New Grad Nurse in LTC, frustrated and need advice.

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Hey there!

So this is going to be long, but I am frustrated and need advice ASAP.

I am a new graduate nurse working in Long term care. Im an LVN and have only been liscensed for two weeks.

Background: I took and passed NCLEX on a tuesday and accepted a position at a skilled nursing facility three days later. It was the first job offered to me and I was desperate for a paycheck, so I accepted. They offered an impressive salary and promised a low nurse/patient ratio. I started working full time evening shift two days later. Had "orientation, because I SEEM PREPARED, for TWO DAYS-- and was then pretty much given a key to med cart and a pat on the back for good luck. First of all I will mention the workload is not too bad and MOST of the patients enjoyable. I am however very frustrated at the lack of staff morale and exceeding expectations of my time management. For example, Im worried because all of the CNA's are brand new (worked in facility less than 6 months.) The morale is very low. It seems everyone is constantly negative and complaining about management. All of the floor nurses have been at the facility for less than 6 months, with the exception of one. They are hiring all positions for nurses and CNA's. I am expected to know how to handle situations I was never trained to handle. I keep getting told "you will learn in nursing you make shortcuts........nursing in real life is not like nursing school.........do this differently if state is in the facility....." and these statements of advice frighten me.

I guess my question is--- is LTC like this everywhere? Is the morale always so negative? Are facilities always full of only new employees, and still understaffed? And is it normal as new grad to feel anxious at the end of my shift? I just had a very long day, so I am venting. Thank you so much to anyone who reads and responds!

Best Wishes!

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Welcome to the wonderful world of long term care!!! Yes, they are all the same!!!! Yes, I know the truth hurts especially to a new grad. But the Bible says "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free". My last nursing job in long term care was horrific!!! I got out of there in the nick of time. Seriously, if I would have tried to stay any longer I would have had a "nervous breakdown". I just now retired. Best of luck to you. Hope you can survive!!!

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My experience is similar. I work a Trach/vent hall in a LTC facility. I have 13 residents. 10 have peg tubes. I passed NCLEX in May and started this job in September. I have no previous experience as CNA but was a caregiver in an assistant living before this. Throughout my facility the Morale is horrible as well. My CNAs are awful, my guess is that they are burnt out and it's unfair that they work a hall of around 28 total care bed bound residents with only 3 on staff. I can hardly get meds passed and with the aids telling me that they hate their jobs and aren't coming in the next day and than don't, I am left to fend for myself and to try to find more staff. Surprisingly enough I have had more good days than bad though. I have done so much patient care that I now have a little understanding about what they go through. My thing is though if you hate your job so much why not just quit and find another instead of complain all day and put everyone else's day down. This has always bothered me. I do like the nurses though. Almost all were hired around the same time that I was, they are very kind and if I have ANY questions or need help with anything they are so quick to jump in and assist me. I had a miserable time starting out until I learned the ropes. It has gotten a lot better lately.

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I was talking about the CNAs that complain not you! Sorry I reread and that came out wrong!

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

LTC's are their very own kind of hell. Didn't used to be, but that was a LONG time ago. If someone offered me 100% higher wage to do that job again, FAT CHANCE, I'd say! It is totally absurd for facilities to expect the things out of their employees that they now expect, piling on more responsibilities to fewer staff. And it certainly isn't fair to the patients!

At my last LTC job I was essentially told that it wasn't my job to talk with or do care for the patients. For real! I guess I was to be an automaton charge/med-nurse/ward-clerk, concerned only with pills and a ridiculous amount of paperwork, period.

"Helping Profession" my butt!

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