paacollins

LTC and physician's offices are where you find most of the LPN jobs around here (NC triad). Hospitals rarely hire LPNS. As another poster said, RN jobs are hard to come by too. I am an RN and I took a job in LTC because the hospitals weren't hiring. If there is a Golden Living Center near you, check it out. That is where I was hired and we have hired numerous LPNS and RNS since I started in Jan. Best of luck to you.

There are friendly nurses with positive attitudes in every area of nursing just as there are grumpy nurses with negative attitudes in every area as well. I've met veteran nurses who fall into both categories and I've met new grad nurses who are the same way. Not really fair to generalize. People are different no matter what career they choose.

I loved eriksoln's analogy. I really couldn't have put it better. I work in LTC and our hall nurses are so rushed it is not funny. They have 24 to 30 residents, many of whom are rehab patients and very needy because they are in pain, not used to being in a facility, confused, etc. We have tons of meds to pass, treatments to do, tons of charting, supervising of the CNAS; we answer the facility phone (no receptionist), handle questions from family members, chase down dementia patients who are trying to leave the facility, etc. There is no way you can get all your work done in the allotted 8 hours. We truly have 12 hours of work for an 8 hour slot. I know many of our nurses take short cuts and I hate it but you just can't get it all done. These aren't new nurses either. They are nurses with 20 years of experience who are doing it. Time management only works if you actually have the time you need to get it done. Sometimes you just CAN'T get it done in the time you have. It's really sad that our geriactric population gets the short end of the stick so often. I would love to have time to just talk to my residents some days because that is often what they need the most.

I have been a nurse for 7 months now and work in a very fast paced LTC/rehab facility. I was on the floor for the first several months and now I am a 2nd shift charge nurse. I now help train new nurses and they ask me tons of questions. I NEVER think they are asking too many questions. I'd much rather they ask me a question than attempt to do something they don't know how to do. And I asked tons of questions my first couple of months and I STILL ask questions. Some nurses DO eat their young and it sounds like the OP has found a few of those. Hang in there and keep asking questions when you aren't sure of something. You are doing what you need to do. :)

Our LTC facility won't allow 12 hours shifts cause it is a corporate rule. However, they did 12 hour shifts before the new management company took over. That all being said, I am scheduled for 8s but I often do 12s and sometimes 16s because of callins. 12 hours is a long time but I would love to only work 3 days a week. I'd have more days off and I'd save on gas. I have a 35 minute drive each way and that adds up when I do 5 days a week. I'm really hoping we can get it changed. An 8 hour day seems like a vacation to me now. lol In all honesty though, it is easier to get all my work done in a 12 hour day than in an 8. I have a huge med pass, treatments, and charting. They also insist we punch out for a 30 minute lunch. We never get out on time cause you just can't get it all done in 8 hours. Then they fuss about overtime. 12 hour shifts would be much better all around.

My CNAs rarely interrupt me. It's the ringing phone, family members, or department heads saying "do you know you have a call light?" that stops my med pass. I want to say "I know I have a dang call light but I also have narcs sitting on my cart so it is gonna have to wait; I also have CNAs that WILL get it as soon as they finish with their current resident." My med passes take me forever, largely due to stupid interruptions.

Not necessarily. I worked PRN as a CNA and I sat down with my boss once a month, told her the days I could work and she scheduled me to work as many of those days as her schedule allowed. On call, means they can call you in to work and sometimes you are paid a small amount for the time that you are on call.

I agree with both posters. Mentioning the salary of others is usually a HUGE "no no". She's been there 2 years so she most likely got a nice raise. If you like your job and want to keep it I'd keep the knowledge to myself. Is it possible she is working without benefits? That would make her pay higher too.

It depends on the facility as to when meds are late. Some of the facilities I did clinicals in had the 30 minute before and 30 minute after rule and others had a 60 minute before and 60 minute after. I'm a new grad RN who is going into to LTC for two reasons: 1. Hospitals here are bombarded with new grad apps. 2. I like working with the elderly. I do not for one minute think I will be stuck in LTC simply because I started there. I'm so tired of hearing that if you don't start in a hospital it will next to impossible to get a hospital job. I will use my nursing skills in LTC as well. I may not do many trachs, vents, and IV push drugs like I would in a hospital but I will do skin assessments, wound care, finger sticks, vital signs, suctioning, care planning, assessing, teaching, admitting, discharges, psych nursing, nutrition, ADLs, my people skills, etc. I really don't that nurses that start off in LTC will be ignored once they have a year of experience.

I am hopefully starting a new job as an RN in LTC next week. It will be my first job as an RN and I will definitely be relying on my seasoned LPNS and CNAS so show me the ropes. I may have RN behind my name but they are the ones that know what's up.

I took a year of medical terminology and my classmates were surprised how I knew what so many words meant. I loaned out my book and my husband's book for them to use. The course really helped me disect words and figure out their meanings. I also used my A and P books a lot.

What a sweet post. I hope things work out for you soon dear. It's hard in all the states I think and, according to a friend in Canada, its not that great there. When most of my friends graduated in 2008, they had their pick of jobs. What a difference a year makes.

If you have an administrator saying "CNAs grow on trees", he/she is setting the stage for disaster. True,there are tons of CNAs out there but a truly hard-working, caring CNA that believes in teamwork is worth his/her weight in gold. A lot of times administrators have business degrees and not healthcare degrees. Many of them have never done any of the "grunt" work and simply make up the governing laws of the corporations. If they had to do what a CNA does, or an LPN or RN for that matter, they might be singing a new tune mighty fast.

Well, that's true. I didn't read it correctly either. I think the OP and I are suffering from "just took NCLEX, passed the dang thing, got new license, still in shock blues." lol I'd call and ask them just in case.

I've got the 4th edition of Saunders, which was the newest version in 2008. They might have a newer one out now. Always get the newest edition you can find is my opinion. You can also find used ones at Amazon and half.com If you do buy used, make sure the CD is included because it is invaluable. I feel your pain sister (or brother as the case may be lol) because that NCLEX drove me insane. I had to put off taking the test for months due to finances, personal health issues, a family member's health issues, etc. I finally took it on Dec 3rd and was sure I had failed. It was just awful and I guessed at over half the test. I stressed for 48 hours and even had a new study plan devised. I did the quick results and found out I passed. I now have a spanking new license and hopfully a new job starting next week. Try not to stress (yeah right) cause if you study hard and make sure you know the material you'll do fine as well. Best of luck and if you need any more input feel free to ask.