Lovely_RN

Thanks for clarifying JSlovex2.

I don't know how we're supposed to get the message out to the general public that the highlighted duties take precedence over fetching a box of tissues or a fresh pitcher of ice water if your own co-workers don't get it. I do care about my patient's comfort but keeping them alive is more important then their momentary discomfort. If the patient isn't able to understand that the CNAs certainly should. I don't think it's fair that some of them expect me to do 50% of their job, 100% of my own, and want to have an attitude about it on top of everything. I think a nurse needs to develop thick skin, get the job done, and stop worrying about whether people like them and think they're a "good" nurse. It seems to me that the perception of the public and some of our co-workers is that a "good" nurse is a a doormat who never says I can't or won't do that no matter how innapropriate the request is or what they are doing at that moment. Now don't get me wrong. I don't feel that all nurses are hardworking angels of mercy. I have had the pleasure :down:of working with some very lazy nurses who do make their patient's and ancillary staff miserable. They do exist but they are not the majority of most of the nurses I have encountered.

I was once a CNA too and I'm curious about this mentality that the nurse should only ask a CNA to do something if they are absolutely swamped. So if both nurse and CNA are available to answer a call light or do something for a patient that doesn't require a licensed nurse then it should always automatically default to the nurse unless the nurse is actively engaged in a nursing task at that moment? So the nurse should leave the CNA at the nurse's station to do what the CNA is capable of doing and then when a task comes up that can only be done by a nurse they have to do that too because the CNA can't do it. How many paychecks am I collecting again? If the CNA isn't engaged in doing what a CNA is capable of doing what exactly are they doing at that moment because they sure aren't going to help me out with the things I'm licensed to do. Honestly, I remember many a day as a CNA when I bust my butt but many a day I was walking the floor looking for a spot to chill so that the nurses couldn't ask me to do anything. It's not just the nurses that can be lazy and avoid answering call lights and such. Let's not pretend that every CNA is a hardworking angel and that every nurse is a lazy slave driver.

Are your really a nurse? Four posts so far and you've done nothing but attack people. Something smells fishy...anyway welcome to AN!

I had the Littmann Liteweight when I was in school and for my first nursing job. I felt that the tubing was a little short but it got the job done and cost about $50. Unfortunately I floated to another floor and left it in the med cart and one of my fellow nurses stole it. After that I ordered the II and I like the longer tubing better than the lightweight version. I have no problem hearing anything and it's really good considering the price. It was $69.99, I paid $14 extra to have my name laser engraved, and it's pink to help deter sticky fingers. The Cardio III is probably really amazing but is it necessary? Not really.

I agree. I'm witnessing the downgrade of my parent's lifestyle and it has me thinking differently about a lot of things.

My parents weren't the best financial planners and they expected to continue working into their 70s but it didn't work out for them. My mom's health gave out at 62 and my father was pushed out of his job at 66. My dad's employer didn't fire him they just kept cutting his hours until he was left with 1 day of work per week. My parents have been out of work for a few years and it's already evident that their pension, SS, and savings are not enough to last them for the rest of their lives. Before the end of this year they will be moving into my finished basement to cut back on living expenses for all of us. You can plan to work until you drop but if your health fails or you get pushed out for a younger employee and no one else will hire you then what?

Love it!

Thanks!

Are these good shoes for a person with a wide flat feet? My width is a D and I also need shoes with a wide toe box that won't rub on my baby toes. Anyone wear this brand? If yes which style? Is there a difference between the professional clogs and the classic ones? From what I can see they look like the same style but the classic clogs seem to offer more variety of color and patterns. I'm torn between the Donna and the Seville clogs. It's so unfortunate that I am stuck with white because they have some really cute materials and colors. http://www.alegriashoes.com/categories/Professional/

Nope, all LTC/SNF are not like that one. There are some good ones but the majority are the same or worse than what you're describing. You're right, life is too short to be miserable so I can't blame you for leaving if you have that option. I likely would have done the same if I was able to at the time. Good luck.

