PeacefulHeart

Hi all.... I was wondering what the average salary is for the UM's and if you feel that it is fair. I was recently offered 72K for a dementia unit on the East Coast. Not sure what could be considered as fair.....Still so unsure of what I should do as I have stated in other posts that I really want to get out of LTC but after sending out many resumes and the like not getting many bites....only two so far have called me to interview, and they were both a little over a week ago. I am feeling low as I really think that working in my own state will be less of a stress on me, but it has taken over two months for the license to come in. Apparently, they could not find the fingerprint background stuff to finish the processing.......ughhhhhh. I was calling them all the time and leaving messages to follow up and find out why it has taken so long. They never returned calls. Anyway, it seems all resolved now except that I am not getting any leads....the hospice interview felt really right, but so far no call back. Ughhhhhh. Please send good thought and great vibes for a successful job......... Also, if you are on a sub-acute unit does your facility pay more to those managers than LTC/dementia units? After filling in for a long time on ours, I really feel that they deserve more money as they have high turnover, more appointments, consults and the like. Thanks for your insight in advance!

Well, here I am posting again about how much the LTC and I don't resonate with each other. I have been diligent in looking for alternative jobs and well, NADA! How could I have 15 years in Nursing and not one follow up with any applications? It has been really frustrating to say the least since I want to leave the LTC in the worst way. I do wonder if they actually act like you don't exist after you have worked in LTC. It does seem that way in my case. It has also taken an eternity for the state of NJ to get my license to me. I have called several times to follow up and leave voicemail, but no return calls. I started this the end of DEc. Was fingerprinted on Jan 9. Isn't TWO MONTHS enough time? I am at my wits end with the crap. Now the facility that I have worked for the last 4 years doesn't have as many "needs" for pool nurses and well, I only got 2 days of time this week. I need to find a better job and soon. I am open to ideas! I just need insight from those who have been there and know!

let me know what you are looking for and I will try to help you out....I used to love reading strips..... 12 leads are more "fun"!

Greetings! It is so refreshing that I am not the only one who despises working in LTC. I have been trying for months now to get out and have NOT HAD ONE FOLLOW UP CALL from the ton or so apps I have put out there....I have apps in all over the place, have years of experience including at one time having my CCRN when I did my critical care years and am very good at time management. I recently have been functioning in the capacity of unit manager, since I am a RN. However, it seems as though I have all this experience, with references that will back me up, still I get absolutely no leads on any jobs. I am so frustrated. I have been in LTC for a little over 4 years and have had all I can take. I have apps in to hospice companies, hospitals, agencies, and homecare. Don't think I left any stone unturned!! On another note, I recently applied for my NJ license, since this is the state that I live in and can I tell you that that it has now been 2 months and I haven't gotten it yet!!!!! Every time I call to follow up I get voice mail to the only two souls that help the process and they NEVER HAVE RETURNED calls!!!!!!!! How can I work on finding out what is the hold up if they don't respond to their messages? I have explored other options for me as I love teaching, (but only have a diploma, no BSN, MSN here) I have a holistic business that I do on the side but it is not enough to sustain me. I even explored all options regarding being an independent nurse contractor and such and am still interested in that. I really felt pulled to hospice recently and am very disillusioned that I have not had any follow up regarding those apps either. I do follow up with them, but it is usually voicemail. If you are feeling this way now, imagine what it would be like in a year or two! Good luck in your process and may you find what you are looking for.

After spending most of my time off last week devouring everything that this forum had to say I was really struck by some insight shared by NancyRN. She had stated that she found some business with doing these kinds of visits for richer clients and that it worked out well. She charged the patient herself. I am seriously considering doing this. I think it would be easier if I had MD connection in the state that I live in, but as I have been working in a nearby state, I am not sure how to go about getting business drummed up. I could network with some local MD's. I need to put together a brochure that would explain my services. To just go to their house, not far from where I currently live and do a one on one assessment, draw blood ect is my idea of how I could consider staying in nursing. I have been completely frustrated by working in LTC as I want out!!!! I do feel that I have a lot to give to people, however, I don't think that caring for 30-60 at a time is my idea of nursing. If anyone can share some insight, or Nancy you have any more great ideas please post! Thanks!

