Nurses Enjoy LTC

iceprincess492 · Apr 18, 2011

I LOVE LTC!!! I have been doing it for 15 years. I have worked on every shift. I have been a DON, an ADON and am currently MDS coordinator in my building. It is a difficult and challenging job. It is not an easy or lesser nursing career as some people would have you think. You have to be good at prioritizing and time management, customer service, clinical skills and especially assessments. YOU are the one who is there to take care of the residents. You cannot call a code as they do in the hospital and a team will show up...you have to do it yourself, you are the leader of the "team". You can't call anesthesia to put an IV in...you have to do it yourself. There is no physician to come and assess your resident in the middle of the night...you have to do the assessment and call the pysician. The physician relies on your assessment and your skills to care for the resident.

In my experience in LTC, both the residents and my coworkers are like family. The residents are sooooo interesting and sooooo appreciative of the little things you do for them. Your coworkers rely so closely on each other that you become like a little family.

I don't think LTC is for everyone but I wish more people would try it with an open mind instead of the preconceived ideas that seem to be so prevelant about LTC nursing. You definitely have bad days in LTC and there are improvements that could be made overall to improve LTC and the many LTC facilities....However, I feel that is true in every field of nursing. I can look back over the last 15 years and many of my favorite memories are from the time spend in LTC with my residents and my coworkers

Juwon · Apr 18, 2011

I don't think LTC is for everyone but I wish more people would try it with an open mind instead of the preconceived ideas that seem to be so prevelant about LTC nursing. You definitely have bad days in LTC and there are improvements that could be made overall to improve LTC and the many LTC facilities....However, I feel that is true in every field of nursing. I can look back over the last 15 years and many of my favorite memories are from the time spend in LTC with my residents and my coworkers

Congrats to you, It seems like you have found your niche in nursing.You must have a great resume, being DON, ADON, and a MDS coordinator. I also believe people should try LTC and be more open to it. Its a chance they might like it or they might not. Its worth a shot. I think many nurses are hung up on hospital nursing because school pretty much brain washes the students into thinking acute care is the only way to go.

CarreBarreLPN, ASN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

Ya know when i started out taking my pre reqs for nursing i refused to even thing about LTC. When it was so hard to get into an RN program I decided to to LPN and work for a year and then bridge with the thought that I'd only do LTC for 2 years tops. The thing is.... I LOVE IT! I love the residents, work, the hours. It's not easy and quite honestly I learn something new everyday. I had a non nursing friend ask me what the difference was between my nursing and that of another friends who works in a big university hospital. Immediately big nursing hosptial friend said "Oh you learn absolutely nothing in LTC." I decided to keep my mouth shut. If that's how she feels then I wasn't going to change her mind....and I certainly wouldn't want her working along side of me in the LTC facility getting all rusty. :roll:

wifeandmomoftwo · Apr 19, 2011

I'm just a new grad but I'm working my first job in LTC. I've been there six months on 11-7. Love how much quieter it is at night. I agree with the everything the previous poster who has been in LTC a long time said. I love how blunt the Residents can be. They say the funniest things! Most of all I love it when they thank me in the most sincere tone of voice. I had a lady who was having a panic attack in the night last week say to me "I knew you'd come and I knew when I heard your voice I was going to be ok." How can you beat that?

egglady, LPN · Apr 19, 2011

No place I ever would want to be- or WILL be besides LTC!! I love it! Been doing it for so very many years, and will retire from it! Hardest job I have ever had- but the most fulfilling!!

KSRN2b · Apr 19, 2011

OP and all who have responded, thanks so much for a delightful "other" view of LTC besides the negatives. Enjoyed reading this.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

I also love LTC. Sometimes it can be stressful and there is too much to do, but I find that's the same everywhere these days. You get attached to the residents, and they can be very sweet and funny. I like the fact that many of them will say or do what they feel like. And why shouldn't they? There is such a stigma about LTC, but you do get many acute cases as well as palliative. It isn't as routine as people think. I would prefer LTC any day over many of the traditional hospital units. As for the workload, I try to get as much done within my shift as possible and make it a point to leave on time.

Brea LPN · Apr 19, 2011

I have been a nurse for exactly one year two days ago. I've worked in LTC every since I graduated nursing school. When we started clinical, I was dreading going to the nursing home. I thought I would hate it but turns out I love it. I have a great relationship with the residents and also the staff I work so closely with every day. I could see myself retiring from the place I currently work.

Juwon · Apr 19, 2011

OP and all who have responded, thanks so much for a delightful "other" view of LTC besides the negatives. Enjoyed reading this.

Yes, on here you here about all of the negatives about LTC nursing. Its nerve wrecking to say the least. Im glad other nurses enjoy working with the Geriatric population.

CNA2day · Apr 19, 2011

Great to see this post!

justjojo · Apr 19, 2011

i've worked f/t in LTC for 2 years, and in my opinion, working with old folks is simply just getting used to it. i, myself, didn't expect that i would love the hang of working with elders and their world. yes, they may be hard to deal with, but not all patients are alike. and yes, all the mentioned stuffs about LTC are true. what i hate the most is too much workload...33 pts on my wing alone. pay, too, is low compared to acute. esp im an LPN.