BlessedbyGod

Thank you to the both of you on your input. Though I did get a call for an ambulatory interview I decided not to take due to the low pay, I know I can make at least 6 dollars more elsewhere. I was also offered a different position elsewhere. I do know as an RN the county pays good, but for LPN's it's low. Not saying that I'm never going to work there, just not now. Thank you much!

Hello, Does any work or have worked at the hospital or one of the clinics as an RN or LPN? How was it? I've heard they have good benefits, how good are they? Can anyone shed some light? I am thinking of interviewing for an LPN job for one of the ambulatory clinics. Thank you

TrudyRN, It was two different people under different circumstances over different time spans. Thank you to everyone that replied, it has really helped me. Nursing is not an easy profession but I do love being a nurse.

Has anyone worked for these companies in Illinois, if so which facilities were you working at and how did you like it? Are they good companies?

I don't know if this has been discussed before so please bear with me. I would like to know(those that can be honest)if any of you have ever given a patient the wrong medication. If you did, how did it play out and how did it effect you. I've been a nurse since "05" and it has happened to me once and I felt sooooo bad, but fortunately the medicince that I mistaken gave was close to the same drug class as the medication he should have gotten and he didn't have a reaction. To make a long story short, patients mom found out when I was calling to tell her that he was out of his medication and I quoted what he received and she said that's not what he was suppose to get and after really looking, I said your right ma'am. I could have kicked myself in the rear:o, the patients mom is a nurse so she didn't get as upset with me as she could have because she said she knows it can happen. On two other occasions, it was caught before anything was given. I don't feel this makes me not a good nurse, I know I just have to more aware of what I'm doing.

Ultreya, When I read your post I couldn't help but to respond. Your situation sounded alot like some of what I experienced. Believe me, I did leave and after only 2 days. I've have never left a job that soon and without notice. I refuse to compromise my license or values. There are places out there where you can work as an LPN and they don't run the homes like crap and they really do care about their residents. You don't have to accept working in a place like that. I didn't!

HI Gitterbug, I don't feel there was anything wrong with what you did. I wish alot more nurses took that little needed time, to help.

Wow! I should have put my post about orientation that's in the LTC forum over here. I believe that if these nurses, that give people a hard time during preceptorship/orientation. Would just remember, that when they got out of school, there were alot of things they didn't know and/or wasn't prepared for and someone had to train them. That would help facilitate the new grad's learning process. I really dislike it when nurses act like they never moved slow, never made an error and know everything. Nursing is an ever learning process, for the seasoned as well as for the beginning nurse.

:monkeydance: Hello everyone, just me again. Thanks again for the replies, I'm reading and taking in all the tidbits that you all are adding. To the person that said that LTC is tough, you know your right. But to kind of change the subject of my post a tad bit, I wanted to get feedback on something else. Okay, here goes. I am a new grad(10/05) and have only worked in LTC for a couple of months and it has been annoying to hear the nurses who have orientated me that the reason I'm so meticulous and careful in my way of doing things, for example the way I prepare and pass meds, and check over things is because I'm new. I am the type of person that I strive to do things the correct way, I've been like that in every job I've had. I don't think I am a perfectionist, I just like to be organized and No, I don't cross every I and dot every T but there are just some things I just can't stand, especially in nursing because I am dealing with people's lives...things they take into their bodies. Another example, touching residents pills with my hand while popping them out of the bingo card, or giving pills that were dropped on the floor(I've seen this done before). I've been told that I'm kind of slow by those orientating me. Well what would you expect from a nurse that's new to a facility and doesn't know the residents. I prefer to learn my job first, then I find what corners I can cut and still practice clean and safe nursing. Can anybody share with me, what has been your experience in the orientated/orientator role. I just want to be a good nurse.

Thank you all for your input. Jolie- Those are good principles to work by. Alot can be accomplished just by following the those two. MJLRN- thank you for your honesty. Jetscreamer- that sounds like a fair way of rotating who works when, if there is a call off. We have a new DON, so hopefully alot will change because I haven't seen a manager pass any meds in the two months I've been there.

Hello all, I would really like some input on this. I work in a LTC facility where the DON, ADON and other floor managers do not work the floor in the case of a shortage and they are on call for that particular night. There were times when the 11-7 nurses (two) had to pass to about 85 residents and do all the treatments. Also just recently one of the 3-11 nurses called off and I was asked to stay and pass the 5:00 meds for the team I worked on earlier (which I did). I ended up leaving at around 7:00. I have never worked part of a 3-11 shift and honestly from what I noticed, I feel the two nurses could have handled or one of the managers that were there could have done since they all found time to be "breaking" as I was leaving out. What's the protocol at your facility? Do your managers help work the floor?

Hi Everyone, I just want to first say thank you to all those that took time to reply. You were right in saying that it'll get better and I will find my groove. I am really learning the swing the things and things I can do to make life easier for me at work. The short time that I have worked as a nurse in LTC as been such a joy, meaning, my interaction with the residents. I feel so blessed and honored to be able to serve people that have put in years on this earth(meaning alot of them are in their 80's and 90's). I enjoy hearing their history and legacy's they have passed down to their children and grandchildren. But sadly, you run into some, whose children or other family for whatever reasons never come to visit:o. I try to make it a point, to make especially those, feel valued and special. Maybe God will bless me to have a long life also.

Zoeintx, It sounds to me also that you were set up. Sorry, this happened. I say, just take this as a learning experience to take your paperwork with you when you leave to go do something else. If they fired you over that and just like that, doesn't sound like a place one needs to work at. Just get your resume and look elsewhere, there's something better out there for you.

Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for your replies, they have really helped me. I see myself catching on little by little and I feel good about. What I don't feel so good about is the facility that I work at, I feel like I'm am working on the edge of my license working there:uhoh3: and I drive kind of far to work. I feel like if I have to deal with what I deal with I may as well do it at a facility closer to home, so I applied at another facility. I know that there isn't a facility that does everything 100%, but I'm just disappointed with the state of nursing home healthcare.

Hello, Mcdonaldgirl, I have done that, but I don't like to. That's just my personal preference. DG5, You are exactly right, but it seems in my facility that alot of things end up getting passed along so much. I've heard that it's been times where two weeks had passed and something had not been done. Also, just from what I observe, it seems some of the nurses feel that whatever you initiate, you finish. I really just wish there was more comradery in the nursing profession. I still have a incident report to put in the computer from 5/28, no one has had time to show me how to do it and the day I was going to ask someone about it, I totally forgot about it, it was my second day working on my own and I was so concentrated on getting meds passed and charting done.