinion doesn't allow you to be at your personal best at your particular place of nursing, then look elsewhere.

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I want to add, most of the nurses where I work have their applications in at hospitals. The older nurses who don't tend to work their way up in management where I work. Some of the nurses get in at hospitals and some don't. It's just so competitive (in my area) for hospital jobs, but it doesn't appear that working in LTC/rehab holds back nurses. It's just the old numbers game and timing, as well as having the BSN degree.

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It really and truly depends. I will say this though - I did start out in a LTC/rehab facility. Unfortunately, it was a very toxic environment to work in as a new grad. My orientation period was minimal, and I had hardly any help when I really needed it. When I told management that I was uncomfortable, I was made to feel bad about it. I felt like I was unable to provide safe care, so I quit after a month or so. It made applying to new jobs tricky and it was a big blow to my confidence. HOWEVER. This is just my experience. I had a friend who has been working for the past year at a LTC facility and she said she loves it, though it is a bit overwhelming at times. A big concern is always that you don't get to practice the same skills as a nurse at a hospital. In some ways, this is true - you're not going to start a whole lot of IVs or NG tubes. But I did get to work with trachs, g-tubes, and the occasional PICC line. Also, you have to use critical thinking and time management skills just as you would in a hospital environment. As far as transferring to a hospital, I do think that you'll be much more valuable looking for a job while you have one. If you decide to start looking into LTC, make sure you RESEARCH. Look at reviews of the facility, look at rating sites. There are good and bad facilities out there, so arm yourself with as much info as you can find. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in dementia/LTC.

There's good and bad aspects of working in ltc. I have worked in ltc w alzheimer's patients for over 5 years now (1.5 as a nurse the rest as a cna) I love it but one day want to make the move to the hospital for more experience and better pay.

You work your butt off in ltc and the time management skills you learn are amazing. It's great patient care experience and in my area ltc facilities provide a set schedule that doesn't change, unlike our hospitals where your schedule changes every 2 weeks.

If you continue to look down on ltc you won't be happy doing it. But perhaps the experience will bring a new respect for the work done by ltc nurses. There are very few things in life more special than taking care of the eldest most fragile population of patients.

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