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i've worked ltc since i got out of nursing school, and have never really wanted to do anything else....however, it is not the best field to go into if you want to learn alot of new things and gain more experience...i really wished i would of started my nursing career in a hospital..in order to learn more.... i will say that with the earlier discharges and more skilled residents we recieve, i have got the chance to learn more and more about different aspects of care...such as picc lines...iv meds...wound care....in the past year...which has been great... i will agree with the fact that it is all about passing pills....and we do pass alot of pills...just when you think the med pass is done the prn medications start... but the residents are great, for the most part...you will either love it or hate it..all i can say is try and see...

i feel very little appreciation from any of the management, coporation, and most of my co-workers....but i was told by a resident last night that i was a god sent...that was special...so that's all that matters.

If people choose nursing for the money, then they must not live in Virginia...because we don't get paid no more then some factory jobs...of course their is always job securtiy....I guess that's something...

it is long term care facilities like this that give all of them a bad name. no, this is not realistic or safe as far as that goes, especially if you have any alzheimers rsdt, with sundowners...when will facilities learn,,,,patient care first....money second.....good luck.....and don't hold one facility for all, because they are not all that way.

i have worked in long-term care for 11 years, and i believe it may get easier, as far as for you emotionally to watch someone die. but when you get were it does not affect you at all, it's time to change professions.

when you would rather chat at 3 am on your nights off instead of sleep.....

we have recently started giving baths on night shift at the ltc facility i work at....many of the cna's are upset over this because they feel that it is wrong to drag residents up out of bed in the middle of the night to give a bath to them....we are not really short handed so that is not the reason for giving baths....and the residents we give baths to on 3rd shift are disoriented, but still....so question is do you or do you not agree with giving baths on 3rd shift? i want to clarify a few details to see if the response is any different....but thank you for all your input thus far.... this is a long-term care facility,,,,and the residents, in which baths are given are unaware of the time of day, due to cognitive status......and some are frequently awake at night anyways, but not always........these factors may not change your views...but i wanted to make sure you had all the information........thank you for your response.....

i have worked ltc for about 11 years and really could not see myself doing anything else....just keep in mind that you are only one person and you can not save the world or do for all residents all the time....and you will be fine. as far as the call bells and the cna's standing around, just nudge them a little...their get the hint. ltc is very hard and stessful, easy to get burnt out so be careful, keep in mind that work stays at work.....trust me,,,i know....from my own experience.

I just started working night shift about 3 months ago, and it is always busy. You are the only nurse on the floor so all the decision making fall completely on you. After recieving report and counting the narcotics, you have to start your 12 mn meds. Meds at this time are not to bad, but the 6 am med pass is a load. Nightshift is anything but quiet, whoever thinks that rsdt's sleep at night has never worked night shift, we have call lights going off constantly throughout the night. I spend at least 3 to 4 hours just on paperwork. Then you have a lot less staff so you must help the CNA's with rsdt care. I start a med pass at 5 am at the latest and continue until 6:30 am when the next shift comes in. Medpass is alot harder in the AM because you have to stop for the phone, call bells, and rsdt's hollering out or climbing out of the bed, etc. It takes longer to pass to rsdt's when you have to go in wake a rsdt up, roll the bed up, make sure they are good and alert, and then give the meds, and spend the time meeting the request of the rsdt before moving to the next. Every rsdt you wake up is going to want something extra before you leave the room, and you have to help them because the CNA's are always busy, in with others. You also have to hurry around in order to be ready to give report to the 2 or 3 nurses coming in on dayshift. Every AM you can expect something to make you behind such as rsdt's falling, coming back to the hospital, a skin tear or bruise, low blood sugar and all the next shift staff calling in...I very seldom ever leave right on time....But all in all I still am less stressed most of the time on night shift, but I'm also lucky to have the CNA's that I work with, which knows what to do and does it....I could not make it through a night without them all.