Where do I begin....first go check out the thread that I started in How to get out of LTC need insight Please. I am a RN and have been in geriatrics for about 4 plus years. I hate all of it. I am frustrated by the lack of time I have to spend with my residents, I am pulled here and there all the time, how no administration wants to hear the truth or even understand that we have licenses to preserve. On a med cart you could have up to 60 residents. On one of our floors, we get all kinds of short term stay residents like hip replacements, knees, all fresh with IV's and antibiotics and drawing vanco levels. I worked in a variety of settings in the hospital and I have to say that my worst time there doesn't even come close to an ordinary day in the LTC. It isn't nursing.....its not even close. Try keeping track of just 10 kids, and get an idea. Then do all the meds, treatments, calling all labs into doc who won't call back, doing your own pt/inrs, reordering meds, following up on every consult, ect.....it is too much. Now I have been assertively trying to get out and so far no hospital seems to think I have worked. Go figure..

Wow! I am amazed at how we tolerate getting treated like this. I am a staff pool nurse who basically does work full time hours.....but I get no benefits or PTO. I went to this after being with them for 3 years and not being able to use my vacation time when I wanted to (at that point I had a lot and would lose some if they didn't grant it to me) but then I got ill and had to use it....when I finally resigned that position, it was the same company but a different location and I came back to the origional facility that I started in. However, it is going through HUGE issues right now, primarily not being able to keep staff and the ones that they do have are getting disciplinary action a lot. They have no steady unit managers for a 3 floor facility and each one should have a desk nurse and such, which they don't. It is just beyond description. I am always getting out of there super late, super frustrated and then too tired by the time I get home to be productive in my search for a better situation. Needless to say, most that are left are totally wiped out. I am praying as hard as I can.

The things that are happening in LTC are unbelievable...except I am living them and it is a nightmare. I am doing everything I can think of to find a good solution out.....like writing and maybe becoming an independent contractor or maybe even going into hospice, since the hospitals seem to be turning up their noses. But just from reading all of the stories here, at least I know that I am not alone in this mess and that is comforting. I hope we all find peace and a great solution. I feel that even though I LOVE taking care of people, that just like children do on some level if I am anxious or frustrated that is felt by them too. ANd then who am I helping? I truly appreciate all of the comments here. Keep em coming and don't give up on finding your happiness!

Thanks for your post. I was looking into this just to certify myself, and do the skilled visits since I am a RN.

Hello....I am seriously doing some intensive work on transitioning out of my current situation in geriatric care. I absolutely hate it and since I have been in it for about 4 plus years all of the resumes and applications that I am putting out to the hospitals seems to get ignored. I am feeling that the hospitals think that geriatric nurses are not "worthy" or something, but after 13 years in the hospital and working in Critical Care with my CCRN previous to the geriatric stint, I do feel that more attention should be given to me. However, maybe this is a nice little sign that I am being sent to finally do "my own work" and move on. I recently did start my holistic health-wellness business this past Fall, but it is not enough currently to do that on a full time basis. I also love to teach, all sorts of things with holistic health and disease process, but do not have a BSN and no desire to pursue one. I am wondering if anyone here would know how to get involved with doing independent skilled visits and then bill Medicare as allowed? I know that there are some home care agencies that do this and pay RN's like 45 per visit. I have researched and heard that Medicare pays them at least 100. So you can see how beneficial it would be to x out the middle man and do my own thing. I do realize that I would be responsible for my own documentation and supplies, although I think most supplies should be covered FOR them through Medicare. Any advice is Greatly appreciated! I am so ready to get out of working for others!

Thank you so much to everyone who replied! Yesterday was sooooo ugly. 7 admissions, of which 5 were on my floor. I had 2 people being sent out because of major medical changes to the er, one of which was a resident that just returned!!! Then the medics want to get into a holier than thou debate over what is "critical.", of which I'd really like to say some choice words to them about "just take him and do some freaking cardiac enzymes on him, if I were in a hospital I would have been able to do the labs and EKG myself!!" The man was diaphoretic and ready to pass out, UGHHHHHHH! Then I had a resident with a new change in mental status who is a brittle diabetic....but her sugar was not so bad. Needless to say, I was SUPPOSED to be done at 4:30, and didn't get out of there until 20 of 7 at night. Again. I only got to scarf down a piece of mac and cheese that was given to me in about 5 minutes for lunch. Then I had a 45 minute ride home. What a treat. Not to mention the bickering between regular staff and had a new agency nurse that had never been to my facility. I did apply for my license in the state that I live in so I can find a job that is much closer to home. I have just been discouraged at the lack of response of the applications that I am putting out there, with one specifically being able to be viewed "status" of the online application and seeing "sorry, not considered". What, you didn't even MEET me and judge by paper only? I have gone in person to some hospitals only to be told that they do everything online now and go home to apply that way. But as some of you have expressed, I will continue to have my hope that better is on the way. I will be searching career builder today. I do not have to go back until Wednesday of next week! I refuse to believe that I have to stay in such hostile conditions!

