New Grad BSN RN...offered position into LTC post hospital unit as charge nurse

[wyogypsy, RN]

Hmmmmm - just does treatments and medications? For how many residents? Does the charge nurse have as many residents as the nurses that are not charge nurses? What happens if a nurse calls in, quits, is on vacation? My guess is that you would do her job and yours. Are you going to be on call? What are the expectations if you are on call. It always scares me when a facility has the need to put a new grad, regardless of how good they are, in a supervisory position. That usually means the other nurses there have had, or have seen, what that position is and wouldn't take it for the world. I am one of those nurses. I have been charge, DON, Administrator - and now I want to 'just' be a floor nurse. I want to go to work, do my job, and go home. I don't want extra responsibilities, don't want called at home, don't want to 'have' to work days off - often I do volunteer but that is far different than 'having' to do it. Just because you are charge you will be expected to handle a lot of things that come up that you have no experience with. Believe me, other nurses that are not charge are very happy to be able to pass difficult situations on to the 'charge nurse'. Please give it a lot of thought before you accept, and if you do accept I hope it goes well for you. It will give you experience, and that is always a good thing!

[wyogypsy, RN]

whoops! posted twice

[SGroRN87]

I always tell my students... Take any experience that you can as a new grad.

About 3 years ago, a student of mine told me flat out that she would never work in LTC. She would rather work at McDonald's. Well upon graduation, she had to take a job as a charge nurse on the dementia unit of a very nice LTC facility. Just ran into her... She has passed her gero certification exam and is an assistant DON there... Doing very well for herself.

I thought I would only want to work with babies... Have been doing med/surg/onc my entire career and would never do it differently!

[VANurse2010]

I doubt this is really a "charge nurse" job. I'd bet everyone there with their own med cart is a "charge nurse." Many (if not most) LTC do not have charge nurses in the traditional sense it's used on a hospital floor.

Hmmmmm - just does treatments and medications? For how many residents? Does the charge nurse have as many residents as the nurses that are not charge nurses? What happens if a nurse calls in, quits, is on vacation? My guess is that you would do her job and yours. Are you going to be on call? What are the expectations if you are on call. It always scares me when a facility has the need to put a new grad, regardless of how good they are, in a supervisory position. That usually means the other nurses there have had, or have seen, what that position is and wouldn't take it for the world. I am one of those nurses. I have been charge, DON, Administrator - and now I want to 'just' be a floor nurse. I want to go to work, do my job, and go home. I don't want extra responsibilities, don't want called at home, don't want to 'have' to work days off - often I do volunteer but that is far different than 'having' to do it. Just because you are charge you will be expected to handle a lot of things that come up that you have no experience with. Believe me, other nurses that are not charge are very happy to be able to pass difficult situations on to the 'charge nurse'. Please give it a lot of thought before you accept, and if you do accept I hope it goes well for you. It will give you experience, and that is always a good thing!

[Rose2013]

I'm a new grad and I have a "charge nurse position" in a LTC care as well but in my facility it just means that I am the nurse in charge of my unit and the CNAs. I also have my own med cart, give all the treatments, call the docs etc.. It's different from the traditional "charge nurse" mentality.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Wasting your degree working in long term care???? Really????? I think not. I don't think you will be able to handle all there is to be done in long term care with that attitude. We do everything the hospital does with the exception of ventilators and hanging blood.

[amoLucia]

Wasting your degree working in long term care???? Really????? I think not. I don't think you will be able to handle all there is to be done in long term care with that attitude. We do everything the hospital does with the exception of ventilators and hanging blood.[/quote To Op - please don't minimize what we do in LTC. LTC is NOT second-class and you'd be surprised how many of us here have BSNs and more.

Just FYI - our field is more regulated that the acute care setting. What I see in LTC reminds me of the level of care I did when I first graduated eons go and worked hospital as my first job. And we do so much more with so much less that acute care staff who come to LTC freq experience transition shock

It's sad that you've voiced that superior/inferior attitude so early in your professional career. It makes for poor peer relationships along the BSN/ADN & RN/LPN great divides.

[Salisburysteak, BSN, RN]

Hello' date=' I am a recent BSN grad who just received state license but has no RN work experience. I interned on a Neuro ICU floor my senior year and has since not been hired into a ICU or general floor at a hospital. Although I had an interview with the Neuro ICU in which I precepted but did not receive my RN license for 2 months later and they had given the position away. I was recently talked into applying for this Jewish nursing home even though I always said I would never work at a nursing home. I have family members that work there and they persuaded me that this facility was different than most as far as quality care, cleanliness, etc. I was offered a position as a charge nurse first shift in the post hospital care unit with a starting pay rate of $29. Any suggestions? I am trying to convince myself that this could be my foot in the door and I could always apply to a ICU once I get RN experience. But on the other hand I feel like I am wasting my degree going into LTC when I really want to be in an ICU or should be in a hospital.[/quote']

Being a "charge" nurse in LTC is way fifferent than in a hospital. All nurses in LTC are charge nurses whether LPN/RN. You will be doing the med passes, setting up MD appts, setting up trandpirtation for your Resident's, treatments if there is no tx nurse.

Please do not looj st LTC as non-nursing. That is an insult to your fellow nurses who work there.

You will learn a lot of skills. A lot of LTC's do a lot of treating in house like IV abx, wound care, trach/vents, and G-tubes/PEGs

Take the position. You will learn more than you think.

Good luck!

[Nurse Kyles, BSN, RN]

I would take this job. It will give you valuable experience that will be marketable to a hospital. I worked on a unit like this for 2 months after graduation before getting a job on a Progressive Care Unit in a hospital. I learned so much especially about time management, prioritization & delegation. I was a "charge nurse" simply because an RN always had to be charge. It really wasn't that big of deal.

A big plus to starting in LTC is you will truly appreciate hospital staffing once you get there! You never know when another opportunity will come your way, so i definitely wouldn't over look this one. Who knows... you might actually enjoy it!! Good Luck!

[ricksy]

I am a new grad. I am a charge nurse at a LTC. It means I am supervisor over the CNA's. It is awesome to be able to learn and at the same time use the term charge nurse on your next resume. It will be fine. DO it!

[odeth1]

I have been a nurse in my birth country for 7 yrs. I passed my nclex in nclex a month ago. So i am considered a new grad.

i accepted a rn position to wrk in Ltc

Other nurses tell me how difficult it,will be and that they will never make a mistake to wrk in ltc again.

I have been out for two years and feels like i dont remember anything.

I will b wrking nights.

I am excited, i aslo realize that lots of things i will have to adjust to and learn. However nothing in life is easy and i maintain that if others have done it...i can do it too.

Can anyone share with me their experience and what i can expect and what i can do to be successful.

Thx much

[ricksy]

Expect fast paced environment. Expect to be attached to your med cart. Expect difference in charting....much different than hospital charting. Expect to have STNA/CNA's ranging from the most caring ...to don't care at all. Expect to fall in love with most patients....others, well not so much, but remembering they are human beings keeps you going~ Good Luck! You will do well.