New grad discouraged about job oppurtunity

juliannc99 · Oct 7, 2010

Henry Ford in Detroit only hires RNs unless things have changed since I was there (fabulous place to work ~ physicians actually respect nurses). Also there are about seven hospitals in that immediate area. Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and North Oakland County Hospital are also places you could try. Beaumont Hospital has several hospitals and is a great place to work. Try the VA facility in Detroit (huge and very beautiful). If you like the four seasons and college towns try Marquette Regional Medical Center in the Upper Peninsula, there is also a VA Center in Marquette and Iron Mountain. Home Health is always an option as well as LTC. You'd be amazed at the skills you actually do use in LTC and you learn one of the most important ones very quickly ~ organization. Trach's, catheters, g-tubes, IVs, vents (in some specialty homes), rehab, dialysis patients, quads, psych, the list goes on and on. I have worked LTC from midnight supervisor as a new grad to being the administrator of my own building and it is more of an opportunity than people think. I have also ran hospital wings and can honestly tell you that the transition from LTC to hospital is MUCH easier than it is going the other way. People also make the mistake of thinking hospital nursing is better because you don't use your "skills" in LTC ~ dead wrong! Also remember that hospital nursing usually has "only" a 6:1 ratio. Many times six hospital patients can equal 20 LTC patients. Turn over is like crazy (insurance issue), paperwork is overwhelming (usually on computers though ~ many LTC places are also on computer) and the "six" patients keep you at a constant run between hanging blood, giving prn meds, regular meds, shipping them off or prepping them for one test or another, dealing with "transport" (always fun) or pharmacy (yup, they have the same problem in LTC), physicians (many have egos so big it's a miracle they get through the door) and family. Then there is telemetry, IVs etc. as well. So either choice is a brave one (yes, we are brave to take on all that we do and with very little thanks). However, the one great thing about LTC is that the residents become family and you are usually their family. You actually get to know your patient, intuitively realize when something is "off" for them, and watch the rehabs get better and go home. Someone mentioned Manor Care ~ this is an HCA facility. I worked there once.....we'll leave it at that (though, as in many cases, each place is different). If you're into relocating, the southwest coast of FL is great ~ Morton Plant Hospital (BayCare if you wish to look it up on the internet) is good and Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa has a wonderful mentor program. Good luck!

dodgegirl713 · Oct 7, 2010

Take what you can get. Around my area a lot of the hospitals are actually laying of many nurses. LTC is hard to work, been there almost a year and have finally got in to a rhythm for my shift to get things accompished without lots of overtime. That's if the shift goes smoothly, which doesn't happen often. You do learn a lot with multitasking and time management. I also get a lot of acute/subacute residents to keep me on my toes.

Grapenut · Oct 7, 2010

I graduated with my LPN 6 years ago and didn't want to apply anywhere until I had passed the NCLEX and had my license in hand. The hospital where I did my clinicals had hired several of my classmates who applied before they took the NCLEX. I initially made the mistake of just dropping my application and resume off with Human Resources. Two months later with license in hand and eager to be working, I finally applied at a local long term care facility, who hired me on the spot ("How soon can you start?" . . . ). I only accepted a PRN position there because I was hoping to get on at the hospital where I applied. I finally went to the hospital and was going to visit the nurse managers on the two med-surg units where I did clinicals and say "Hi, remember me, I did my clinicals here and would love to work for you . . . " The first nurse manager I approached remembered me and said she needed someone PRN for weekends and asked if I was interested. Long story short, I worked PRN at the long term care facility 2 or 3 days a week, and PRN weekends at the hospital for 4 months until a full-time position finally came up on the med-surg unit at the hospital and I was hired there and stayed 4 years. I quit because I moved out of state, but if I had not visited that nurse manager and had just waited on HR to contact me, I don't know if HR would have ever picked my resume out of the pile. And experience is experience, so if long term is all that's available, at least you'll have that on your resume. Good luck and don't give up. You'll get there.

agldragonRN · Oct 7, 2010

why do so many nurses/people look down on ltc?

please enlighten me.

angel, rn

Grapenut · Oct 7, 2010

I don't. I think it's a specialty that you need to feel a calling to, just like any other nursing specialty. To be honest, I didn't want to work there initially -- I just applied because I had to have a job somewhere and I needed the money. What surprised me was how much I actually enjoyed it. I loved the residents. Just like any nursing job, it's hard work. It was difficult to squeeze all the charting, assessments, passing meds, admissions, transfers to acute care, and other duties into the amount of time you have to do it and not go into overtime, which was strictly forbidden at this facility. It was especially hard for me as a new nurse. Time management is a skill you develop, but it is a real challenge for a new nurse to be responsible for 21 residents right out of school. I was following the advice of seasoned nurses who told me that as a new grad I should work med-surg for a year or two, so I pursued that route. My hat is off to the nurses in long term care. It's a special calling and I was impressed with the skill and big hearts of the nurses who oriented me there.

Kitty Hawk, ADN, RN · Oct 7, 2010

why do so many nurses/people look down on ltc?
please enlighten me.
angel, rn

i absolutely don't. i agree it's a special calling and it's not for me, that doesn't mean it's not a respectable and true calling for some.

the public perception does remain. i can't tell you how many times i have heard from doctors to nurses and even pts/families that when they find out where i worked before, i get the comment...oh now you're in real nursing :madface: i have no idea why that stigma remains, but it's frustrating.