LTC

yup.... Can you be more specific about what you find stressful

Having a large number of patients to care for... some of which are very sick. its just hard to get vitals, blood sugars, medicate and assess a large number of patients. i feel like i am always running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Also working with difficult nurses... is this something thats common in LTC facilitys? ive never seen such mean nurses before!

I've been in the business since the late '70's. I've been a DNS for the last 10 years. Stress is a way of life. Things aren't going to change and every year CMS comes up with more and more regulations that have us jumping through hoops without a clear benefit to any of the people we take care of.

Such is the nature of LTC. You haven't been experiencing anything that most of us hadn't already been dealing with. Only difference is that we seen the problems grow exponentially over the years to become the monster that it is today.

Everybody has to find one's own way to adapt. And it's just that staff may seem 'mean' because they're holding on for dear life themselves with little ability to hold on to you.

Too many sick patients-never enough staff. Confused residents always trying to crawl out of their beds. Too many falls. Angry family members. Yes, I always felt like a chicken with my head cut off. And yes, I have always found the meanest nurses working at LTC facilities. I recently left LTC for good. I had a choice. I could quit my LTC job or have a "nervous breakdown". I quit my LTC job and am now doing part time private duty nursing. I made the right decision. I have also applied to start receiving early retirement social security benefits.

Yes!! I currently work in a long term care facility where I feel that we are understaffed, which isn't fair. 24 residents is a lot for me right now, especially when there are a couple of residents who are quite difficult to administer meds, what makes it worse for me is working in the mornings.