Portland SNF's - info needed!

marachne · Aug 8, 2008

A friend of mine started working at Marquis about a month ago -- been working charge but moving into an RCM position. He's really pleased so far, seems to be a good work enviro and patients are well cared for. that's all I know.

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · Aug 8, 2008

I have heard good things about Marquis Care, and some very not good things about Gateway.

Simba&NalasMom, LPN · Aug 9, 2008

I was at Rose City for around a year and a half. It has a low census but sometimes you make up for it by dealing with behaviors because it's a locked psych unit. The pay is low and the insurance is expensive and there are few other benefits. I was never offered a raise. The CNAs were awesome for the most part and the med pass is pretty easy. Just kind of dead-end.

I work agency now and I did a shift at Laurelhurst. It's a really pretty updated building; high patient load but there are med aides and the acuity was relatively low. Over all, wasn't too bad.

I interviewed at Marquis at Mt. Tabor and the DNS is not a very pleasant person and she has a reputation for not being good to work for.

If you are willing to commute to Clackamas Town Center (it's 20-30 minutes from the Laurelhurst neighborhood where I live) Town Center Rehab is probably the nicest shift I've had working agency. They put me on Skilled and I had a census of 12 or 13 residents PLUS a med aide. BY FAR the best staffing ratio I've seen in the area and the other staff nurses were very helpful and positive. I worked one shift there around a month and a half ago and they had noc shifts available at that time.

West Hills has a really nice facility as well but the work load is kind of high and some people who live on the East Side do not like the commute to the West Side.

PM me if you have any more questions and welcome to Portland! :)

12monkeys, RN · Aug 10, 2008

thank you all so much, everything little bit helps. i've also thought about agency work, i did that here for awhile, but i would prefer to settle somewhere, i need to make a new home. i'm going to get the job first, then find an apartment so i don't have a long commute. the kids will just have to put up with me and my dog until i find the right place.

i'm a former DNS so i can size up a facility quickly. i know what i can and can't live with, and i'm pretty easy to work with even in difficult situations.......i trained and worked in Iowa so i have that annoyingly cheerful midwest work ethic.

but a nasty DNS is past my tolerance line, i need to trust my boss, so thank you SNMom, think i'll cross that one off the list. my number one need is for good CNA's, they are gold and i can't do my best work without them. and of course a good team of nurses. i'm leaving a great bunch in a retirement village SNF.

peace

Simba&NalasMom, LPN · Aug 12, 2008

thank you all so much, everything little bit helps. i've also thought about agency work, i did that here for awhile, but i would prefer to settle somewhere, i need to make a new home. i'm going to get the job first, then find an apartment so i don't have a long commute. the kids will just have to put up with me and my dog until i find the right place.
i'm a former DNS so i can size up a facility quickly. i know what i can and can't live with, and i'm pretty easy to work with even in difficult situations.......i trained and worked in Iowa so i have that annoyingly cheerful midwest work ethic.
but a nasty DNS is past my tolerance line, i need to trust my boss, so thank you SNMom, think i'll cross that one off the list. my number one need is for good CNA's, they are gold and i can't do my best work without them. and of course a good team of nurses. i'm leaving a great bunch in a retirement village SNF.
peace

Well if you're interested in being a DNS I'm sure there is work for you doing that as well, if you are still crazy enough to do it!! :chuckle OR also uses RCMs (resident care managers) in LTC which are sort of like assistant DNS's (you probably already knew that, though.).

I would definitely check out West Hills and Town Center Village; they are two of the nicer buildings I've been in.

You are so right about having a good staff; they really do make or break us. Most places I've been to have awesome CNAs and med aides which is very cool. :up:

12monkeys, RN · Aug 13, 2008

no more DNS thanks, been there 3 times.....wonderful learning experience but now i'm comfy a bit lower on the totem.

the RCM position is new to me - i've seen some job openings and i wondered about it - is it an office job or do you get to spend time on the floor? i'm not a big fan of meetings, i'm task-oriented and don't sit still well.

we have med aides in Iowa :yeah: .....then i moved to north Cali and had to pass my own again. not a big deal but lots of overtime for charting.

honestly, i've not been happy working here, the healthcare system is so burdened by over-population that every level suffers. some of the SNF and hospital units i worked with the registry were a nightmare. i found a great place about a year ago and i love it, but it's time to relocate. my CA license expires 10/31 and i'll work here until then.

my son moved from Chicago to Portland a few months ago, and he loves it. that's my main reason for choosing it, but i've also heard some very good things. the best was "ew, Oregon is soooo boring, life is too slow there". if they mean less traffic, less rude people, less noise, less anything.........yay, i'm there!

thanks so much for your comments SNMom, i hope we get to work together someday!

