realitycheck1

This is called being used and abused by an employer (corporation). In other words, exploitation. Instead of hiring 3 nurses - they use one nurse to do the job of 3 nurses, paid for one nurse (to save $).

Don't get involved with LTCs - nurses are being exploited there and working with so many patients is dangerous and unfair to the patients. You can't change the working conditions (even Obama could't) for the nurses and STNAs. The best strategy is to run away, never work for any company that does not provide an adequate staffing. I can't understand the corporate thinking: why even bother to have a business if can't ensure safe and adequate staffing, forcing 1 nurse to have 20-40 patients, and pretending it is a norm. This is not going to last long. It is a short-term solution that leads to failure.

Working nights is unnatural, against Mother-Nature's design for the human well-being. Therefore lots of health problems from working nights. The healthiest thing- to get out of night shift, and perhaps out of the nursing profession, if the night shift is the only option - to stay healthy!

LTC with skilled and rehab patients is he worst nightmare job in nursing for floor nurses and aides. It's where you would be exploited the most. The secret is that such facilities open skilled and rehab floors within nursing homes, but still operate as nursing homes as far as patient-to-nurse ratio. In a rehab/skilled hospital the ratio is 6-8: 1nurse, perhaps up to 12 - the most. But when the LTC are hiding under the nursing home ratios, but actually doing post acute rehab (with nursing home ratio) - I believe it is exploitation of nurses. I am talking from experience and would never ever work in LTC again, and would not recommend to anyone. I couldn't sleep well for 2 years while working there. During the 12-hr day shift I was working a rehab floor of 24 patients (4 hours of a morning med. pass, being constantly interrupted by all kinds of phone calls from families, labs, other facilities, constant admissions of new residents, discharges, charting, incidents, emergencies). Often I felt as I was a doctor, instead of an RN, because doctors were coming 1-2 times a week, and it was up to me - the well-being of my patients. Too much? The unit managers were there, and seeing nurses running like crazy for work to be done - they were giving us more to go. They were having a good time, talking, relaxing, laughing, and trying to find faults with is. Often I felt as I was in a frontline war zone - from the stress, responsibilities and the enormous workload --- working in a skilled/rehab nursing floor of an LTC facility. As the government cuts $ in healthcare reimbursement - the exploitation of nurses and aides increases, as facilities are trying to profit, stay in business by working us very dangerously short staffed. You can try, you may have a better luck and will gain experience. But it also can be your worst nightmare, especially at the present time.

This is a sign of a bad economy! I lost my job with 1o years of nursing experience a month ago. For a month - no one would even call me for an interview (I applied everywhere, was even ready to get a job as an aide!). And finally -- in the past 2 days I've got 3 calls offering me RN jobs, and I am going to start orientation soon! It's in a home health (without home health experience, but with my nursing experience counted). Also, someone who I know, and she works for that company -- recommended me to them -- this is how I got the job. It is PRN, because they can't afford to pay benefits (I guess), but I am taking it in a heartbeat! The other 2 offers were from another home health, and from LTC - I turned LTC down, knowing how nurses are being exploited and badly treated in long term care facilities that offer skilled and rehab services, but still keep the nursing home nurse-to-patient ratio. Hope you will get a job soon.

I have a plan: taking STNA course (some places give in for free) , getting a job as a Nursing Assistant (while having RN license and experience, but can't find an RN job), and while working as STNA - still look for an RN job. At least working! What do you think? Going for more degree, at this economic times, getting in more debts for an education - sounds like a very dangerous game.