Hello. I just started my first RN job (I am a new grad) in a nursing home/rehab center and I am very grateful for this opportunity. I didn't wait too long (around 1.5 - 2 months) for a hospital to call because I was afraid I would be waiting for months like many others so I took the first job I was offered. Although I am very excited to finally be a working RN, I am getting a little irritated because I've been getting negative responses and "disgusted" looks from nearly every person I've told that I work in a nursing home. Once again today, someone just said to me "A nursing home? Ugh, why would you want to work there...."
I'm so excited to finally be working, but just feel like I don't want to tell anyone now because then they will ask where I work... and I don't want to see their response! lol.
Has this happened to any of you and how do you feel about it? I personally have no problem with working at a nursing home. I very much enjoy the geriatric population and they need nurses too! What's bothering me now is I feel that people are downgrading me, just based on facial expressions and responses I've gotten. I know that other's opinions do not matter, but I am curious how other nurses have ever dealt with this... Thanks.
Specializes in ADON at LTC, Previous PCU, Ortho etc....
Stervets- I am curious why are you working in LTC?
If you want a rest from the hospital environment go to the beach.
You did not read my post did you? Please read carefully and pay attention before getting emotional and typing whatever comes to mind. I said I make money while take a break from a hospital. I would rather be on the beach but it doesn't pay anything. It does not mean I sit around on my ### and watch TV all the time. It is just soooooooo much less stressful then a hospital.
May be you should take your own advice and go have a glass of wine on the beach and relax a little, cause I feel a lot of tension in your posts.
Specializes in ADON at LTC, Previous PCU, Ortho etc....
I respect your opionon, but wonder what type of place you work at that it isn't fast paced? I tend to think that after 14 yrs + in LTC, I know what I'm doing. I've yet to really have the time to take tea to my residents or spoon feed them (yeah, that is sad). Instead, I am on the phone with the docs discussing current labs (hemodynamics), hanging IVs (sometimes titrating pain meds etc) , suctioning trachs, (in some places LTCs have vents) and using my assessment skills to send out the latest admit that I suspect has a PE (and did).
I beg you to find another LTC to see that it isn't all a cake walk...but then again...I'm wondering if I can have the name of your place so that I can "enjoy the down time" or "change of pace".
And yes, in my area, we don't see to many men in LTC. I might get flamed...but again...in my area they just either seem lazy or can't cut the emotional part of LTC (attachement to the residents and compassion). I have seen some excellent male LTC nurses and really, really wish we can get some back.
Thank you for being tactful and respectful( Seems like the first normal response to my thread) There are different LTC and and I understand that not all of them are slow paced. Now please note that even my facility gets crazy during a day at times, so I only refer to night shifts. There are different LTC facilities some are more critical then others, for instance there are acute long term care places that specialize in ventilators, complex treatments, cardiac, post/trauma etc. My facility(like the majority I believe) has 3 units Post acute rehab, small dementia Alzheimer unit , and long term/ nursing home. Usually our census is about 115 residents. The post acute is mostly focused on ortho and respiratory although recently they hae been taking anyone. We do have PICC lines, ABT IV, DRSG, Wound care, Respiratory TX(no vents). At night, most of the residents only need a few meds plus a few prns, so most of my job consists of charting, checking day shift orders, changing equipment, labs and a few more boring duties. The other long term and dementia unit basically do not have much going on at night, except 2 med passes at 12 and 6 and a few chart checks. I have not worked at any other long term but have a few friends and have been in a couple long time ago during my nursing school years and they all seem to be similar to the place I am working at now.
I do not know what type of LTCF you work at but no matter how advanced any LTC is a Hospital will always be light years ahead in most aspects. That does not mean that LTC is a bad place to work, hospital is just a better learning environment in my opinion that is all.
