Take LTC job? Stuck...

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Hey nurses. I'm graduating in May with a BSN and having (like most GNs) a heck of a time finding a job. My current employment, a nursing home, has offered me a nearly full-time position. However, I really don't want to work in a nursing home. My career goals are/were to work in an inpatient psych unit and go back to school for a DNP in psych. (I worked on a inpatient psych unit as a nurse extern and fell in love.)

The nursing home knows my heart really isn't into it, but they offered me the job anyway. However, they are requiring that I commit to at least a year there. And I need to give them an answer pretty soon.

I know I should be thankful to have a job when many don't. However, I don't want to be in long-term care. As soon as the year ends, I would be right back to applying to hospitals again. At that point, though, I wonder if I'd be even less attractive as an applicant, since I'd have been away from acute care for a while.

Should I take the job and wait a year? Would I be labeled as a LTC nurse? Or should I take my chances and keep applying to hospitals?

Thanks!

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In today's economy, I would say take the LTC job. After a year at LTC, then look for other jobs. In the future,after a hospital offers you a job then and only then give your 2 week notice at the LTC. There's too many nurses out of work now to take a chance that a hospital might hire you. I wish you the best of luck.

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Specializes in Gerontology & Med/Surge.

I would say take the job. Job market is very bad these days. New grads are haveing an impossible time finding a job. I know I almost filled more than a 100 apps before I got one. Even if you don't like it, take it. First of all most of the LTC patients have some kind of psych problem that will give you some help, secondly, experience is experience. One year of experience will take you a long way, plus you can always look for a part time job while you are working on the full time job. Be relentless, and keep at it, thats the only way to get a job where you want it. I know it cause I am working in a LTC facility right now and thats not what I wanna do. Good luck.

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Specializes in OB, Peds, Med Surg and Geriatric Nsg.

I agree with August Boy. Today's economy is pretty tough. Plus, when you have the related experience, it would look good on you resume. I also just started working at an LTC facility and its not what I want to get into. Though it is new to me, I'm kinda enjoying it. Reminds me of my old folks back in the Philippines. Good Luck!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

The scary part of the economy is this... When this thing turns around there is going to be one heck of a nursing shortage on the LTC and SNF front again.

Keep applying for the positions that you want. The hard part is without the NCLEX already most places aren't even looking at students. I think they should at least give you until after graduation and you've taken the NCLEX to make your decision on whether or not to accept the position with them... that would be only fair since they require you to give them a full 1 year commitment and all.

If you don't find what you want, there may be some alternative psych facilities you could look into as well (which gives you even more experience), because I mean LTC is full of psych too. Then you'll be even more marketable to those had to get hospital jobs. Good thing for you is you'll have a BSN and the Magnet Hospitals love those!

Good luck!:twocents:

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I think it depends on where you live also. We still hire new grads in psych. If you want to start in psych you may be able to find a new grad job there but if not a year where you are now won't hurt your chances of getting hired in psych in the future, imo. Good luck and kudos for starting your hunt early.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

If you are in a financial bind and need to start working as soon as possible, take the LTC job and then see if you can pick up a PRN job in psych. If you can financially afford to search a bit, or you don't need to give the LTC an answer for a month or so, keep applying to hospitals and psych facilities and see what happens.

If you do end up taking the LTC job, all is not lost. It's still nursing experience, which is better than no experience. You're going to have a lot of opportunities to practice your therapeutic communication skills, which is very important in psych. Also, you're going to learn about medications and their adminstration, which is something you will do a lot of in psych...and as a previous poster mentioned, some of your patients probably have at least one psych issue (depression, dementia, etc.), so it wouldn't surprise me one bit if some of your LTC patients are on psychotropic medications already.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
The scary part of the economy is this... When this thing turns around there is going to be one heck of a nursing shortage on the LTC and SNF front again.

I think you are absolutely correct. Considering that many LTC facilities don't treat their employees well, it will be interesting to see what happens when those employees have better opportunities elsewhere.

To the OP, as others have said, you will have a lot of psych in LTC. You will see gero-psych as well as younger individuals who are there for psychiatric reasons---depending on the facility. This could open some doors for you because, with the aging population, there may be a greater need for gero-psych nurses in the future and this could be an area in which you can specialize as an NP.

Good luck to you---I hope it works out for you!

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I work LTC (by choice, my heart is with the geriatric population). I can tell you, psych will be at the LTC. Of my 30 residents, 17 have bona fide psych dx's.

I know here in CT there are a few LTC/SNF that are devoted to psych. Residents of all ages..all type of psychatric disorders. maybe in your area you can find a LTC that caters to psych.

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I say if your there stay, one year expirence is all you need to, also see if they could give you some time on the dementia ward. That's all the psych you need :)

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How can the nursing home require you to stay a year unless they are giving you a sign-on bonus or paying for your tuition? I would take the job and not worry about the commitment of a year. If you find something better in a few months, I don't see how the nursing home can stop you from giving your notice. I have been applying for jobs since October (graduated December) and finally got an interview a few days ago and a job offer (at a hospital). It's not my dream job, though :o.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

I'm actually planning/hoping to do much the same thing. I'll be able to get my LPN next summer, then I plan/hope to get an LPN job at a LTC while taking my RN courses the following year, and hopefully I'll have an "automatic in" for an RN position the next summer. After I have a year under my belt as an RN (plus the year of LPN experience), I'll be in a much stronger position to get a "dream job" placement.

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