RNs who work in Long Term Facilities

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I am a new graduate & I have had a lot of difficulty finding employment. I recently got a phone call for potential employment at a nursing home however I'm concerned I'll lose my skills. For all the nurses that are experienced is it common for new grads to start at places like that to gain that first year of experience. And if there is anyone that is currently working in one what are some of your duties. Thanks in advance!

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good morning PatriceRN, I passed my nclex july 2009 and found a part time job supervising in a nursing home in October 2009. It was a hard time finding anything. I continued to look for full time employment with benefits. I got into a level 1 hospital august 2010. The only time I was given adequate orientation was at the hospital however I was "experienced" so I was not able to get into nurse residency program. Wouldn't change a thing. I work in the ER now and love it. Good luck

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

If you worked in MY facility, chances are you would LEARN new skills not lose them. We do IV's...I've had several of the RNs trained in PICC and MIDline insertion. We do wound vacs, trachs, IV push medications. You'd be surprised what we do. We don't do vents and we don't hang blood, but other than that, we do pretty much what you'd do on a med-surg floor in a hospital.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

You are a new graduate, so you do not really have any skills to lose. Contrary to popular notions, you don't learn skills in nursing school clinicals. It is the first nursing job that provides the foundation for your skill set.

I worked in nursing homes on and off for six years. I removed staples and sutures, inserted indwelling urinary catheters, applied wound vacs, did dressing changes, maintained PICCs and central lines, administered IV meds, operated CPM machines for ortho patients, performed oxygen and respiratory therapy, managed ostomy appliances, accessed Mediports, and so much more.

At the nursing homes I dealt with patients who had underwent CABGs, knee and hip arthroplasties, laminectomies, thrombectomies, limb amputations, colectomies, and other surgical procedures. I also saw a lot of medical cases: CVAs, acute coronary syndrome, debility secondary to pneumonia, CHF exacerbation, Parkinson's, cancer, end-stage renal disease on dialysis, etc.

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What skills are you afraid of losing? I have a friend who left a CCU unit for LTC and other then vents, she said the skills used are the same. I am an RN at a LTC/Rehab unit and I use my skills every single day.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I agree with all the other posters. Skilled/Long Term Care is on par with Med-Surg and Stepdown units. Take the job and begin your journey. :yes:

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Specializes in Dialysis.

If the SNF/LTC is anything like the one I worked at you will learn A LOT, SNFs really are basically a step down floor. You will also learn to prioritize and juggle the care of double or sometimes triple the number of patients than med surg or a step down unit.

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Thank you for the encouragement on the potential job, as a past LPN I didn't on anything except pass pills in a LTC facility so that's where my concern stemmed from. My thoughts were I've worked too hard to do "just" that as a RN. With that being said, it's sounds like working in a LTC facility will be of more benefit than I thought based on the others experiences.

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Specializes in leadership, corrections.

Networking is a good idea if you find you don't want to work in LTAC. I am grateful for all my beginnings because they lead to bigger things. Try volunteering in local events or services in your community- Red Cross, Medical Reserves Corp- nurses, MDs, counselors, EMT, etc join to provide assistance during disasters - local and otherwise. There are tons of opportunities out there.

CONGRATULATIONS on passing your boards!

Cheers

Lexi

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Specializes in ICU.
If you worked in MY facility, chances are you would LEARN new skills not lose them. We do IV's...I've had several of the RNs trained in PICC and MIDline insertion. We do wound vacs, trachs, IV push medications. You'd be surprised what we do. We don't do vents and we don't hang blood, but other than that, we do pretty much what you'd do on a med-surg floor in a hospital.

Is this a LTAC or sub-acute facility, CapeCodMermaid? It sounds like something I would be interested in as a new grad because you can definitely hone some skills in a place like that.

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OP: My first job straight out of nursing school was in LTC. I was also worried about "losing my skills" and quite honestly thought that perhaps a nursing home environment was "below me" (before I began working-- nursing school ideas of grandeur lol). It couldn't have been further from the truth... My year of working in LTC made me a confident, efficient nurse and allowed me to hone several important skills. The facility I worked at wasn't as "acute" as the one CapeCodMermaid referred to but I did occasionally start lines, worked with wound vacs, and ostomies. Plenty of foley insertion, PEG/PEJ's, and diabetic care.

You have already worked as an LPN so perhaps you already feel confident as a "working nurse" but for someone who went from 0 to RN it really made me a true nurse. Never frown on LTC work. You will learn tons.

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Since your question also pointed to the role of the RN in LTC, it might be relevant to add that apart from working the floor I also had some managerial duties on my shift as well. Just a thought.

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