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.
Many people look down on others. Whether it's ICU nurses thinking they are smarter or better than a floor nurse. PACU nurses thinking pre-op nurses are trained monkeys who do not use critical thinking (a manager actually said this to me). The list goes on. Those are just some of the comments I have heard working in various departments. I have thought of LTC as a difficult job mostly and one I would not want, but mainly because my experience in a skilled nursing facility in nursing school wasn't pleasant. I'm sure some nurses in hospitals think they are "better" than a nurse working in a clinic. Stupidity is all around us. But remember there are idiots and a-holes in every profession, so I try not to make it a "nurse" thing.
Trust me guys. It's not that great. I literally spent 3 hours tonight having the same conversation over and over and over again with a resident who was SunDowning big time. At the very least it gives me the opportunity to practice (and re practice) my communication skills.
Most of my nursing experience has been Private Duty. Lots of people saw me as either a CNA or, when I worked PEDs, a babysitter. I deal with trachs and vents in the community, without hospital level resources. I've dealt with power outages and suctioned on a city bus. I enable people with profound disabilities to live in the community, instead of a facility. I've also been paid to go to family campgrounds, the fair, and Starbucks. The pay could be better, but I can pee when I need to.
Being a nurse in a nursing home is not an easy job. Every nursing home assistant undergoes training to build experience that they need in handling every kind of condition a certain patient might have. Those position shouldn't looked down upon!
It takes a special kind of nurse to deal with some of the craptastic work conditions SNFs have. But it also takes a special kind of nurse to deal with all those patients that come into the ER and into the wound clinics. It takes a special kind of nurse to do each of the different fields.
It takes a special kind of nurse to deal with some of the craptastic work conditions SNFs have. But it also takes a special kind of nurse to deal with all those patients that come into the ER and into the wound clinics. It takes a special kind of nurse to do each of the different fields.
Exactly. While I love LTC I know there are plenty of specialties that I just could not do. I read a response in a different thread about a Mom with a medically fragile child wanting to go into pediatrics nursing and I know there is no way could I take care of tiny people. Especially ones that have been subjected to abuse and/or neglect. The nurse that can do this while remaining professional around those very people that are suppose to love that child and instead harmed that child is a very special nurse indeed.
Point is I guess that for the most part not a one of us has an easy job. Every specialty utilizes it's own set of skills and every specialty has an important role to play.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
And last night was an LTC nurse's worst nightmare - 40 pt's under my supervision and 5 admits between 7 and 11 pm. A new pt from Day shift who wanted his pillows fluffed every two hours. I have a great team of individuals and we rocked it out but we all ended up working 12 hours with no break (we have eight hours shift but usually only 1 nurse on NOc) . I was cursing like a sailor before I was through.
Guttercat, ASN, RN
1,353 Posts
I worked LTC/SubAcute/Rehab early on in my career (back in the 90's). It was a wonderful facility with great support and professionalism. I loved it.
But, I would never go back, knowing how things have changed.