praying I make it through my first year..kinda long

wow...35-44 pt's??? I realize it's a nursing home, but still....that's just ridiculous! I'm so sorry to hear that you've had to have such a bad experiece so far. You just have to get out of that nursing home. Nursing home jobs are not real nursing. You are not using your skills and very little of your nursing knowledge....and the working environment is very poor. I know the job market is TERRIBLE right now, but you just need to get out of there before you get burned out. I LOVE the hospital environment, it is so much different than a nursing home and more fulfilling. You see people get better and go home.....they don't get better in nursing homes, they get worse generally. I wish you the best of luck! Just hang in there and don't give up on what you worked so hard for.

you are in the shock and rejection phase (according to a textbook), but that many patients could put anyone in shock! There are so many aspects to nursing that I would suggest you keep looking and try something other than nursing homes. I know- easier said than done. Just don't give up and don't sell yourself short.

Call the nursing recruiters at the local hospitals and ask if there are any openings EVEN THOUGH they don't have any posted. A few local hospitals here in Alabama do paid internships floating between 3-4 different departments, a few weeks at each one, and then they put you at the top of the hiring list and you get the next available position.

Be proud of yourself- you are in a much more stressful position than most new nurses and you still have your head above water, you recognize that you need something that is challenging on more of a personalized level (say 3 or 4 patients, not 34) and you are doing something about it. Just don't give up!

wow...35-44 pt's??? I realize it's a nursing home, but still....that's just ridiculous! I'm so sorry to hear that you've had to have such a bad experiece so far. You just have to get out of that nursing home. Nursing home jobs are not real nursing. You are not using your skills and very little of your nursing knowledge....and the working environment is very poor. I know the job market is TERRIBLE right now, but you just need to get out of there before you get burned out. I LOVE the hospital environment, it is so much different than a nursing home and more fulfilling. You see people get better and go home.....they don't get better in nursing homes, they get worse generally. I wish you the best of luck! Just hang in there and don't give up on what you worked so hard for.

I really think that's condescending to say LTC nursing isn't 'real nursing'. It's just a different type. Some nurses love LTC and find it very rewarding work. I myself love taking care of the elderly and am grateful for the nurses who can do it respectfully.

To the OP, yes LTC can be very frustrating due to time and budget constraints. I know it takes awhile to get a routine down to be able to feel like you're not always running and spinning your wheels. There are other types of nursing out there, I would keep trying, eventually something will happen for you:)