RN's exiting from aged care postions

Tookie · May 16, 2002

Currently in Australia - I beleive that we( the aged care industry) must be amongst one of the most over regulated industries imaginable- There is so much documentation and legislation that the time spent away from the real work ie the aged person is ridiculous- However in a way to keep the balance some of the regulations are there to protect the elderly - if only the governments (where they are) would realise that the aged need to have more staff - in the systems and to train them to understand how to do the job and to pay them to keep them in the system

Tookie

catlady, BSN, RN · May 16, 2002

Sandra, I don't know about Australia, but in the US, the nursing home industry is the second-most regulated industry, behind nuclear power plants. And for all the regulation, is life any better???

Tookie · May 17, 2002

In some ways yes I think that we are - 20 odd years ago there were some horrifying stories about nursing homes and such - people left in urine soaked beds infected wounds poor nutrition etc - - zI think that some of that aspects a heck of a lot better - also the increased awareness of treating aged people with dignity and empowerment - making sure that the nurses/carers try and understand the residents rights l think has gone a long way to improvements - its just the paperowrk and the lack of money in the system that makes it so hard - I beleive we have gone a long waay - we need to go further - but sense and balance need to come in.

Is that expecting too much of governments?

Tookie

AJACKT33Z, LVN · Aug 5, 2002

Yes!! At last i feel some common bonds on this board!!! I hate to complain, but if you can't do otherwise......I have not complained about this dilema lately because it was all negative & who wants to be b****ing all the time? Last job was with -THAT- facility---a large corp. You can't imagine the crap that goes on-- deadwood managers,seniority lvn's in cushy assignments, and the CORP--cares only for the $$$$--I could go on--why do I stay??because someone has to openly be the pt. advocate. It is so disgusting to be the only one to speak up---quit finally , but believe I'm getting b-balled because can't get another snf job for 2 mos. now--this corp---bigger than the lone dissenter!! I'm depressed as hell & think a shotgun would make improvements--admin. wouldn't squeeze overworked nurses w/ that in hand, but that is my ultimate fantasy---t.y. allowing me to vent & commiserate...

Tookie · Aug 5, 2002

AJACKT33Z

Thanks for posting

It can be a frustrating field - and unless we are out there not only educatiing the staff in this field and this include the deadwood too - maybe with a rubber mallet occaisionally and the more importantly the public - things are never going to really improve - Yes we are their advoactes -

Again thanks for contributing

Tookie

juliajmcquaker · Aug 6, 2002

hello from scotland.

here nurses r in short supply too.

majority of my career has been in elderly care, acute/rehab/long term care. thouroughly enjoy working with this client group, especially in long term care, but have left since one year due to high stress, and low job satisfaction.

think the situation in UK is the same as in ur country.be nice to chat with some of u who have an interest in gerentology.

nurse51rn · Aug 16, 2002

Why are RN's leaving this field? Could it be because of how we have allowed others to think of us? As an example: when I went to graduate school orientation a few weeks ago, the program coordinator for the MSN program in adult health-gerontology was speaking of an expert panel the school had assembled for a talk to the students. This panel consisted of PhD's and MSN's in acute care, education, home health, etc. But it did not have one gerontologist from any field, including LTC. Most professional nursing organizations seem to focus on acute care, striking nurses, etc. While these are important issues, I feel like the odd ball when I question why there are no issues directed to, for and about long term care nurses and their struggles. My point, I dunno know...I guess I'm rambling while I vent.

Tookie · Aug 17, 2002

Intersting point nurse51rn - I truly belive that until society values the ageing person they will not truly value the people that care for them

It is onlt at the time when a person is in our care that the families will react and think that we do a wonderful job - but how often do you see any funds being raised for an aged care type facility or anything to do with ageing as such - The image of aging is not associated with an 'easy sell'

Therefore nurses working in this area of care become less in the eyes of some - ie the expert panel - wonder how many on that panel will eventually need care when they are older and there may not be anyone left to care.

