fournee

I am new to LTC, 2 months to be exact. I love the job even though others told me not go into LTC. The issue is the CNAs who are extremely rude and not doing their job properly. I am not used to being a manager so I am a bit apprehensive about some things. Yesterday, one of the CNAs, who I have had an issue with previously for using profanity all throughout the nurses station and halls, she leaves the job 2 hours before her shift ended and did not tell anyone. I witnessed her get her purse and and yell and cuss, because she did not want to answer a call light nor change the resident who needed assistance. The unit started with 2 aides, one left at 6pm because her hours for that day was 6a-6p. The aide that was left, was to take over those residents. There were only 15 residents on the unit, and they were all in bed. At 8:30pm, her nurse asked her to check on a resident who needed to be changed. SHE stood up and cussed and yelled that she wasn't doing anyone else's job and that the nurses aren't doing their job by checking up on the jobs the CNAs do. She slammed the job and walked out. Her nurse thought she was coming back. I told her no she wasn't because took all her belongings. From 6pm-830pm, she was sitting in the TV room watching a program on her phone, not checking any lights. I am in the process of composing an email to the DON and HR, regarding her behavior. There was 1 CNA left who had 20 residents of her own. She helped us with the last few hours care. When the CNA left, there were 4 call lights going off, so she left her residents without care. Is this considered abandonment? The CNAs are now Unionized. 2 of the residents called her a bully and they are afraid to tell the administration. Please advise me as to what to do. I am still learning the ropes of LTC. I have been a nurse for 17 years in the clinic setting and never had to do supervision. Thank you

Hello Nurses i have a 7pm-8am shift. I have never did an over night or hospice assignment. I just signed on with an agency. I was told to chart hourly. What do I chart? Client resting well? Movement? What should I Do in someone's home? Can I snack? Can I read? Client has Dementia. I am a LPN. How do I keep from dozing? Thank you. My full time job is 7-3pm and I want PRN work.

That's what I'm afraid of. Thank you. I will dot and cross everything.

Thank you so much. I will definitely chart everything from here on out.

Hello Nightengales... I currently work parttime at an Assistant Living Facility. Been here 2 years and i do love what I am doing. My issue is always with management in regards to policies/rules. Residents are admitted who should not be here. We are not a locked building so residents are free to come and go, a few of their families don't want them to leave. Some residents have dementia and wander frequently. Some have gotten out and we were able to notice they were gone quickly and we were able to talk them back home or call 911. We are on a pretty busy city street. Recent incident...Building director told family that we have 24 hour nursing care and that we can watch their mother, so the family took out of a nursing home and brought her here. She left facility twice, was combative a few times and she has an unsteady gait. She is on hospice also. We do not have nursing 24 hours, we have only 3 CNA's when nurse is off duty. Over 100 residents. We can not afford to have a sitter with this woman. Who is responsible for this resident? If resident left building without us knowing and something bad happened to her,while I am on duty, will it be my fault? We can not keep an eye on all residents. We have 3 patio doors that lead to parking lot and street. We have a receptionist at our front door only, not the patio doors.

I thank you for your response. I would like to learn more about hospice, but I realize, this wasn't the way to go. Agency knew I had no experience, but sent me anyway and told me not to tell them. I will talk to them about other assignments. I appreciate all comments, good and no-so-good.

It was not a good experience for me. I should have known something when the agency told me not to tell them I didn't have hospice experience. First it took 2.5 hours to get to a location that should have taken 45 minutes. 2 accidents in rush hour traffic. Got there and the outgoing nurse gave report which I haven't had to do in 10 years. Some things she said I understood but most was gibberish to me. I was too embarrassed to ask for clarification. I waited for the other shift nurse to ask her anything I didn't know. 2 of my 10 patients died. I was not prepared for the families asking me questions about the protocols. The RN came to pronounce the death, I felt like a child so unsure of herself. The 12 hours wasn't as bad as I thought. I was so ready to get out of there. I have not accepted another assignment yet and they have called about 8 times. I am kind of shell-shocked now. Thank you for responding. I may just stick to my infectious disease patients.

