b0rea1is

doesn't help you as much as you'd think. Hiring of RN's is really bad right now. As a BSN with no experience, you probably have a better chance of getting hired than an ADN RN with ten years of experience. Stick with waitressing. As a PCA myself, I can tell you that PCA experience is not the same as RN experience.

I will also add that there just isn't enough staff available to monitor all of these patients. I can recall many times when the MRDD patient was found sitting naked outside. The staff were busy working with other patients and did not respond quick enough to his sensor alarm going off. His wander bracelet didn't trigger the alarm.

I tend to agree with your take on the living environment for dementia patients. They are habitual wanderers, and have a tendency to get themselves into a lot of trouble. They have a tendency to act out violently, enter rooms without permission, and steal others belongings. It's not so much an issue of not accounting for their individual needs, but rather protecting them from themselves. They have very little control over their own actions. Making the living environment more accommodating and home-like seems like a good idea.

If you do come across that article, please post it here. That sounds very interesting. I would like to know how they achieved that. James Collins teaches that dementia is a cognitive impairment that stems from an underlying medical condition. For example, years of habitual intoxication may cause a type of dementia. The patient as an individual still exists, however, they are unable to think conventionally because of their condition.

I work in a skilled nursing and rehab facility which has a separate secured unit for dementia patients. He talks about opening up these dementia units and allowing people to live throughout the facility. He doesn't want Alzheimer's patients to feel like outcasts and be placed in lock-down units. While I agree with making the facilities more visually appealing and home-like, I don't believe it would be practical nor safe to allow residents to live freely throughout the facility. Anyone else have any opinions?

Nursing clinicals are good experience for a prospective PCA/PCT. Biggest determining factor is probably what part of the country you live in. I live in central Ohio, and the local market is saturated with nurses and nursing assistants. There are over 20 nursing schools in the central Ohio area alone! A lot of those students are begging to get a full or part time job in the hospital, because they know it leads to bigger opportunities. I have been trying to get a job in the hospital for almost two years. I have almost two years of experience as an STNA, and I volunteer at the hospital two days a week. I train all the new volunteers at the hospital. I currently have a 3.9 GPA and loads of good references to put on a resume. I'm taking an EMT course to boost my skills and chances of getting in somewhere. I know how to do EKG's, draw blood, insert catheters, etc. However, with 400-500 people applying for a single position, your chances of getting a job are very slim. And even if you do look good on paper, you're at the mercy of the HR recruiter. If you remind them of someone they didn't like or don't have the right chemistry, then you're basically screwed. So, there are lots of reasons people get hired or not.

Good luck trying to get into the hospital. 6 months of experience is laughable to the HR in the hospital. They will immediately throw your resume away. Your best chance is to avoid HR completely and talk directly with a unit manager. If you're willing enough, try volunteering at the hospital before applying there. You'll get to know the different units and the people who work there. I'm sure they could benefit from someone who has your experience as a CNA. Contrary to popular belief, hospitals don't really like students. They'll say they do, but they really could care less. A nursing student is going to have a complex schedule for managers to work around. They would much prefer the dedicated PCA/PCT with no future to the aspiring nursing student.

It totally depends which facility you work at. Nursing homes are known for being awful places to work. Try to avoid working at privately-owned nursing facilities.

The people who run my facility are idiots. This government shutdown doesn't sound too promising for me.

With fears mounting about a possible government shutdown, how would it affect nursing homes? Since over 90% of residents in nursing homes are covered by medicare or medicaid, how would that affect the operation of a nursing home?

After working in a LTC facility and volunteering in a hospital, I must say that work in an acute setting is way more desirable. I have found that hospitals are way more prepared to deal with problem patients than your typical nursing home. Every night I walk onto my unit, it is absolute chaos: confused elderly patients who don't understand they require hands-on assistance for transfers, dozens of residents who still need to be put to bed, vitals need to be taken, snacks need to be handed out, someone calls off, some morbidly obese guy falls and can't get up (screaming and howling at the top of his lungs), and you still have two showers to give. Oh, and you have anywhere between 16-25 residents to take care of. In the hospital, they have people designated to monitor certain patients, while the rest of the staff go and do their jobs. You may have admissions/discharges, but you'll most likely not have half a dozen patients to undress, change, clean, put in a gown, and make sure they're safe. Also, you may have at maximum 8-12 patients at a given time. Hospitals also have better equipment that is more readily accessible. In the hospital, the nurse actually works instead of filling out paperwork all night. Nursing home nurses make the aide's do everything for them: they won't answer call lights, change diapers, take vitals, or anything else within the scope of practice for the CNA. Good luck trying to find the nurse, because they're probably on another unit talking to a friend or outside smoking a cigarette. Once they pass their meds and chart, they feel free to do nothing for the rest of the night.

I work as a nursing assistant and go to school almost full time. I am taking this sociology class, and I came across a topic which I found relevant to this industry. There is a subculture found in nursing that we may not be aware of. Nursing has it's own language, it's own way of looking at the world, and even it's own fashion trends. I guess, in a way, I have become a participant observer. What ways may this affect how we treat patients? How may this determine what specialty of nursing we choose to follow? I'm curious to hear what people have to say about this. In my own experience in long-term care, I have noticed certain attitudes toward especially need patients. It seems that the general consensus, is that especially needy patients are actually lazy and could do more for themselves. They choose to give up their independence, thereby relying on staff to provided for more of their needs. I believe this to be a myth, but I have heard it expressed multiple times by many different people. What are your thoughts?

I know exactly how you feel. I am 27 years old and waiting to get into a program that doesn't start until Autumn '11. I am working full time at a nursing home (36 hrs/wk), volunteering part time at a hospital (5 hrs/wk), and taking 10 credit hours this quarter at school. Volunteering is an awesome experience! It can be a humbling experience as well. I have heard that volunteering can possibly lead to more opportunities, but I wouldn't bet on it.

You don't have to work in a hospital to work hospice. You can work at a nursing home. Nursing homes are basically long-term hospice. Many nurses might feel that working at a nursing home is below them, but if you don't feel that way, then that is also something to consider.

That's true, I've worked with some female nurses that are way tougher than a lot of dudes I know. Especially the nurses who grew up in the inner city and have two or three children at home who are depending on them. Yeah, those nurses shouldn't be messed with.