Let me say that when I posted my reply, I did not mean to offend anybody who works in a LTC, I only stated my opinion and comparison from personal experience. To each his own. Being a male I have slightly different idea of skills. I consider skills as primarily medical knowledge, hemodynamics, vasopressive drugs, good knowledge of physiology. Medical knowledge is what I consider the highest skill. Being around M.D. complex procedures, hi tech equipment, etc all that and more makes a hospital the best place to develop skills.
Bringing a cup of tea, giving an extra blanket, asking about grandchildren, spoon feeding, all those might also be done with skill. I ll take back my statement "There are no skills" Instead I say there are much much more higher level medical skills in a hospital. Ultimately it is what you like doing better. I like working in my LTC facility because it gives me a break from hospital's fast pace, I recover from stress while working in nursing home and at the same time make money.
With the possible exception of "complex procedures" which some wound care is and "hi tech equipment" all of the skills you listed are a part of the day of a LTC nurse. Bringing a pt tea, getting blankets, asking about grandchildren, and spoon feeding isn't what LTC nursing is all about, but it is part. LTC nurses treat the whole pt, not just the dx.
I worked in LTC for a few years before moving to hospice. I've had lay persons and nurses alike say, "OMG! I could NEVER do that. All you do is wait for someone to die" There is such much more to it. Old people and dying people scare some people. I love geriatric pts! My hat goes off to all you LTC nurses and CNA's as most of you truly care about the pt!
Specializes in drug seekers and the incurably insane..
Stervets: With all due respect....you are dead, dead wrong!!! I don't know of how many nursing homes you've worked in, but the vast majority of them require nurses with some skills!! The LTC I work at has an emphasis on psych patients.....they come in with all kinds of diagnoses and good med/surg skills are needed. We deal with Central and PICC lines, wound vacs, IV starts, wound care, NG insertion, PEG tubes, foley caths, suprapubic caths, all kinds of meds given by different routes, TPN, etc. etc.. We've had it all!!! Of course, we are not an ICU, but that is a different specialty. Different skills are needed in different settings, and a good LTC nurse should be proficient in all of the skills I mentioned above. Not to mention excellent assessment skills!!!*wine
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
Let me say that when I posted my reply, I did not mean to offend anybody who works in a LTC, I only stated my opinion and comparison from personal experience. To each his own. Being a male I have slightly different idea of skills. I consider skills as primarily medical knowledge, hemodynamics, vasopressive drugs, good knowledge of physiology. Medical knowledge is what I consider the highest skill. Being around M.D. complex procedures, hi tech equipment, etc all that and more makes a hospital the best place to develop skills.
Bringing a cup of tea, giving an extra blanket, asking about grandchildren, spoon feeding, all those might also be done with skill. I ll take back my statement "There are no skills" Instead I say there are much much more higher level medical skills in a hospital. Ultimately it is what you like doing better. I like working in my LTC facility because it gives me a break from hospital's fast pace, I recover from stress while working in nursing home and at the same time make money.
If a nurse works in LTC and the only "skills" they are utilizing are bringing tea, blankets, chatting and feeding, they are likely not a very good nurse.
There are different LTC and and I understand that not all of them are slow paced. Now please note that even my facility gets crazy during a day at times, so I only refer to night shifts. There are different LTC facilities some are more critical then others, for instance there are acute long term care places that specialize in ventilators, complex treatments, cardiac, post/trauma etc. My facility(like the majority I believe) has 3 units Post acute rehab, small dementia Alzheimer unit , and long term/ nursing home. Usually our census is about 115 residents. The post acute is mostly focused on ortho and respiratory although recently they hae been taking anyone. We do have PICC lines, ABT IV, DRSG, Wound care, Respiratory TX(no vents). At night, most of the residents only need a few meds plus a few prns, so most of my job consists of charting, checking day shift orders, changing equipment, labs and a few more boring duties. The other long term and dementia unit basically do not have much going on at night, except 2 med passes at 12 and 6 and a few chart checks. I have not worked at any other long term but have a few friends and have been in a couple long time ago during my nursing school years and they all seem to be similar to the place I am working at now. 
stervets
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