how many of you are sick of.......

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The way nursing homes are 85% politics and 15% patient care? Or maybe losing your job for something stupid like joking around with a co-worker who decides to tell management that you touched her crotch just to get u fired then walks out on her shift a week later. Then seeing treatments and dressings not getting done and actually getting reprimanded for reporting it.

Healthcare is nothing people make it out to be, its cutthroat, greedy and manipulative, caring only for the almighty dollar while we feed everyones grandmothers with poison that supposedly improves their quality of life. It makes me sick to walk into a persons room who no longer has control of their body or mind, who constantly tries to fight you as you pump their "medications" through their g-tubes and turn their poor contracted bodies every 2 hours.

So why do I do this horrible career everyday? Because of the residents who look at me and say "thank you, your the only one in here that actually helps me" or going around and making sure peoples dressings actually get changed even when they are not on my hall. Plus a multitude of things I say and do to try and make these elderly people just a little bit happier in the prisons we all call nursing homes.

Somethings gotta give here people. Where is our humanity? What happened to the human race? I'm sorry but I can't be the only person disgusted by what i've seen over the years. Despite the name I've been a nurse for almost 4 years and im ready for a change in how everything is run. Anybody feel the same?

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Specializes in Medical-surgical nursing.

Crotch touching? Seriously? :smackingf

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Lol yes......of course I didn't touch her crotch......she just decided to tell them that

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I AM SOO WITH YOU HERE!!!!! Ive been in LTC pretty much all of my career in healthcare and the quality of life these people are subjected to downright shamefull! The only reason I go into work every week is because of that one person that says thank you, that one shred of dignity I could save for someone,that one family that I can touch. Patients arent reffered to as people they are MR#s, bed holds, room numbers, PASAAR #s, medicaid/medicare reimbursements. When there are open beds (low census) admin sends home staff due to budget instead of allowing a lower patient/caregiver ratio for the day.Just one day I would LOVE to see a CNA have only 5-6 residents. Maybe then they would actually get the showers they so badly need, have time to actually comb their hair, put on makeup,brush their teeth for Gods sake. Yes thats one of the dirty secrets of LTC. CNAs are so swamped with bedbaths,making beds,passing ice,feeding,documenting,etc that they often neglect to brush peoples teeth!!! Well Im goin off on a rant but OP, I agree with you, Im sick of the money/business side of healthcare.

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Specializes in Geriatrics and Quality Improvement,.

I feel for your situation. I hate the politics of LTC. Fortunately I have a double backing. Union and State.

While we dont have a state regulated ratio for safe patient hangling, and I have seen better ratios in private nursing homes, I have also seen worse.

As the charge on my own unit, I definately spoke to the nurse that floated there on my day off and didnt change the bandge.

Something simple like..

I can understand that things can get hectic with 30 patients 1 RN, 1 LPN 3 CNA, but really? it was a simple ointment to the heel, wrap in kling... Oh, you say you did it? Then how come the combine I took off has my initials on it? Thats right, I dont date the outside, I date the INSIDE. If youre going to float to my unit, then have the decency to do the dressings.

Some people requested to not come back, others apologized for the 'oversight' but it was RARE to occur twice!

The chage nurse sets the tone of the unit, and if that tone is happy cuz you did your job, stern because you didnt..then so be it. Stern is also a direction, and I can be as straight forward as the rest of them of you are salcking. Sounds like the ones in charge at your job need a little stern reminder of WHY they are there. I hope someone gives it to them.:devil:

ok, thanks for that.

:jester::nurse:

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Specializes in geriatrics.
Something simple like..

I can understand that things can get hectic with 30 patients 1 RN, 1 LPN 3 CNA, but really?:jester::nurse:

If we had that kind of staffing, we might actually be able to give adequate patient care! The floor I work on has 3 LPN's and 3-4 CNA's for 70+ patients! Of those 70+, 12+ are vents/trachs, 20+ are tube feeds, several challanging psyc patients (including 2 who exercise their "right" to refuse their psyc meds and create havoc) and numerous dementia patients. There is no way we can adequately complete our assignment. We do the best we can with what we have - and we have a hard-working, caring crew!

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Specializes in Psych.

ah yes, LTC politics. I've just started back in a nursing home for a per diem RN job. I've worked in nursing homes for 10 years as an LPN, before that 5 as an LNA. My part time job in the hospital won't finaincially sustain my family so I had to find something and no luck as a new grad RN in the hospital I've worked in for 2 1/2 years as and LPN. Oh well, so it's back to LTC for me. I can already feel the push and pull from the LNA's and it's only my third day!! Thank goodness I've been through this all before and know how to handle it.

I had almost 40 patients and 1/2 I had to give early morning medications to. And it was a dementia unit, mmmm "What's your name........." Pics in the MAR that don't look anything like the person.

I love taking care of the people. If I can hold their hand for a second or give them a pat on the back. And getting a great big thank you is all I need. The other "stuff" doesn't bother me. I am on nights so I don't see "them"

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Putting your initials and date on the INSIDE of a dressing. That is the most INGENIOUS idea I have heard in a LONG time!

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

If any nurse in my building put her initials on the inside of a dressing, I might fire her. The ink can soak through the bandage and contaminate the wound and it's just being passive/aggressive. Too many people use what they consider poor staffing to be an excuse to be lazy.

As to the OPs opinion of inhumanity, I'd suggest you convince people you know to plan their advanced directives way in advance of needing them. This way they won't have food pumped into their contracted bodies and kept alive at all cost.

Oh,and my CNAs brush people's teeth, fix their hair, and even put on a bit of lipstick since they spend their time working and not hanging around complaining.

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