New nurse, 1st job LTC, is nursing wrong for me?

[lanoneus]

I graduated last December and got a job in a LTC facility in September (took the summer off to be home with the kids). It's mostly long term care with a few sub-acute rehab cases, some wounds and g-tubes, but nothing very major. The system is pretty archaic, we still do paper MARs and the nurses pass all the meds.

I kind of hate it. I only work every other weekend (I still have an office job unrelated to nursing), and I feel like a person working on a factory line. I loved clinical in nursing school, and I know the real nursing world wouldn't be exactly like clinical, but I feel like my only jobs are to take vitals, pass a ****load of meds, and treat a few skin wounds. Our patient load is usually around 15-18. It's only 8 hours shifts so that part is nice.

There is still so much I don't know. Training was terrible, a joke really. I'm going in on my own time to watch the skin care doc do his weekly rounds so I can hopefully learn a little more about that, but everything else I need to figure out is me googling it. And I feel like maybe I'm lucky I'm in a relatively low-skill level environment, because I'm already overwhelmed. I always end up working at least 2 hours late, I barely get my meds passed and get a couple of skin treatments in before the next shift shows up, then I spend the rest of my time finishing treatments and doing records. I pray nobody gets discharged, falls, transfers, or does anything that will require extra paperwork, cause then I'll be there another hour at least. Supplies are frequently hard to come by, and are locked away in a storage room that only the main supervisor has access to, and sometimes you really have to badger them to get you something. I resent that I have to waste so much time trying to get an ACE wrap.

I don't feel like I'm "caring" for people", just keeping them medicated. I'm worried to go to a hospital because I feel like if I can't make it here, maybe I'm not cut out for bedside nursing? I do my best to prepare, I make notes on my patients, type them up at home and bring them back, I've created a continuity sheet to remind of all the difference passwords, paperwork, and processes we have to know, so it's not like I am not trying. I just didn't think it would seem so hard.

[ED Nurse, RN]

So you only work as a nurse every other weekend? If you want to be a nurse you need to put more time, energy, and effort into it. The perfect jump isn't going to find you- if you want something more you need to find it. Unfortunately, you probably can't apply for a new grad slot anymore. If you really want to stay in the profession then YOU need to make things happen.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

You only have four months of paid nursing experience, so I would say it is too soon to declare that nursing is wrong for you. On the other hand, perhaps LTC nursing is not for you. Perhaps you need to attempt another area of nursing.

I worked in LTC for six years before leaving it behind in 2012. I actually enjoyed the paperwork and lower acuity levels.

Be cognizant that the first year of nursing is typically the most challenging because you are overcoming a massive learning curve. My advice is to attempt to last in this job until you reach your 1-year mark before making a change.

Good luck to you.

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

Working 4 days a month in 4 months is not enough time to get into a routine and get established. I work 2 days a week and it still took me time. I work part time by choice and have no other job. If you want to be able to feel more comfortable it is going to take more time by either working more hours or by more months. We also use paper, but that will be changing this year. It was hard for me to get used to paper charting, etc. when I started.

[middleagednurse]

LTC can be very difficult. The first time I worked LTC I already had 25 years experience. but my first day passing meds I was crying. It's quite overwhelming, but with experience, it gets easier. You should be working full time. Eventually you will get things figured out, and learn time management skills. Your experience will count in your next job. You can't learn nursing in 16 days. Eventually you will realize that you have learned a lot in that setting.