Ready to throw in the towel

I feel your pain. I graduated in December of 2010, and as an LPN, most of the jobs out there for me are in long term care. I'm on my third job in a little over a year. At first I thought that I just wasn't a good fit for those places, but now I realize that basically, and sadly, most long term care places are like this.

I have roughly 30 patients as well, with 3 CNAs. I bust my butt every shift trying to get all my work done in time, because, as we were all told just a few days ago, we are allowed absolutely NO overtime. And I'm not allowed to work through my lunch - it's mandatory that we clock out for thirty minutes every shift. So if I want to work through lunch, which would help at least a little in getting me out the door in time, I have to do it for free.

As I said, I'm on my third job since graduating a year and four months ago. I left my last job because our paychecks were constantly being delayed due to various reasons, and I thought a better run facility would be better overall. But although at that last place I had more patients - 40, with 2 CNAs, on nightshift - I'm already contemplating going back because my workload wasn't quite so heavy. Well, it was heavy, just not this bad.

Sorry - I know nothing I'm saying is helping you. I'm just commiserating. When people say, "Our healthcare system is in crisis," it's heard so often it almost sounds cliche. But it's not. It's true. And it sadly, it all boils down to money. Not enough money means not enough staffing, and not enough good equipment or supplies, which leads to not enough quality care for patients.

And we, as nurses, get caught in the middle, as always. We want to care for our patients, and we try, so very hard. But when you're working for free at the end of your shift because you were forced to clock out before you could get all of your work done, with a thousand things still left undone because there weren't enough people on staff to do them, and you're facing a write up for something stupid (like forgetting to do a Braden assessment last night because you had another patient who went into respiratory failure and by the time you got done shipping them off to the ER you were already on the overtime you're not allowed to have), AND they've cut your benefits, AND they're threatening to cut your hours, AND raises have been on hold for over a year now already...it's a wonder anyone works in long term care in the first place.

Okay, so my commiserating turned into a rant. I'm done now. Good luck...but I do have to say, if you still love being a nurse, just not the job you have, take the time to explore other nursing options. There's a lot of specialties out there. Some may take more schooling, but if you're thinking about going back to school anyway...like I said, good luck with whatever you decide!

Only advice I can offer right off is that you should maintain your nursing license if you change careers. Put it in an inactive status. You never know what the future will bring and you never know when that license may come in handy. Best wishes.

Oh, definitely. I worked so hard for that license! My thought now is to seek some kind of office nurse job, where I can still use my medical skills but without the stress of running around on a busy unit.

When people say, "Our healthcare system is in crisis," it's heard so often it almost sounds cliche. But it's not. It's true. And it sadly, it all boils down to money. Not enough money means not enough staffing, and not enough good equipment or supplies, which leads to not enough quality care for patients.

Thanks. I know, if Medicare gave us more money, we'd have the ability to replace aging equipment, hire more staff, have actual benefits ... even though I'm a scheduled worker, I get no paid time off. Not even one measly sick day or vacation day. I might as well go to per diem somewhere and make more money.

But I feel like it's such a shame we treat our elders this way, like it's some sort of assembly line - mash pills, spoon pills in mouth, do a quick assessment and race to fill out 4 forms about each PRN medication or 02 sat or whatever. Make a minor mistake (even one with no patient harm) and you get written up or yelled at.

You are so right. I've worked a total of two shifts in LTC. I don't know how it can be done. But some, can and do. It is a specialty, not for all of us. I worked one shift to see what it was like. I worked the second to be sure. In addition to what you mentioned, I'd like to point out how the CNA's have all the authority, but, as usual in nursing, the RN's have all the responsibility. I'm a wimp, I'd flip burgers before I'll ever work in LTC. Some people with more fortitude will eventually make the needed changes, just not me.