Should I take this LTC job?

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Hi all!! I need some advice from those in LTC. I'm a two month out new grad LVN currently working Med/Surg 7-7pm in a local hospital that is low censused and is now talking of lay-offs. I was just offered a charge position in a LTC that has patient ratio of 1:53 with a med-aid, treatment nurse, and two CNA's per hall usually. I would have 15 head-to-toes a day so they said. Does this sound safe for a newbie? I've never worked in a nursing home, so I'm not sure...Thanks for any advice on this.

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NOT. Need more experience under supervision of a RN.

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Specializes in Peds Homecare.

1:53, even with the other staff, is too much for anyone. I'm sure some posters on here will say they did more than that before, but IT'S TOO MANY PATIENTS/RESIDENTS! Keep your hospital job as long as you can so you can have as much experience as possible. If you are layed off you are in a better position than taking the new job and hating it,or worse case took it and got fired, and then where would you be? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen at the LTC.

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Med aids are bad news. They're administering meds under YOUR license. LTC facilities that employ med aids should be avoided at any cost....

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Thanks guys..sounds like very good advice. That's what my gut was telling me, but I wanted to know I wasn't being overly cautious on it.

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I struggle in LTC with a ratio of 1:24. I can't imagine 1:53! That sounds like too much

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Oh and I agree med aids are bad news. No one should be giving meds unless they are a licensed nurse. Reminds me of what happened last year at my facility. They used to train various employees (housekeeping, laundry, etc) to feed residents during meal times. Last year one of those "trained" feeders was caught shoving food into a residents mouth to make them eat quicker. Well that person was fired and they did away with the entire program. Now only CNT's and nurses are allowed to feed residents.

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The CNA's do the ADLs. Does the med aid, pass ALL the meds? You basically have 2 Nurses to 53 residents, which sounds about the same as my facility. Where I work each hall has between 24-36 residents with 1 nurse being responsible for everything but the ADL's the CNA will do. I wonder what else you would be responsible for besides the head to toes? New admits, discharges, emergencies, anyone who became ill, had orders, and on and on. Are you supposed to split those duties with the treatment Nurse?

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I hope u didn't take the ltc job. I been working in ltc for 5 years, i love the elderly ppl, but working there sucks. Stay in the hospital. You learn more, plus if you go back to school, when you get out, you will have a job.

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