Ok people, face facts: Staffing in LTC is always going to be outrageous!

Specialties Geriatric

Published

All these threads about staffing ratios are driving me nuts! I have worked LTC for 16 years now. Staffing is what it is people. It is not going to change or get better. It is what it is. The decision you need to make is "Do I want to work in LTC?". Be realistic about the job. If you continually have these feelings of things are unfair and you think you can do something about it when noone has been able to for years and years, then you are always going to be disappointed. There is no middle ground...you love it or you hate it. I hate to sound jaded but all these whining staff posts are driving me nuts! Continually complaining will do nothing but put you on a radar at work you do not want to be on. And if you think going over your DON's head to the administrator is the right choice, think again people. It's time to look at the job logically. Life is unfair. Grow up. if you accept the job...then do it! If you don't like it...then stop whining and do something about your own life....get a new job! sorry for the rant....

All these threads about staffing ratios are driving me nuts! I have worked LTC for 16 years now. Staffing is what it is people. It is not going to change or get better. It is what it is. The decision you need to make is "Do I want to work in LTC?". Be realistic about the job. If you continually have these feelings of things are unfair and you think you can do something about it when noone has been able to for years and years, then you are always going to be disappointed. There is no middle ground...you love it or you hate it. I hate to sound jaded but all these whining staff posts are driving me nuts! Continually complaining will do nothing but put you on a radar at work you do not want to be on. And if you think going over your DON's head to the administrator is the right choice, think again people. It's time to look at the job logically. Life is unfair. Grow up. if you accept the job...then do it! If you don't like it...then stop whining and do something about your own life....get a new job! sorry for the rant....

This is a an example of why nurses get so much abuse. Its because they are willing to put up with it.

Specializes in Geriatrics and Quality Improvement,.

I have not worked as a CNA, but as an LPN and RN in LTC for many years. The staffing at times was totally outrageous. completely insane. Beyond bearable.

On those nights, we needed to take a look at how many call ins there were.

My administrator said... you dont want to work understaffed? Talk to the people who chronically call in on weekends and set patterns, Lets hear it from the floors on the difficulties.. and as a band we were able to root out those who abused the system, never using hol/vac always calling in, using fam sick/sick... car problems on friday night? We can get you a ride! I will be right there! declining that? well, lets get the wheels rolling on this investigation of your time then.

And thats how as a group of nurses we were able to get this solved for a while. Times change, nurses change, life moves on, and the challenge returns. It is cyclical.

Work to change what you can....

So I now tell those on the floors to do the same thing. Work with HR not against them.

Where I was it was't a matter of call-offs, just plain not wanting to pay another nurse to come in so dumping 30+ patients all on one nurse.

Specializes in pediatrics, public health.
My administrator said... you dont want to work understaffed? Talk to the people who chronically call in on weekends and set patterns

Shouldn't the administrator and/or DON have been handling this themselves? I don't understand why staff should be expected to police their own instead of management handling it.

Specializes in LTC.

Oh, I think most facilities would be happy to have better staffing ratios. They'd also be happy to cut your pay in half in return.

Specializes in Rehab, Infection, LTC.

great replies guys, thanks!

If we don't talk about problems how do we solve them? If we don't say to someone "this is wrong" and tell them why it is wrong, and have that person know and then say it to someone else, how do we spread the word that wrong things are happening?

And most importantly, if we are unwilling to take the risk of standing up for ourselves, and for our patients, and expend even the most minimal amount of energy into understanding WHY the problem is happening, and what can be done to fix it, how can we even begin to hope for change or for a solution?

You can keep quiet and take it if you want. For my part I am going to continue to work for change, and to talk about this to anyone who will listen.

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

In LTC it seems to be all about the profit margin-even if you are working in a non-profit.No-one wants to loose money in the business.I will not accept a dangerous assigment and I will make an anonymous complaint to the department of health if I feel it is warranted.

I happen to work in one of the better staffed homes in this area (even after last years cutbacks and job eliminations) I have worked in much worse conditions and I get really sick of brand new nurses coming to work and whining about staffing, bytching about having to work weekends and holidays and lack of supplies (especially when they are as responsible for stocking upand ordering meds as anyone else) They seem to think that they should be able to start the day eating their cereal at the desk and chit chatting about "last night" and they feel put upon if they can't .Meanwhile I am twice their age and getting more accomplished in a half and hour then they can in half a day.It gets old,very fast....

Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.
My new job has nurse staffing where no nurse gets over 18 patients in my unit. So I'd say that if you want to wrestle 30+ patients and have not a second to be safe, go for it.

Please tell us where this place is that we may find out how they did it.

My new job has nurse staffing where no nurse gets over 18 patients in my unit. So I'd say that if you want to wrestle 30+ patients and have not a second to be safe, go for it.

What type of unit/ facility?

It's an all 5-star rated medicare facility in Ohio. They hire plenty of nurses because it's private pay for the most part and VERY expensive. I hate to say it but medicare will never fund nursing homes enough until they refuse to stop accepting patients whose medicare/medicaid doesn't even pay for their meds and care. It's SNF/rehab.

The unit I was on with 30+ patients was long-term care, but it included patients with trachs, breathing treatments, you name it. If that's "easy" then count me out of LTC. Cause it's not a cake-walk.

And to the girl complaining about new nurses-

I am a new nurse, got no training, always reorder supplies and meds (when I've been trained or figure out how) and see the "experienced" nurses sitting on their duffs eating McDonald's while I RUN for patients. And it's not the new nurse who constantly comes in late to relieve me. So don't pretend like the problem is "new nurses." We didn't let this situation become the way it is so don't blame us for the problems. It's not always the "new nurse" who created them.

Specializes in ER.

There is no job you will ever be able to mold to suit your needs so get over it right now. The fact is that you can't fight city hall and will have a miserable life trying.

You absolutely can fight "city hall" and win, too. I went through this recently and prevailed resulting in a policy change that will benefit hundreds of employees. Had I listened to all the people telling me "that sucks, but get over it," I would be part of the problem, too.

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