What do you LOVE about LTC/N.H.?

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Hi y'all,

I'm reading a more and more of the disparages among the licensed and certified that give so much time and passion towards Nursing Home care and LTC on these forums recently.

As a new RN-BSN, I have learned the very difficult way that hospital nursing is NOT where my own passion lies and I am looking to get into Nursing Home care.

I would love to read some positive input from you who give so much of yourselves to this occupation as to what you find most fulfilling in this career path.

Is there room for this overeducated, underexperienced R.N. in Nursing Home care?

What encouragement would you offer your:

sister/cousin/daughter/brother/boyfriend...etc if they told you that after pursuing the struggles in Nursing School, passing boards under personal obstacles and great odds, and attempting to hone their skills in hospital bedside care, that they made the most difficult decision to navigate away from the New Grad bastion of hospital orientation to do Nursing Home/LTC?

Looking for positive encouragement and hope :heartbeat

Chloe

RN-BSN, BA

Specializes in LTC, Mental Health.
This has been my personal experience in LTC/NH and am I not entitled to freedom of speech? You ask many other nurses who have worked in this field and they will tell you the same, I am just not afraid to say it. I am sure you have had bad experiences in nursing?

Then please go post in the 'What do you HATE about LTC?' forum.

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It is knowing that you make a difference. I like knowing that the work I do has a positive impact on people who have worked hard all their life , and that though a lot of society is through with them they still have value. Yes there are the good the bad and the ugly in ltc , but most of my long time families are sweet loving and grateful.

My favorite is a daughter who comes up and reads the bible to her mom every night, you just know her mom read the bible to her every night when she was young and now they have come full circle.

I have a 92 year old patient that still puts on her make up every day.

Listening to this same patient tell her daughter "Jeannie I told you not to come up here today ", And her daughters response "Mother I am 72 years old , I do occasionally make my own decisions."

I mean stuff like this cracks me up !

It is the patients who reach out and grab your hand or hug you.

I enjoy seeing the love people have for each other and the different ways it plays out through the lives of my patients.

Thanks for starting this thread cause sometimes I get so caught up in the politics, and worrying about whose doing what that I forget that it really is about the patients!:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

Mostly, in my opinion you get what you give . If you have a heart for the elderly you will like it.

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Everyone, try to just ignore the riff-raff.

:)

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Specializes in Did the job hop, now in MS. Not Bad!!!!!.

Callie,

you are most welcome. I figured with all that is out there, it was time to speak of why we WANT to be here and chose this. And I really hope my interview tomorrow reflects that this is where I should be because when I read a post like yours and the simple love given in Sue's above, I feel all warm and fuzzy and I sure haven't felt that in the hospital setting.

Thanks for your kind words!

Chloe

RN-BSN, BA

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I love it when I have been off a few days and my residents come up to me and tell me how much they missed me. When you get responses like that you know you are making an impact on their lives. :redpinkhe

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I am an RN student but have been a CNA for 8+ years. I went into healthcare on a whim but I find that I stay because I have never found anything else that has filled me with a sense of accomplishment and joy. As men we really aren't exposed to these things when we are growing up. It's like having multiple grandparents. These are people that have seen and experienced things that will never be known to us. They have given life and lived it.

After this much time I still enjoy every day that I go to work. Yea, other CNAs and the nurses can be a pain in my behind. The residents make it worth it though. Who knew taking care of people would be more fun than doing more manly things like blowing things up :chuckle. You should definitely try it at least. You may love it.

Of course when a 98 year old woman from Alabama thinks a 30ish black man is her son and her eyes light up when she sees you is wonderful in itself, but that's a different thread. :)

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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

There are several things that I love about working in LTC. When I have a new resident come in and I am able to comfort them. When I walk into the unit in the morning and one of my residents smiles at me. When one of my confused residents comes up to me and says something completely nutty. There are certain residents that make me smile everyday. When my alert resident is sick and say to me "I am so glad you are here today."

Most of all I know in my heart of hearts that I make a difference in someone's life every single day.

Thanks for starting this thread. It really helped me to focus on the positives about my job.

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Specializes in Did the job hop, now in MS. Not Bad!!!!!.
Thanks for starting this thread. It really helped me to focus on the positives about my job.

It's been a pleasure on my end as well JB!

Thank you for your kind words!!

Chloe

RN-BSN, BA

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Specializes in LTC.
Please do not go into LTC - you will have residents who report you for nothing but trying to help them, families who are demanding and want to tell you how to take care of their family members, and LPN's and CNA's who are troublemakers and deceitful. Save yourself alot of agony and find another place to work.:banghead:

Are you kidding me??? This can be said about any job, anywhere in the world. There are bad seeds everywhere and there are more good than bad...

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Specializes in Geriatric/Psych.

Ladyjrn1:

Yes, of course I have worked with some awful nurses....but that includes RN's...LPN's...BSN's....and CNA's. I don't say>>"All of them are bad, gossip and will backstab you and create problems for you"

I'm sorry you have had bad experiences, but they are just not in LTC facilities...it's everywhere. And I'm sure what you have been through, we have all been through. Its cruel to lump all of them together. Just because I run into rude, disrespectful people doesn't mean I lump everyone into a category.

Yes, I have run into professionals who treat LPN's and CNA's like they are the bottom.......but I don't tolerate it. And I do speak up for them! Even the current MD we have has his 'bottom dweller' opinon on LPN's, and when he calls to ask about a resident......I tell him, "You know "so and so" knows that resident better than I do....so I'm going to let you talk to her." I do that purposely. Cause I won't stand for it. Do I think highly of him. No. I know his patients better than he does. But not all MD's are like him.

I worked with an LPN who did sabatoge me, couldn't stand her...tolerated her. That was her. Now I work with an LPN who is an angel of this earth. We are a good team. Its not the title....its the person.

Again, I'm sorry people have hurt you.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Okay - let's try to stay to the topic of what is positive in LTC nursing.

I'll go next: I don't work in LTC per se, but rather work in nephrology. With the advances in dialysis, people are living longer and having better lives. Here's some examples:

- 85 y/o gentleman, used to be a policeman. Still volunteers 4 hours twice a week at our local police station.

- 88 y/o lady who lives with her family continues to help out by cleaning house, doing laundry and watching children.

- 90 y/o retired farmer still mows his own lawn.

And there are many more. The elderly have much to offer us if we only listen!

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Specializes in LTC.

A few weeks ago, I posted in another forum that, "I hate LTC!!". Turns out, the reason for the negative feelings was that I was focusing too much on the negative aspects of my job, and not appreciating the positive aspects. I guess we all have "those" days...Anyway, I have come to enjoy my job for the most part. Of course it's not all bliss, but what job is? I enjoy advocating for my people, getting them tx's/meds and watching them get better because I saw something in them that needed attention. Yesterday, I had an "up ad-lib" order changed to "up c asst" d/t a gradual increase in weakness, nothing major, I was just worried about her safety, and notified family. I spoke with her son, who stated that he was going to call the local paper or news about us. Yes, I grabbed a piece of paper expecting the worst, but to my surpirse, he went on about how lucky he and his family is to have found a facility that took such good care of his Mom, and he sounded like he was near tears. THAT, is why I love my job. I know what I do helps not only my people, but helps families sleep a little easier at night. The pts/families gratitude makes up for less than stellar working conditions for me. I know what I do is worthwhile, and that helps ME sleep at night. As far as a BSN in LTC, our wound nurse is a RN-MSN. She is perfectly happy there, and has been for over 20 years.

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