Better stop l am becoming cynical today!

cargal · Aug 29, 2002

I am really disheartened and getting burned out fast again. Last time I was at work, a lovely resident with increasing dementia/agitation was tooling through the hall yelling out and the activity director, the lpn and the cna's all ignored her. I had to stop my mega med pass to address her with therapeutic validation therapy, took me 45 minutes. Most of the CNA's are very good, but burnt out and just turn and do their job so that it looks good on paper. The dementia level is rising and no one is inserviced on methods to reduce it. The overhead paging system constantly pierces the hall and the med crushers bang and the residents hollar. I love them and find that I have an abiility to connect, so much that I am going to training in Validation Therapy. But I find that most staff is putting in their 8 hours and don't even utilize therapeutic conversation. They only like the cute ones. I think alot of incontinence is forced d/t lack of time and knowledge to take them to the BR. Right now I am hanging in and trying to make changes, but I might as well hit my head against the wall.

bucksandra · Sep 1, 2002

First of all..DaisyMae, I am so sorry for the scenario that you have described. The DON in your facility was evidentlly uneducated as to how she should treat others.I am a LTC DON, and I have virtually NO turnover..I do not have warm bodies in "our" building..I have wonderful, caring nurses and cnt's walking my halls and I am honored to know and work with all of them. I learn something new every single day from these folks. My background was ICU and PACU. LTC is my true love. IT saddens me greatly to say that I am feeling great pressure to leave LTC. Why?? It is not the work load..and yes, I work.. it is my opinion that the federal and state government regulatory agencies along with the personal injury attorney's have ruined Long Term Care. The climate in which we live (lawsuits, the threat of criminal charges..)is not only scary but very dangerous. As long as prople like Jim Wilkes is out there collecting millions for skin tears and broken hips, LTC will be no better. I actually got cited last year because one of my CNT's was giving an extra bath every afternoon to a resident with end-stage CHF. We were cited because this extra bath was not care planned. HOW STUPID... we fought the tag in IDR and won. I understand and actually applaud citations for TRUE substandard care, but we are being penalized for great care as well. I am really glad to know that I am not alone in how I feel. sandra

gojack · Dec 25, 2002

Yes, I'm getting out once again from LTC. It consistently is too dangerous to the license to stay around. And for what? When the regulations themselves are creating many of the problems.....

Never has so much paper worked so well to produce such a lack of real care! The government papers and regulations actually get in the way of basics, like feeding patients and giving them water, and doing repositions.

And the governing agencies don't do anything other than a pretense of monitoring. The "home" I just left I worked for 10 weeks, and nobody there even knew who they worked for! Even the name on the paychecks was written in a way to be indecipherable. Working from the internet, I was able to determine who was the probable owner of this place. And what I gathered, was that he owned another 90+ nursing homes to boot! Yet we were led to believe that the place had no management, since it was supposedly bankrupt and being run by a "management group" interim. That was yet another corp run by the same owner. What a rig!

When you are around this level of total corruption, it just might be better to get out????????? Sad to say, the private psych biz is just about as bad, though. And many of the hospitals also have major problems. So where exactly are nurses to turn too as we try to exit off stage to safer terrain? It's certainly a dilemma.

StormyCD · Dec 25, 2002

Well, the corporate "big-wigs" came to my facility this last week, they decided that we were OVER STAFFED!!! and want to cut down on some hours...and supplies!!!.....My D.O.N. was made to explain every staff member on duty to justify having them on the clock!!!...She finally asked the staff to take turns leaving early or coming in late so that we can keep our current staff and not have to lay-off or make someone go to only part time..then we got our results from our last state survey.....which was almost perfect!!!! ...only one citation and that was a minor one!!! but did that change their minds???....HELL NO!!!...my D.O.N. tried to tell them that a survey that good did not come from reducing staff!!.. and still they want to cut!!!!...God, grant me patience!!!