katmai

I appreciate your comments. I realize it is a charge nurse's responsibility to ensure their support staff has their work completed. I have discussed the issues with the staff. The residents also have made complaints. I find out afterwards that everything wrong is covered up and/or blamed on the resident. After all, they are easy game especially when families are not attentive to their care. The RN unfortunately is a favorite of the DON. We were all told in a staff meeting-"If someone has a problem with someone else then I will handle it but just know the person that notices the problem may not want to hear the outcome." Several staff interpreted this as a threat. Unfortunately, nothing can be done. The only satisfaction I get from my job is the support and recognition I receive from my residents. I know at the end of the day that I made their day a little bit better.

Let me just say the facility looks nice on the outside. It was reopened after being shut down and remodeled only one year ago. I have had poor luck when it comes to long term care facilities in Texas. I know they are not all bad as I had a good job working for a private pay facility. I would still be there but I lost my job due to a back injury. Anyway, I wanted to start traveling but sure hate to leave my family for 13 weeks at a time. I have had no success with agency or hospitals. I am not a clinic nurse and since relocating to this area, most of my experience is in geriatrics/Alzheimer's. I dread going in tomorrow but it is Christmas and unfortunately I also I have bills to pay. I feel trapped and have felt this way for at least two months. I am a hardworker and am forced to work with some nurses that believe in the bare minimum. I plan on this being my last weekend but who knows. I just keep praying for an open door. Thank you for your response and I hope your holidays are blessed!

:(I know this is probably a pretty common post. I work in a long term care facility on a skilled unit. I administer my own medications, chart medicare charting on 18-20 residents and seem to be the only one that can answer call lights and the phone. I work weekend doubles at the present time. I dread going to work every Saturday and Sunday. The facility has a weekend RN that spends most of Sunday in front of the TV watching the football games. I have also caught him sleeping in rooms. The problem that I have is that the facility does not seem to care and retaliates against the person making the complaint. I just expect others to do their work so I don't have extra tasks to pick up. Every weekend, I say I am not going to go back. I spend my breaks calling my family and venting my hostilities. I have tried to get into the hospitals but have had zero success. I am working on my RN and will complete it within the next year. I know I cannot wait that long at this job. My CNAs last weekend thought that after 6pm there job was done. They spent the remainder of the time on the sofa watching the game. I listen to resident's complain about getting yelled at by the staff. I used to report these things until during a staff meeting we were told the person making the complaint would suffer the repercussions. Any advice out there? I had an opportunity to travel to Alaska last month, I'm not sure if it is still available. Oh , by the way, I went for my paycheck today only to get told we had to wait and maybe not get paid due to their sprinkler system freezing and bursting. The facility had limited electricity and floods in several locations. We eventually got paid but only due to the CNAs complaining and threatening not to work. What a place????:selfbonk:

:oI am new to this site but I already found answers to some of my questions. I have been at a couple nice long term care facilities, but they were private pay and most residents only stayed until their finances were depleted. The other two facilities I have worked at as a LVN were borderline abuse. Unfortunately, the State passes these facilities. I was told at my previous job in a medicaid facility that State was out in less than two days. Of course, the mistakes went covered up. I am currently in a facility attempting to provide skilled nursing. I return every weekend with several complaints, potential law suits/threats from families, and very poor hygiene. Out of 18 residents-over half are dissatisfied stating the CNA's there are too rough. I respect CNA's if they do there job. I previously did CNA work for almost nine years until my back gave in. The responsibility lies mainly with the DON. Unfortunately, the CNA's are protected in my facility. Every staff meeting from the day I started is geared to attack the nursing staff. I give 200% to my job and would just like to see something positive come from it. Get out of the nursing homes if you can or find a better ( private pay) facility. The hospitals have to meet their RN to LVN ratio and most times are unable to accomodate a LVN especially if they are noted to be mostly in the field of geriatrics. I hope other places are different and I hope to find one before I decide to give up on a profession I thought I'd make a difference in. Sorry, so long-winded but it really frustrates me that elderly people receive such poor care and that the healthcare system has come down to this.:angryfire I hope someday things will change.