It's understandable that you feel confused and upset by your "baptism by fire" into the nurse home business. Being a new grad and getting thrown into a situation that is nothing like what they told you it would be like in nursing school sucks. However, it's the reality for most new grads. Now before you quit, do you have another job lined up? Are there a lot of opportunities for LPNs outside of LTC/SNF in your region? If there are tons of LPN jobs that require no experience (and are not in a nursing home) in your state then by all means quit. If not then think really hard before you quit because the conditions you describe at your facility are the norm not the exception. Very few LTC/SNF will give you more than a few weeks orientation and most will give a new grad a few days. In addition to that, the ratio you described is not that bad. I was a new grad LPN thrown into an LTC/SNF position on 3-11pm with 40 patients, I was the only nurse, yes the acuity was just as bad as what you are describing. I had tons of pre-dinner and pre-HS fingersticks with coverage, 8 tube feeds, and two trach patients. This was in addition to people coming in for rehab and we had a bootleg hospice going on etc...etc. I would set up a CPM for the post knee repalcement and then I would run down the hall to give Roxanol to my dying cancer patient...then I would run to suction and give a nebulizer treatment to my trach patient and of course pharmacy would be calling and so and so's family member needed to complain to me right now. This was all the in-between stuff aside from the regular duties of med pass and wound care, IVs...central lines (which I wasn't even supposed to touch ), calling the MD for orders or to report labs...the demented sun-downers...the geri-psych schizophrenic patient who says he is "Tony the Umbrella Man" and he is going to kick my a** lol. Never mind patients returning from hospital or needing to go out...falls...CNA conflicts and insubordination....etc. It never ended. I looked at it as a stepping stone to something better. I stuck it out for two years while I was getting my RN and I never looked back. That miserable job helped me develop time/people management skills as well as gain exposure to numerous medical conditions that I never dealt with during clinicals. Apply to every non-LTC/SNF job you can even if you don't qualify for the position but don't quit this job(unless you got it like that financially). It's easier to find something when you already have a job and the longer you do this the better you will become at prioritizing. I wish you luck with your new career!

That's unacceptable. The only thing I can think of is that you didn't have an order and the nurse was scared to call the MD at night for a tylenol order (which is WRONG). The next thing, did you ask for it? I've come across patients who got mad at me because I didn't come to offer them their prn medication. If you had an order and asked for it and didn't get it within a reasonable time frame (say 20mins) then you needed to get on the call bell and stay on it till you got your medication.

I'm very assertive and I really don't have a problem with MDs. That said I have learned to pick my battles...some things I let fly over my head like I haven't even heard what your saying and other things I will address immediately. I don't accept personal attacks...I will walk away or hang up the phone in a heartbeat. Thank goodness for the union. I'm sure if I wasn't in a strong one I would behave differently. I also think that there are some people who are targeted because they are known for being a softie. If you're a soft sensitive person it's like a bunch of sharks smelling blood in the water. It's a shame and it's one of the things that I really don't like about working in health care. I've found some ways to combat this behavior but it shouldn't be like this.

I've never worked there but it was one of my clinical sites during school. I also know a few nurses who have worked there and I have a co-worker whose family member is a resident. HH is an upscale nursing home and sometimes the families and residents can be fussy but there is always enough staff and supplies. I was already an LPN doing a geriatric rotation for my RN and I remember the LPN I was following was like I have twenty patients to pass meds to. It looked like heaven to me because I was doing med pass for 40 along with all the wound care and we had trach patients and I had dining room duty and so on and so on. On day shift the LPN only had to do the med pass, a finger stick or two, and dress a few wounds because some of the CNAs have been trained to do minor wounds and to DC and flush the tube feeds. It's not a bad place to work at all. Each unit has its own dining and day room and the grounds are beautiful with these great views of the Hudson. HH does a lot of outdoor activities for the residents during the warmer months so they aren't always cooped up. It’s really nice…wish all LTC were like it but you will see that money does make a difference! They don’t accept Medicaid patients except for the adult day care program. You will not be doing an admission for the un-domiciled geri-psych ETOH/substance abuse patient there...screaming for their Klonopin or "perkies". LOl. So basically, you’re going to working in a “rich” nursing home. It's a good place to work if you don't want to be stressed all the time but it's a true LTC not a SNF. On the units where I was placed the most action I saw were the unresponsive end stage Alzheimer's patient on tube feeding. No sub-acute units....no vents...no IV's...no trachs. From what I observed during my clinicals and from what I've been told by people I know it's a good place to work...good luck!