taalyn_1

OMG YES!! Nursing dx are a pain, they have no real value and are a waste of 75% of your time while in Nursing school. If a pt has COPD, lets just learn how to treat/intervene. Not RE-DIAGNOSE!! Makes no sense to me and I do not care how many instructors tell me "nurses use this everyday", I say BS. The nurses I work with and have talked to ALL say it is only used in school. Waste of my time and money as a student, IMO.

Sadly, in LTC there seems to be a pattern of this kind of thing going on. Promote someone to a managerial position so that when state or corporate find things they have a scapegoat/sacrificial lamb to pin everything on and still keep "their" jobs and bonuses. Don't be bullied into the promotion if you don't want it, keep your nose clean and if they fire you take the issue to the labor board.

How bout school nurse, or home health or community health? Get a job where you can work only 8 hours, dr. office etc... I dont know but you spent so much time, energy and money into this degree, seems a shame to waste it just because its an inside job. I agree with slave_driverRN, accounting is soul-sucking, dont go there.

Im for legalized pot use, I dont see the harm at all. Its a lot less dangerous than smoking or alcohol. But I would not legalize any other "street" drug. Its never gonna happen though. The war on drugs has been effective in showing us how the general population can be lead into a biased opinion by media manipulation. Pot smokers should not be jailed, the dealers well maybe, but the regular joe smoking a blunt after work to relax.. nah. Just my opinion, and yes I know its not the popular one, but hey we are still in america for now.

well if its like my facility, they are just slow about doing anything! Keep following up, you'll get an interview. Good Luck!

1st, gossip appears to just be a part of the medical field make-up. 2nd, if its not true, tell HR so and end it there. Dont feed the gossips ego by letting her/him know how much it bothered you.

ask your preceptor why they do it differently than you were shown on days. There may be a good reason, there may not be, then you can use your own judgement to decide which "rule" to follow. I hate it when you get told 15 different ways to do something by 15 different "bosses". Hang in there, it will work out eventually. Nights are rough cause its not what you or your body are used to, but it can be fun once you get in tune with the night owl schedule.

Unions, and good strong ones.. write congress and stay aware of what they are trying to pass, stand up for yourself and your profession. Thats how things will change, but complacency is a worm in the barrel.

I have to say, I Love LTC! I know that some of the confused patients can be, tiring. It can be frustrating because there isn't anything you can do for them but be there. The others have said, try re-directing them if they yell out, re-orienting a dementia or alzheimer pt isnt really going to work, so going along with it is best. Reassure them, and also learn from them. Their delusions can tell you alot about their past, what they were like before, ask them questions about what they are talking about, its pretty interesting a lot of times. You will meet all kinds of characters in LTC. When you go to work, just remember you are there helping this mom, dad, grandpa/grandma deal with losing their independence, can you imagine what that must be like? That should get you through the shift. Just keep reminding yourself, "how would I react if I was slowly, progressively losing all my 'faculties' ". As for the other people who just walk by the room of the yeller, its because they know this person and that he/she yells all the time. You peak in the room and see if they are in any immediate danger, then go on about what you are doing. Its just knowing your patients. I would personally go into the pts room, ask them what was wrong, talk to them about it and if there was nothing I could do I would document it and go on. There should be a behavior book/chart at your facility for the yellers (hitters, kickers, biters, wanderers, midnight shoppers ). Its sad to just "let them yell" but honestly most of the time whatever you do is going to either just irritate them more or lead them into another delusion/episode?. You will get used to your pts and their behaviors, it won't take as long you might think either. Good Luck and enjoy your residents, they were once you!

Im sorry you are going through this. I would guess that a lot of the problems stem from working midnights. Seriously, if you aren't a nightowl, your interrupted sleep patterns can cause all kinds of mental stress. Cut out the caffiene, try melatonin supplements. Ive been using melatonin lately and it really helps me get the sleep i need. Also, make yourself get up off the sofa and do something fun.. outside. I have to make myself do that too when I get down and just burntout. Its not easy, but you are the "master of your domain" to steal a line from seinfield. If these types of things aren't helpful maybe changing jobs wouldnt be such a bad idea. In today's economy changing jobs can be scarey, and may take awhile to find a good one, but if thats what it takes to keep your sanity, you may just have to bite the bullet and do it. Good luck though, and try the no caffiene and melatonin, it may just be as simple as that.

LOL I just noticed, the previous posts show my point exactly! the first two post are by women, who are asking the OP for more info before they answer anything. The rest are from guys who just flat out tell ya what they think.LMAO!!! We think in totally different ways people!

Ok I really, REALLY dislike that "Are you man enough.." poster. The thing that drives men away from nursing is not the stereotypes, its not the helping other nurses lift people, its not the "OMG I just had to examine a woman is she gonna sue?" its the fact that everything is ran by, thought up by, and directed by women. Women and men think differently, they just do. Whether you are a str8 man or gay man you still think differently than the women who made up all the nursing theory rules, wrote the books, made the tests, and instruct the class. The women in charge of all that make things sooooo much more complicated than it needs to be, simply because thats how their minds work. Thats why men dont stay or arent attracted to the profession. In my humble opinion atleast. Or it could just be they dont wanna work with a bunch of gossipy, snarky women then go home to the same thing with their wives?? IDK? (That last bit was a total joke btw... no burning me in effigy please)

They were pretty funny!! So were the comments from people at the bottom LOL!!

You know that really bites. LTC is valid experience. You have assessments, you have nursing dx, you have planning & implementation, you have acute episodes you have to deal with, you have EXPERIENCE! Ive heard this from others how working in LTC hinders their chances of getting on at a hospital, my thoughts are why???????? Are you putting down all the things you do @ your current job? I mean, the nurses at my facility do catheters, IVs, trach care, blood draws, they assess the pts regularly, they do so much more than just pass meds, why isnt it considered experience? Im frustrated for you. I want to work at my facility after graduation, as I love the people there, but I also would like to experience med-surg at a hospital. Is it really going to be a hindrance putting down that I worked in LTC for 2 years (1 as an aide & 1 as an RN)?? Sad how LTC is looked at with disdain from the other fields of nursing. very sad. I wish you all the luck in the world in getting the job you desire. If LTC is just a stepping stone for you I hope it opens the right door at the right time. Good Luck!

Your aides are your eyes and ears, be nice to them but don't let them run you over 9Im a CNA who is working towards my RN - graduate next may). Probably will have med pass for 20-30 pts. Will have a little of everything, from CHF, COPD, Dbl amputee, diabetics, to those who are just rehabing (fused backs, knee/hip replacements, fractures etc), there will be dementia pts and alzheimer pts, and little sweet ladies who become grandmas to you, old men who can be down right perverted but still cute and funny (lol), and then there will be a few grumpy guses (pts, aides, nurses, administrators).You will have favorite pts, then they will pass away, don't be ashamed if you cry, the LTC pts become like family. LTC runs the gamot, you will find everything and anything going on there. Take your time, learn to prioritize, learn time management, love your residents, remember that they need you to be strong and well prepared, have some humility (this is a must. In order to give them their dignity when doing pericare or whatever, a little humility on your part goes a long ways). Enjoy your first job as an RN, and always be willing to help others within the facility. Good Luck!!!