Nurses That Never Worked In A Hospital...

[guest1143647]

Do you find that patients assume you are inexperienced or unskilled as opposed to nurses that have worked in a hospital?

Do you feel "less than" a nurse that has worked in a hospital, or do you feel you missed out on something pertinent?

[AmandaBeaverhausen]

From what I've heard: the general consensus is that LTC is demonstrably better money, while hospitals are better benefits. I've heard this from scores of nurses. One nurse said she had to take a $5/HR pay cut to work a local hospital to gain skills. That said, my former ER and travel nurse who works 3rd on weekends, says to "be a travel nurse if you don't have kids". Said she made $30,000 in 3 months, and this was years ago, waaay before covid. Granted, she has mad skills.

Though not yet a nurse, I'm working LTC to gain basic skills, to learn med pass as an MA and get good at bedside, but I intend to try hospital once I graduate (neuro nurse goals). I'm hoping it'll help me hit the ground running, and I won't be as awkward as someone straight out of school with no experience (seen so so many of them).

I think there is some kind of myth that hospital nurses are better nurses, but I don't really think that during a pandemic there should be any arguments. We're all fighting on the same team. And it sucks. We're in our third wave ?.

[DesiDani]

I started in long term care and then went to hospital. Got a side job in long term care, I lasted 2 months. I ran and didn't complain about my hospital job for a couple months.

 

That's like FOREVER in gripe about your job years.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

21 hours ago, TriciaJ said:

Interesting observation.  After listing the "elite"at the top, the rest of the rabble are listed alphabetically.

I've worked ER and critical care. At no time did I find either elite, I feel like I did learn more in med surg. I worked med surg after ER and CC. I'm sure some do think that ER and CC are elite units, and the media also pushes it. But most who actually work in healthcare know better. It really takes all specialties. People who think they're elite, generally think that they are in all aspects of life, not just their job title

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

On 5/11/2021 at 10:17 AM, TriciaJ said:

Interesting observation.  After listing the "elite"at the top, the rest of the rabble are listed alphabetically.

Who thinks burn nursing isn’t critical care???

I vote for reorganizing that list to be completely alphabetical. Think of the excellent message that would send. 

[Wishinonastar, BSN]

I remember my good friend from nursing school went to LTC after school and she said she was able to really listen to heart sounds and do all those things that we learned in school but never had time for in the hospital. She said she learned to use her assessment skills much better because there was not a physician going in to see the patient all the time, and nurses in LTC may be the only health care professional that the patient sees for a while.

I can't say either way. I wanted hospital experience and got it. It helped me smooth out the rough edges leftover from transitioning from student to RN. I was glad I did it. It seemed the natural next step at the time. But I suppose unless you have a burning desire to work in a hospital, it would not be crucial. LTC has IV's, dressings, lots of meds, trachs, all kinds of drains and tubes. You can do pretty much the same things in LTC except the patients are more stable. As long as you have someone to turn to until you are solidly comfortable, why not?

[SmilingBluEyes]

I have worked both in and out of the hospital. None of the patients knew where else I worked as a rule. None cared enough to ask frankly.

[nursesue2013, ADN, BSN, MSN]

I do sometimes feel like I missed out by not working inpatient hospital. I was a second career nurse and always wanted to do pediatrics. My first job was in a residential care facility for pediatrics, then I did adolescent psych. After that I was in pediatric cardiology in the clinic setting. I have recently moved to a position in developmental and behavioral pediatrics. Each job gave me valuable experience that led to my next job and I did get to specialize in pediatrics. However, I am considering getting my FNP and I hope that my lack inpatient experience won't hinder me.

 

[SmilingBluEyes]

On 5/3/2021 at 4:58 PM, JBMmom said:

When I first graduated from nursing school I did five years in long term care. When I would randomly run into a former classmate out in the community and they asked where I worked I got many responses of "oh, I'm sorry." I didn't know how to take that at first, I was employed and using my degree, what was to be sorry about. 

I've posted a few times that I think that my first experience in long term care invaluable to improving my assessment skills, my time management skills and my confidence as a nurse. After a 30 patient assignment with two med passes and a treatment pass in 8 hours, an 8 patient med surg assignment on nights isn't nearly as intimidating. Yes, the LTC patients are more stable and don't require the same level of intervention, usually, there were times were my assessment skills were vital in getting a patient the care they needed. I really enjoyed that job in many ways. However, I did transition to a hospital med-surg position and then critical care. But I'm no more of a nurse now than I was in my LTC position. Those patients needed me just as much as my critical care patients need me know. Different skill sets, same nurse. 

Yes absolutely all of this. I worked in LTC too and never in 25 years' being a nurse did I need ALL my assessment and critical thinking skills more than there.

 

OP: no one should feel "less than" working any place but a hospital. LTC is a GREAT place to start to hone skill sets useful everywhere else. Good luck.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

4 minutes ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

OP: no one should feel "less than" working any place but a hospital. LTC is a GREAT place to start to hone skill sets useful everywhere else. Good luck.

IMHO, LTC nurses are the hardest working group with the best skills. They work without a MD on site (unless one happens to be rounding), usually lack of, or short of, supplies, and are notoriously waaay understaffed. To top it off, many nurses turn their noses up at their colleagues in this specialty. I consider my sisters and brothers in LTC to be the very best. Never, ever, let anyone allow you to sell yourself short!

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

1 hour ago, Hoosier_RN said:

IMHO, LTC nurses are the hardest working group with the best skills. They work without a MD on site (unless one happens to be rounding), usually lack of, or short of, supplies, and are notoriously waaay understaffed. To top it off, many nurses turn their noses up at their colleagues in this specialty. I consider my sisters and brothers in LTC to be the very best. Never, ever, let anyone allow you to sell yourself short!

100%. At my job now everyone is on a telemetry monitor and there are numerous support staff 24/7. My LTC didn't even always have a working thermometer! The day I sent a septic patient to the hospital and they were admitted directly to ICU for two weeks, that was a day my assessment skills came through. 

I really hate that there's a hierarchy in our profession where people feel the need to justify themselves, or do belittle others, for the work that they are doing. Everyone deserves respect for their work, inside or outside healthcare. It's too bad our society on the whole devalues certain jobs, despite the fact that they are needed. 

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

2 hours ago, JBMmom said:

100%. At my job now everyone is on a telemetry monitor and there are numerous support staff 24/7. My LTC didn't even always have a working thermometer! The day I sent a septic patient to the hospital and they were admitted directly to ICU for two weeks, that was a day my assessment skills came through. 

I really hate that there's a hierarchy in our profession where people feel the need to justify themselves, or do belittle others, for the work that they are doing. Everyone deserves respect for their work, inside or outside healthcare. It's too bad our society on the whole devalues certain jobs, despite the fact that they are needed. 

I think it comes down to the value, or lack thereof, given to our elderly by society. Taking care of them isn't glamorous. Youth and beauty is valued in our sociery

[pinkdoves, BSN]

I cannot imagine why people would glamorize the hospital. I glamorize getting out of the hospital lmao