Need help getting out of LTC

Gooselady, BSN, RN · May 3, 2015

That's odd . . . I doubt your working in LTC is hampering your hospital job prospects. But I could be wrong, hopefully someone will chime in about this. At least objectively, you have developed and utilized skilled nursing, time management, critical thinking and no small amount of stress -- all these things are part and parcel of being a nurse, and translate well into hospital nursing roles.

All I can think to offer you is to keep on keeping on, do what you are doing, and eventually, you'll get your 'break' :)

I have yet to work in an area where there is a glut of nurses. The closest I came to that was in 2008, when I moved back to WA state and couldn't find a psych RN job for my life . . . which ended me up applying to RN Residency programs for new RNs in acute care -- best thing I ever did.

Others may have better advice . . . but I vote for your LTC experience as NOT preventing you from getting a hospital job, necessarily.

KDuncan890 · May 3, 2015

Thank you for your input. Alot of my coworkers thinks that LTC makes you less marketable then a new grad that has never worked in LTC. I hope to get my break soon.

mvm2 · May 3, 2015

Do you know anyone that is working in these hospitals that can put in a good word for you. Friends classmates.

Barnstormin' PMHNP · May 3, 2015

I worked (briefly) in skilled/acute rehab) and I have also worked in the ICU. I can tell you that your feelings of inferiority are misplaced. That being said there is a stigma in my geographical location od the same feeling about LTC. You have to put that worry aside and focus on how you will turn your experience into a positive for your peer interview.

How many times did you have to respond and provide care to a resident that fell? How many times did YOU make the decision to call the Dr. or provide an intervention that probably saved a residents life? People wrongly look down on LTC as being easy and requiring no skill because they have never worked it. I imagine your prioritization and assessment skills are very good and you can teamwork quite well.

Take your nursing experience and write out what you can do that translates to trauma. Obviously you will need a lot of training, but they want someone who can teamwork, learn on their feet, and adjust to changing situations. I think one fear that acute has when talking to a LTC person is that they won't be able to adjust to the fast pace. Good Luck!

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 3, 2015

Good suggestions from other posters. Personally I'm not sure why an experienced geriatric nurse would have a disadvantage over one that's completely green... Hopefully you're wrong about that, but if your hunch is accurate then those managers are out of their minds.

I'd had floor and ICU experience, but left to work in a SNF because I wanted an 8-hour day shift job. Very shortly after I left, the market tanked in my area and I knew some new RNs who had kept their CNA jobs because they had to bring in a paycheck. It was tough when I wanted to get back into hospital nursing because they were then asking for a minimum of one year *current* hospital experience. I'd been out for 3 years.

Eventually I did find an LTACH (long-term acute care hospital) that was willing to hire me. I won't lie, part of the reason that they were less selective was that it's extremely hard work and they had a high turnover. If you're not familiar with LTACH, it's like med-surg on steroids. Same nurse to patient ratio as in med-surg, but all of the patients could be on ventilators, on tele, on drips, have burns >30% TBSA or multiple stage IV pressure ulcers and have dressing changes that took up to 2 hrs to do alone... I learned a ton but it was really, really hard.

But after working there for about 1.5 yrs, I got hired into an ICU that sends a lot of our patients there. See if they can't wean off the ventilator, they can't go to the floor, but they can go to LTACH. Now in my case, my goal was to get back into ICU nursing, but it is actual hospital work. Are there any of this type of facility in your area?

*ETA--"See if they can't wean off the ventilator, they can't go to the floor" meaning within their allotted number of days; not chronic vent-dependent who go to LTC

*Also, took out an emoticon that AN inserted for me that I didn't want

NOADLS · May 3, 2015

Thank you for your input. Alot of my coworkers thinks that LTC makes you less marketable then a new grad that has never worked in LTC. I hope to get my break soon.

If this is the case, leave LTC off the resume and market yourself as a new grad.

KDuncan890 · May 3, 2015

I have also tried getting into LTACH scene, but there are only like 3 within my area. I keep applying to those while I have been trying to get into the hospital too. I just keep my fingers crossed:)

KDuncan890 · May 3, 2015

If this is the case, leave LTC off the resume and market yourself as a new grad.

I have tried that as well, but Im not a good liar in interviews and once I start talking about patient care and safety it becomes obvious that Im not a new grad. I've learned so much in LTC but I have noticed that some managers think I don't do much (and I have to tell them specifically what I do and the patient ratio). I just wish someone would give me the chance to show my time management skill, and all the others skills I possess.