Hello Nurses . I have been a LPN for 10 years and have been full time in a HIV outpt clinic. I also have a part time job for 2 years at an Assisted Living facility. I decided to sign on with an agency because I what to be able to work in hospice(hospice jobs want experience). Well the same day I was hired, I was given either school nurse or hospice 12 hour shift for today. Whew that was quick. Now Im nervous..I have no experience with hospice and I don't know what to expect of an LPN there. My only experience is HIV meds and geriatric. Haven't done med calculations since school. I just need a bit of advice on what to expect in Hospice 7pm-7am shift and School nursing as a LPN. Also, I have never worked a late shift. Have I bitten off too much?? Thank you

We have 95 residents, only 32 of them are on nursing services, meaning they come see us for meds/accuchecks/ bp checks. This resident is not one of them, the CNA's remind her to take her meds which are for HTN and Dementia. We can give PRN meds to all residents such as Tylenol, Immodium or Malox.I am a LPN and my supervisor, who is not a nurse, says 'it's alright'.

I have been working at an Asst Living Facility for 1 month part time and really love it. A resident's son gave the wellness office a bottle of Brandy to give to her at night. The instructions are to give her a 'shot' of brandy with 7up or another clear soda. The drink is suppose to help her sleep at bedtime. The other nurse have no problem wth this, I on the other hand, feel very weird. As far as I know, the Director of the building has no knowledge of this. The resident will abuse it if she kept it in her apartment, as I was told. I don't know what to do. Suggestions please.

I love you! Today I had 52 residents. Only Me. 5 days of training. 2 admissions and 2 readmissions. I have never did an admission at all. I told the nursing supervisor that I have never did one before and she said "Just fill out what you can" What the Hell is going on. I did no documentation on the 52 residents except MAR book. I will call the DON on Monday morning. Thank you very much you beautiful Nurses.

I am currently working full time in a HIV clinic and have been for 6 years. It's basically all the nursing I know/or used to since graduating. I wanted to make some extra money and get some experience in another field of nursing. So I figured I would get a part time job in LTC. I am in my 2nd week and I am not being properly oriented to the facility. I have been lefted alone to pass meds and figure things out for myself. I am comfortable with passing meds, even though it is taking me 7 hours to do, I still have to chart properly and I don't know how, it's hard to decifer doctors handwritting/or understand some of the doctors who have strong accents. When I asked my trainer about a written order I could not understand she said, "sometimes you have to piece it together" What??? Whenever a resident codes, all nurses are told to go to that floor to assist. In 1 week it happened twice and each time, I stood there like a bump on a log, because I did not know the protachol or where to get chash cart or who calls 911 or who gets the elevator for the EMT's. I was useless. I asked my trainer who said" Girl you'll get the the hang of it" she still did not tell me or show me the procedure. I went to the DON and told her my concerns about emergencies and what the trainer said, and she said' Oh yeah, within time you will know" WOW!!!!!!!!! When I was hired the ADON said in regards to my parttime status " I hope you don't let me waste my time, by hiring you and then you leave in 1 month because a lot of nurses think they want a part time job there but change their minds" I said "OH My, I wouldn't do that, I really want to work here and I am not a quitter" Well, I am so afraid that I need to eat my words because I don't think I am going to make it a month.

Just last night a nurse who was fed up with a resident and her family, made the statement "I wish she would just die, STAT." I was shocked. I have only been working there 1 week and a lot of the nurses make comments that I feel are awful.

Hello I will be registering for this program. http://www.infusioninstitute.com/

Hello, I became a LPN Dec 2008, and I am still working where I was while a CMA for the past 4 years. When I do look in newspapers or on the internet for job postings I see so many for RN's. I am so confused as to why it would be hard to get a nursing job when there is a shortage.