Nightowl_lpn

Just want to as my 2 cents also. I left a job after 3 months, still kept my other job during this time that I've been at over 3 years. I learned the grass is not always greener on the other side. I appreciate my job now after going to another ltc facility and seeing how there are nursing homes out there that give nursing homes bad names. Staff coming in under the influence, understaffed, turnover in management in my short time being employed there, and narcs always coming up missing. Do I feel bad for not sticking it out a year? No. Not a place I want ties to when state walks through the door.

Thank you for your replies and words of encouragement. I know I want to do nursing as a career. Just has it's bad days, also has some amazing moments where I think to myself, this is why I became a nurse . I need better stress outlets. Then my poor husbands ears :/

This is just me venting. I work 12 hour shifts in Ltc, a hospice pt passed away 30 min into my shift this morning, I can't help mourning over residents I take care of 40+ hours a week. I know it's part of the medical field, dealing with death but I can't help wondering, did I do everything I could to make residents comfortable in there ending days? When I'm the only charge nurse over 70 residents usually working short staffed on cnas, doing more paperwork then pt care. What kind of quality of life did they have when I was there nurse? Sorry this is sappy. I've been out of nursing school 1 year and still struggle with these things, I hate calling family members and telling them someone passed away. I hate the political side of nursing. I'm in school working on my rn now wondering if this is what I want to do the rest of my life. Thanks to anyone taking the time to read.

Really enjoyed reading this, to add my 2 cents, that first year out of nursing school is just as tough as all the schooling, tears, hungry nights, and sleep deprivation I suffered through to take my nclex and get a license. Good job to everyone that can make it! I can honestly say it was the most challenging thing I've done in my life.

At my work, we not allowed to put we are employees by the facility on facebook, talk about employees, pt, if there is a pic posted and it's from the facility it's all automatic termination.

The good days out number the bad for sure. At least for me. So glad and blessed I'm in this profession.

I think a pay cut is always worth it of you'll be happier at the other job. It's horrible to go to a job you despise. Good luck.

What is your current ratio and what is the facility you would take the pay cut? I probably would :) good luck

Nurse84 I appreciate all feed back that you have given. I am curious as to what your conversation would have been like with the cna who was assigned to this said resident? I do walking rounds at the beginning and end of my shift. 7p to 7a. The wrest of time isn't only used on charting, assessments and tx, I check the residents under my care as needed for any changes, I do not however have the time to make rounds when the cnas do there bed checks. Is this what you do? Maybe your pt load is different then mine. I have 40 residents under my care with 2 cnas. 10 of which are skilled patients, the other 30 are ltc patients. I do appreciate constructive criticism and I posted this thread for that reason. I'm a young new nurse, the youngest employee on noc shift. I try to lead by example and I help answer lights and the residents with adls when I have the opportunity to do so.

Thank you for your reply. I'm new to the facility, I've been there a little over a month, so I'm still learning the employees and residents. I'm also the youngest employee on noc shift. I help out answering call lights and with care when I can, I just get so sick of other shifts c/o nights not doing anything. I want the shift to run like clockwork, and everyone have the mentality of team work, and understand they are getting paid to provide care to the residents so just do it and there's no problems. I wish I was more assertive and not get anxiety when it came to confrontation. Thanks for any advise

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I don't feel like school taught me how to be a charge nurse And I'm still struggling with it, but I care about my pt. tremendously and I know if they could take care of themselves they wouldn't be in a ltc facility in the first place. I don't have a problem being there advocate. I just don't know the best way to always handle situations. Above all I do want to alway be professional and fair.

A little background on my self. I graduated nursing school last July so I'm still a fairly new nurse. I struggle with being in the "charge" nurse position at times. I would like to know how you, as the charge nurse, would have handled this situation. An aide came to me to tell me a resident was on the floor at 0530. She's incontinent with dementia. I witnessed the resident laying in floor, no injuries were noted, but she had a brief on that was soaked, and her bed was brown ringed. I was upset to say the least. So I ask the cna when is the last time you checked this resident. She stated she changed her at 0400. I didn't believe this to be true. I told her she shouldn't have been brown ringed if she was changed an hour and a half ago and it most likely contributed to her fall, that this was a verbal warning and if I found another resident in that condition it would be a written warning and we would be in the don's office if I seen it again. Do you think I handled it okay? I was a cna for two years so I understand it's not an easy job, but I took care of my residents and I'm responsible for the care they get now as a lpn. Your input would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

A little background on my self. I graduated nursing school last July so I'm still a fairly new nurse. I struggle with being in the "charge" nurse position at times. I would like to know how you, as the charge nurse, would have handled this situation. An aide came to me to tell me a resident was on the floor at 0530. She's incontinent with dementia. I witnessed the resident laying in floor, no injuries were noted, but she had a brief on that was soaked, and her bed was brown ringed. I was upset to say the least. So I ask the cna when is the last time you checked this resident. She stated she changed her at 0400. I didn't believe this to be true. I told her she shouldn't have been brown ringed if she was changed an hour and a half ago and it most likely contributed to her fall, that this was a verbal warning and if I found another resident in that condition it would be a written warning and we would be in the don's office if I seen it again. Do you think I handled it okay? I was a cna for two years so I understand it's not an easy job, but I took care of my residents and I'm responsible for the care they get now as a lpn. Your input would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Thecommuter that sounds so busy!

Hellos nurses. This isn't so much a question as just wondering who all out there is working two jobs? How many hours a week do you work? How long have you or do you plan on working two? Do you have kids at home? What facilities are your jobs? I'm curious :) I'll go first. I work about 60 hours a week. Both ltc. I work 3 on 3 off 12 hour shifts at one job. And one 12 hour shift a week at my part time job. So my work week is usually 4 on 2 off. I have children, 1 and 6. I'm not sure how long I will do both since I'm about to start school up this fall, and I miss my kids dearly when I'm at work, I'm trying to better our future. Can't wait to hear your answers. :)))