Thinking About Going Into This Specialty

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Aug 25, 2015

The field of long-term care nursing certainly won't appeal to everyone, but it can be perfect fit for many reasons. The answers to what a normal day is like will depend a lot on which nursing position you fill, at least in my facility. We have charge nurses, medication nurses, unit managers and supervisors. The medication nurses have 4-5 hour shifts with responsibility for passing medications only. The charge nurses are responsible for an 8.5 hour shift on a wing. They will pass medications not covered by the med nurse, they are responsible for doing treatments (wound dressings, skin creams, etc) and doing paperwork, dealing with the doctor, family members, etc. A unit manager is responsible for relaying lab results to doctors and putting new orders into the system and providing general help to the charge nurses. And the supervisor is responsible for all units in the building- not as much direct patient care, but being the next line of assistance when needed by the charge nurses. Long term care facilities are known for being chronically short staffed, the work can be physically demanding and some people consider it a "lesser" nursing job than other work environments. However, for those that find the joy, humor and satisfaction in working with a population that deserves to be respected and well treated as they age, it can be a great spot. You might consider volunteering in a nursing home to see if it appeals to you. The recreation staff would probably love a volunteer! Good luck with your future plans.