Greetings all.... I have been in LTC for about 4.5 years now and really NEED to get out. I HATE the environment, the amount of work that is placed on the nurses, and because I am an RN I have to function in a variety of settings. Most recently I have been doing the unit manager job and it is non stop craptastic work that seems to go on and on. I also think that the administration in this setting are not very encouraging for nurses. For instance in the time I have been there I have not once been invited to go to a nursing conference or have a REAL inservice on anything that would remotely increase anything in my knowledge base for LTC. I am constantly doing one unit and getting called to cover behavior management meetings for other floors because they don't have a unit manager or doing admissions on other floors due to the same reason, AS WELL AS MANAGE MY own floor. When recently asked to cover another admission on the 2nd floor about 10 minutes before I should be allowed to go home, I agreed, reluctantly, because yet again the DON was the Nursing Supervisor because they did not have one, nor did they have a nurse to do the back hall cart on my unit after 4 pm. She said they were getting 3 admissions. I said very calmly, "three admissions with no Nursing Supervisor, and No staff. " The ADMINISTRATOR screamed at me (who was in the office as well, but I was directing my comment to the DON who IS a nurse) and said very, very arrogantly, we DO have a Nursing Supervisor, we do have staff and we ARE getting the admissions. I was lost for words. The only reason I stayed is because I like the DON. I am so tired of this. I have been really trying to apply to hospitals and such without so much as consideration for any job. When I worked in the hospital I worked in Critical Care and had my CCRN. But it seems that we don't exist once we are in LTC. My frustration level could be measure on the richter scale at this point. Any insight at all will allow me to consider not drinking draino for breakfast ( I am only trying to be funny). Thanks in advance.

Hello Everyone! I am hearing more and more that after a nurse has been in long term care for awhile that it is very difficult to get back into a "regular" hospital job. I feel that for the last four years that I have spent in LTC, I know that it is not where I belong and need to move on. It has been so frustrating for me in this capacity since I function in a variety of positions, such as med nurse, unit manager, clinical reimbursement, ect. But I had several resumes and applications sent to about 6 different facilities with not one follow-up. And they make sure that you know that "we will contact you, please don't contact us" kind of thing either by email or on their website. I also would like to do my own thing, with the knowledge I have of healthcare, not necessarily the license. I do my own holistic wellness consulting and aromatherapy on the side and that feeds my soul. I guess working for a place like Pfeiffer Treatment Center where they do holistic treatment or in NM where the Gerson Clinic is would be my idea of a dream like environment. But, alas I have to start somewhere, and I do feel that getting out of LTC is the right thing to do at this time. I need to feel like my efforts have more meaning. In the current employment, there really are no reasons for advancement, nurses in general are not sent to conferences and the like to better themselves and the attitudes there are at an all time low. So, if you have any encouragement or words of wisdom at all, I am all ears. Thanks so much in advance!

I am glad to see such a thread here as I have been discouraged for a long time now. I work in a pool postion in a LTC and had been staff prior to that. I sought out a different area in clinical reimbursement but after being so micromanaged I felt that I needed to go back to a clinical area. Being an RN, I am able to function in a variety of ways and recently I have been doing the unit manager position. I am sooooooo fed up with the blaming, inaccountability, and just plain miserable attitudes. It unfortunately has rubbed off on me and I have taken it as a sign that it is time for me to move on. I recently applied for a license in the state I live in and hopefully that will let some better opportunities come my way. I have heard that once one is in geriatric care it seems as though the hospital system doesn't even recognize you. I will see. I really need a change.

I thought that the figure sounded high too, but I don't know if taxes were taken out or not. It was in NY, and I am not sure what the rates are there. Yes, I am very stressed at the current job, of which I have been there for the last almost 4 years and know that I need to get out soon. I currently do full time +, and I am "pool" which means in this facility 36/hr. I am currently filling in as unit manager since I am an RN and can. This job is at least 45 minutes away from my home too, and that is on a good day with no traffic. I want my work to have more meaning. I have heard of the independent contractor thing and wondered how to do that with regard to private duty nursing. It seems that there are huge pay cuts to do private duty, but it somewhat balances out with less stress????? Now I have to get ready for another day at work! Have a great day everyone and thanks so much for your support.