what would you recommend working in a long term care facility or hospital???

Nurses General Nursing

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what is the difference? what would you recommend??where do you think is better to work ???

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

You get a wider range of patients and experience in a hospital. An LTC does give you the opportunity to get to know your patients very well and to learn time-management skills.

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You get a wider range of patients and experience in a hospital. An LTC does give you the opportunity to get to know your patients very well and to learn time-management skills.

are more patients assigned to one nurse in hospital then LTC??or more patients are assigned to one nurse in LTC???

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTAC, Critical Care.

More patient's in LTC. I can't speak for everybody, but at my hospital, med-surg nurses take about 6-7 patients, PCU nurses take a max of 4-5, and ICU takes a max of 3-4. I heard someone where that California has a law where med-surg nurses take only 5 pts. I guess other people here could verify that. You will definitely get WAY more skills in a hospital and you won't be confined to one area as well as there are usually plenty of opportunities to float to other floors. You usually won't see the same patients for very long although there are some "frequent flyers" that you will get on a first name basis with.

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I would hand back my practice permit if all that was left to me was LTC. It's a hellhole for RNs, LPNs, and NAs. You work yourself to the bone, risk injury every shift for the same money as Acute Care. For every resident and family that loves you there is one that hates you.

Been there, been burnt. Would work anywhere as anything before LTC.

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what is the difference? basically, hospitals are where people go to get better/stabilize and LEAVE ALIVE to live life, some die there or go to ltc though. ltc is where people go to live there and die there, some do leave alive though (long term rehab usually). hospitals also have better staffing, etc.

what would you recommend? hospital, but it's harder to get a job in one.

where do you think is better to work? hospital

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.

LTC pays in my area on average $10 less per hour. The majority I've seen are only willing to give minimal care to our elders in exchange for a hefty bankroll in corporate pockets. LTC can be a good learning experience but can also break your heart.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.

In California our hospital ratios are:

med/surg 1:5

tele 1:4

PCU 1:3

ICU 1:2

not quite sure about ratios in other hospital areas or LTC

Personally, I would prefer to work in a hospital r/t the higher acuity & staffing ratios being more managible.

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From what I've seen and heard in the last 5 years: don't get into LTC unless it's what you really want to do. It's difficult to make the transition from LTC to hospital afterwards.

I like changing pace a lot - I get bored after a couple years of the same thing, which is half of why I've loved nursing and medicine. Once EMT became routine, I got into nursing, and am thrilled by the possibilities - from labor and delivery to medsurg to trauma to cardiac....there is enough here to satisfy me for quite some time.

I've also never once had a clinical in LTC that I really thought gave great care to the patients - even 5 star rated facilities. Call lights stay on for ages (even the ones indicating the patient is in the bathroom), poor documentation, bed sores...I just can't, and huge ups to every nurse out there who can do it and work to make such places better.

However, in my area (Central OH) LTC pays far better than the hospital does for LPN's and in some cases, RNs. Factor it how you will.

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.
In California our hospital ratios are:

med/surg 1:5

tele 1:4

PCU 1:3

ICU 1:2

not quite sure about ratios in other hospital areas or LTC

Personally, I would prefer to work in a hospital r/t the higher acuity & staffing ratios being more managible.

Hospital ratios in Oregon are pretty much the same. In LTC there aren't any ratio guidelines for nurses( but there are state mandated ratios for CNAs). I did a brief stint when I was a new LPN in LTC- 60:1 and the only nurse at noc.

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LTC is not that bad some may choose any other job but work there but thats thier choice. In long term care pay is more and not every one is there to die. These people need good medical care just like everyone else and not all of them are there just to die some live long happy lives and just dont have family to help them. So we still have to know how to spot s/s of distress and other problems. Not all are DNR's. I have a big issue with people who think your not a real nurse unless you work in hospital. Bottom line you learn different skills from both places you need to work a little of both to decide dont let anyone tell you how you should feel or where you should work. Everyone is different. Good luck in wherever you choose.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Family Practice.

My experience is that there are goods, bads and indifferents to both ends. You get a wider variety of experiences in a hospital setting but here in NY where I live they no longer hire LPN's due to the scope of practice and us not being able to do certain things. If you are in an education program to continue to RN-- they work out contracts and all that jazz. Staffing is usually a little more consistant than in LTC as the burn-out is a different type.In the setting I am in right now-- Family Care I do not feel I get a lot of real hands on Nursing care but it does get my foot in the door. LTC is hard back breaking work. Everyone is over worked-- over stressed and it is truly the end of life experience for most of the residents in your care. You get attached to them, but you are that daily link. Many do not get visitors. They get to know your ways and you their routines. It takes a certain kind-- for the certain role.

In a nursing home , if you have a resident who has not urinated in a certain amount of time-- you will know that it is either normal for them or they are retaining because you see them so many hours a week. Hospital you have to be over aware of the little things that can slip by because you are working on taking care of the why they are there factor and not get a full history of underlying things because they are there less time.

This is JMHO tho

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