We were all wrong about nursing home nurses

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As someone who's been a charge nurse in a nursing home for some time now (as first RN job) I must admit that I was wrong and many on here have been wrong as well.

The position is looked down upon but I can assure you there is a lot of critical thinking, decision making and responsibility in that position. As the lone RN in charge of 8-10 Aides, 3 LPN and 65-70 residents it is a huge task and responsibility. Not to mention when things go south for a resident, you might as well be a nurse in the rain forest or Kenya (as far as supplies are concerned). All you have is your critical thinking skills.

Nursing home RNs are in fact real RNs.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I wasn't wrong. I've never looked down on any type of nurse.

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Specializes in ER LTC MED SURG CLINICS UROLOGY.

I worked LTC for six years. Definitely had more autonomy in LTC vs the hospital. I have to say I don't really

Miss it all that much.

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Specializes in Critical care.
I wasn't wrong. I've never looked down on any type of nurse.

I look down on most nurses!

(I'm taller than them)

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I look down on most nurses!

(I'm taller than them)

I look UP to most nurses.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I would love to be able to change that title. It's inaccurate at best. "We" didn't do anything.

I have been in the LTC setting so I know how hard it is. Besides, I try never to look down an ANY nurse in any specialty anyhow. I try not to judge what I know little about.

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Many do. Many think the LTC position is the bottom of the barrel and is a job of last resort. Myself included. I now know I was wrong. Even though the pay and working conditions in this area are the bottom of the barrel.

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When I think about LTC nursing I think overwhelming responsibility for the staff. I feel angry that of the several people I know who own LTC facilities....they are all obscenely well off when the facilities are providing the bare minimum of staffing.

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I completely agree....there is a just plain old jobism (I made that word up) regarding nurses who work in nursing homes. "They" don't have acute care skills is usually the main theme. I know taking charge of LVN's, aides, and 70 residents requires more acute care thinking than how to start an IV! It is a complex, under appreciated, low paying job.

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"We" were not "all wrong" because "all" of us did not hold that opinion.

I would rather flip burgers than work in LTC, not because the nurses there are of a lesser caliber. It's because they are tremendously overworked and definitely underpaid. With a background in ICU/OR/Endo, I'm used to small nurse to patient ratios. NO WAY I could handle the work those nurses do without a lot of remediation into time management skills, prioritization, and multi-tasking.

I have a lot of respect for those nurses!

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

I've never seen a negative opinion about nurses who work NH on AN. Granted, I'm not here 24/7, and I don't visit the LTC forums.

I don't work with nurses who routinely make ugly remarks about those who work in NHs, and I personally have only admiration for any nurse who can do that job well. It's where I started, and is the yard stick by which I've measured every job I've had since.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

For me, LTC *would* be a job of last resort, not because I look down on LTC nurses but because of the insanely bad working conditions. After my last LTC job, I swore I would sell my body on the street before I worked in another SNF. Now I will only go back if my family is facing immediate homelessness.

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