Simba&NalasMom, LPN · Aug 14, 2008

no more DNS thanks, been there 3 times.....wonderful learning experience but now i'm comfy a bit lower on the totem.
the RCM position is new to me - i've seen some job openings and i wondered about it - is it an office job or do you get to spend time on the floor? i'm not a big fan of meetings, i'm task-oriented and don't sit still well.
we have med aides in Iowa .....then i moved to north Cali and had to pass my own again. not a big deal but lots of overtime for charting.
honestly, i've not been happy working here, the healthcare system is so burdened by over-population that every level suffers. some of the SNF and hospital units i worked with the registry were a nightmare. i found a great place about a year ago and i love it, but it's time to relocate. my CA license expires 10/31 and i'll work here until then.
my son moved from Chicago to Portland a few months ago, and he loves it. that's my main reason for choosing it, but i've also heard some very good things. the best was "ew, Oregon is soooo boring, life is too slow there". if they mean less traffic, less rude people, less noise, less anything.........yay, i'm there!
thanks so much for your comments SNMom, i hope we get to work together someday!

No problem, sis!

RCMs spend most of their time doing office crap and some facilities also put them in charge of staffing (BIG EWWWWW; I've seen some who have to come in and work if they can't staff a shift). I hear you on that front; I didn't get into nursing so I could do paperwork and meetings make me want to tear my hair out!

You are so right about overpopulation; you see it everywhere. One really cool thing about OR is that staffing ratios for CNAs are mandated by state; I think on day shift it's 7/1, eves it's 10/1 and nocs is around 25/1 (not exactly sure of those numbers but they're in the ballpark). Makes a huge difference morale-wise. One can hope that someday LTC will have the same state mandates for nurses as well.

I think we're at a point where traffic is horrid wherever you go. One thing that definitely takes getting used to here is people really do drive much more slowly, but the bright side is it's so much smaller here that even in heavy traffic you're not looking at hours to get to where you need to go. And there is plenty to do here; don't listen to the naysayers. PDX has some gorgeous parks with lovely hiking and biking, there are awesome indy movie theatres, a great symphony, lots of local theatre, and some of the best coffee in the country (you'll need it during the short, grey, winter days LOL). There are also some great restaurants. For the most part, people are much less uptight and more friendly than they were in Denver, where I lived before. Some call it the "Big city with the small town feel." I moved here myself because half my family came out before I did and loved it as well. Now I'm also a convert and the whole family's together again!

I have an old boss who is from CA and she had the same horror stories about working agency there; at one place she had 80 to herself. Crazy. The worst I've had was around 40, but I had med aides so it wasn't too bad.

Keep me posted about when you're coming out and where you wind up working! :)

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · Aug 15, 2008

No problem, sis!
One really cool thing about OR is that staffing ratios for CNAs are mandated by state; I think on day shift it's 7/1, eves it's 10/1 and nocs is around 25/1 (not exactly sure of those numbers but they're in the ballpark). Makes a huge difference morale-wise. One can hope that someday LTC will have the same state mandates for nurses as well.
QUOTE]
I am not sure about ratios for days, but I was told when I worked eves in LTC that state ratios for CNA's were 15. I was told this when I had 14 residents and 3 other aides had 10, and 4 of mine were total care with hoyer lifts and when I asked about lightning the load I was informed of the 15 pt ratio, I think days is somewhere around 8.

Simba&NalasMom, LPN · Aug 18, 2008

http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/docs/nf_staffing_faq.pdf

As of March 2008, the ratios have been changed to 1:8 for days, 1:12 for eves, and 1:20 for nocs. By 2009, the state hopes to have ratios down to 1:9, 1:12, and 1:18. Apparently it applies to all OR nursing facilities.

Ivana, if they are giving you 15, they are breaking the law as of March 2008 and you should report them to the state or find a place that does not work you as hard. :)