Reality check :(

Wow.

Not really what I expected. The job market is poor, so I was really thrilled to get my first RN job. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was a job.

I work in a LTC/SNF. I am working on the LTC side. Because management wants to focus on the acute/sub-acute side, they opted for hiring RNs instead of LPNs. (We still have a couple of LPNs on the LTC side.) Originally, they were looking at 3 days of orientation even for a NG! Really?! I did orient on one hall and felt comfortable after a week. Then, out of the blue, with no help, I was assigned to a different hall....that was known to be more challenging. We even had 3 incidents that evening! My NM was supportive and scheduled a preceptor for a week on that hall.

I am learning and all but one of the nurses I work with are great! The NM was supportive as was the Admin...until the owners got wind of OT hours and wants to reduce the # of CNAs and 'force' the nurses to work within the 8 hrs regardless.

I realized that much of what I have heard from LTC may just be true. I have 30 patients and it is nearly impossible to pass meds on the MAR schedule. You certainly can't be a 'real' nurse to your residents because you just don't have the time. I feel like a glorified med-pusher. The vast majority of the residents suffer from dementia. We have anywhere from 6 -8 residents parked at the nursing station because of fall risks. We have others that wander through the building in their wheelchairs, so you have to hunt them down for blood sugar checks and med pass.

This is not what I envisioned nursing to be. I have no time for my residents. I am also very troubled by one resident who is a victim of a MVA that caused severe brain injury. It almost seems that she does know what is going on, doesn't want treatment, but cannot vocalize it. She fights us at every med pass and feeding. (G-tube)

I am a bit bummed. I wish things could be better for the residents (as far as our ability to do something more for them).

I am going to continue here, but I really feel that LTC is not for me. I so look forward to the day when I have enough experience that I can transition to hospital work. I loved that in NS. We never did LTC for clinicals.

I guess this is a form of venting......