The Activities Dept.

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Is it me or does the Activities department have the easiest job in the planet?? Watch movies, paint nails, bake cakes, coloring and listen to the radio, so easy!!

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

most boring job I can imagine.

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

If your talking about in a LTC facility, they also have to chart, do MDS, RAPs, careplans, calendars, work with no budget, do resident meeting, go to all the meeting the rest of the team does (standards of care, careplan meetings, QA, etc) and work with no help. I have the utmost respect for the activities dept and think its sad that the money is cut there first.

I'm currently the MDS nurse for a 60 bed snf/130 bed rest home and we have ONE act. person.

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most boring job I can imagine.

It does seem a little boring.....

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If your talking about in a LTC facility, they also have to chart, do MDS, RAPs, careplans, calendars, work with no budget, do resident meeting, go to all the meeting the rest of the team does (standards of care, careplan meetings, QA, etc) and work with no help. I have the utmost respect for the activities dept and think its sad that the money is cut there first.

I'm currently the MDS nurse for a 60 bed snf/130 bed rest home and we have ONE act. person.

I totally understand where you're coming from but I'm moreso referring to the Activities Assistants. I know most Directors of Activities are very busy.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
Is it me or does the Activities department have the easiest job in the planet?? Watch movies, paint nails, bake cakes, coloring and listen to the radio, so easy!!

SO... What exactly is your point? Yep, their job is usually easier than the nurses. That is why the don't require the amount of education we do and why they don't get the pay we do. That does NOT mean they are not a very important part of the team in long term care.

I hate to be on a soap box (and I apologize if I am mis-reading the point of this topic), but I just hate it when someone tries to run down another person/department down. Team = all of us working together.. from nurses, aides, activities, housekeepers, dishwashers, etc.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

They have a invalable role in the SNF facility...same as us nurses. Everyone plays a role. I say this coming from 3 years before I started NS as a activity director. They had responsibilities and they actually had to make things flow and get people excited about silly activities(myself included).....

I took care of 197 mentally ill residents from 18-97, and that was a challenge! Plus I got about 1.77 per resident for the month(350 total) when considering all the extras and prizes and supplies.....it didn't go very far. But we made do!

I don't fault anyone the job they do....we all have different parts, and I draw on my activity expierence to make my nursing care that much better!

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What is your point exactly? They play a valuable role to the residents who, without them, would have NOTHING to do all day.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

If they make it look easy, they must be really good at what they're doing. I know that's why some people think my job is easy. :D

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WOW, some people need to get out and get some fresh air. STEP AWAY from the computer....... I NEVER said they weren't important. I think they are very important in improving the quality of life for a resident of a nursing home. I just said it was easy. Wow a lot of ASSUMPTIONS being made. And I just love when one person posts a coment and then FOLLOWERS are right behind. Oh and I never said I was a nurse.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
WOW, some people need to get out and get some fresh air. STEP AWAY from the computer....... I NEVER said they weren't important. I think they are very important in improving the quality of life for a resident of a nursing home. I just said it was easy. Wow a lot of ASSUMPTIONS being made. And I just love when one person posts a coment and then FOLLOWERS are right behind. Oh and I never said I was a nurse.

You have a point, so I'll just answer your question: It's you.

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