What is it with the nurses in LTC?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

OMG! I don't understand why the nurses in LTC have soooo much attitude. Wait, let me back up. I am a student, and am currently in my geri rotation, which makes this the 2nd facility that I have been exposed to. Anyway, the nurses and staff that I have personally run accross are the meanest, most selfish, and downright rudest people I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. Have I just had 2 experiences in a row that correlate, or do LTCF's breed negativity?

Specializes in tried almost everything/LTC.
hi lilypad, wow, looks like you got slammed with responses to this one! sure am sorry you've had such a bad experience so far. i've been in lots of "health care" settings in my 20+ years, and it can be (and is) tough all over. (i say "health care" tongue-in-cheek, because nursing has become so much other than caring for people and their health.)so, brace yourself and hang on for a wild ride - or bail before there is too much invested. i fought myself for years to get out of nursing, but i was born for this. were you? hopefully it won't take you 2 decades to be able to state that and really believe it.
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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.

Look here sister, you need to check your bad attitude at the door. Maybe the problem is YOU. Or maybe so far you have managed to get in every nurse's way or make them mad. If you want to survive in this business, you need to cool your jets and stop making rude generalizations that are going to bite you in the butt in the end. You need to go in there ready to learn, ready to work, and ready to shut it and be the "student" so they can be your "teacher". Let me give you a hint at some of the things that might make the nurse mad: ignoring her while she is trying to teach you something, standing in the hallway doing nothing, bitching about your SO/employer/instructor/etc., not giving it 100%, and being disrespectful.

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I felt the same way you did when I was in school had a bad experience in my geri clinical; however you will find good and bad anywhere you go in any profession. LTC is different than the hospital I understand more now that I work LTC you have 30 res to take care of seriously understaffed and it can be quite stressful don't take it personal it is not. Focus on learning take it all in and turn the negative into a positive learning experience we all handle stressors differently don't let a couple bad experiences deter you from your goal being the best nurse you can be. Good luck!

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It's a prerequisite. They actually ask you on the application "Are you rude, b1tchy, and unwilling to help?" You even get paid extra if you walk around with a perpetual scowl on your face!:madface: ;)

Serioulsy, be careful about judging everyone based on 2 facilities. I would ask how you'd feel if you knew they were sitting around the nurses desk after you left asking why ALL nursing students were clueless and obnoxious?

But I know they weren't b/c they were too busy taking care of 40 patients. Do you know how many meds 40 patients take in an 8 hour period? They get at least 5 a piece, and I have some on 25 a piece. 2 med passes. You're talking at least 200 meds in 8 hours! Then of course they have wounds, and the tx nurse (if you have one) had to take a cart so you're doing your own. Then, Mr. Smith hits Mr. Jones with the fire extinguisher he pulled off the wall. Scared poor Ms. Harris so bad she fell and broke her hip. All this about time the state surveyors walked in and wanted to know where your MSDS manuals were. You can't answer her just yet b/c your dementia patient just walked out the back door and alarms are going off. Before you can get her back inside, Ms. Little's daughter is screaming at you because her mom has on blue slacks instead of black slacks. And you're only 3 hours into your 8 hour shift. (Well, actually it'll be more like 10 hours, b/c you want be able to document on your 10 medicare patients, and 5 patients on ABT until your relief gets there and takes your keys)

I wish you luck on your geri clinicals. Truly I do. Just know the world doesn't stop when you walk in the door.

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bshaw, LMAO!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
OMG! I don't understand why the nurses in LTC have soooo much attitude.
I am usually pleasant toward the students who complete their clinical rotations at my facility. However, here are things that you should not do, because it will really piss off some LTC nurses.

1. Do not sit at the nurses station, because it forces me to have to find a chair to sit in. After all, I need to stand for 16 hours. You get to go home in less than 8 hours.

2. Do not tell me you're going to do something, if you do not plan to follow through. I cannot stand when a student tells me they'll pass all my meds, then they stop after 2 patients.

3. Do not verbally accost the nurse who is not doing a procedure "by the book." The imaginary textbook world of nursing is adequately supplied, and filled with unlimited time. The real world has time constraints and inadequate supplies.

4. Do not waltz into the building acting as if you know more about these patients than the very nurses who have worked with them for several years.

5. Realize that many LTC nurses are treated badly by nurse managers. It's a trickle down effect: if your nurses are being ridiculed, they might take out their frustrations on you by ridiculing you, the student. Many LTCs suffer from poor leadership.

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Specializes in LTAC, Telemetry, Thoracic Surgery, ED.

Bshaw - very funny, very true, and very funny....

the commuter: very good points for OP

One suggestion from my clinical instructor when I was in school.....go to the instructor with questions, comments, concerns regarding the patient first before interrupting the nursing during her med pass

and as the others stated be ready willing and able to help and to learn....LTC nurses will appreciate any help they can get

I would always go to the nurse at the beginning of the day/shift and say: hello my name is: nursing student and I am assigned to Mr. xyz, is there anything I can do to help you with him or that needs to be done that I can do.....trust me, it helps.

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It's a prerequisite. They actually ask you on the application "Are you rude, b1tchy, and unwilling to help?" You even get paid extra if you walk around with a perpetual scowl on your face!:madface: ;)

Serioulsy, be careful about judging everyone based on 2 facilities. I would ask how you'd feel if you knew they were sitting around the nurses desk after you left asking why ALL nursing students were clueless and obnoxious?

But I know they weren't b/c they were too busy taking care of 40 patients. Do you know how many meds 40 patients take in an 8 hour period? They get at least 5 a piece, and I have some on 25 a piece. 2 med passes. You're talking at least 200 meds in 8 hours! Then of course they have wounds, and the tx nurse (if you have one) had to take a cart so you're doing your own. Then, Mr. Smith hits Mr. Jones with the fire extinguisher he pulled off the wall. Scared poor Ms. Harris so bad she fell and broke her hip. All this about time the state surveyors walked in and wanted to know where your MSDS manuals were. You can't answer her just yet b/c your dementia patient just walked out the back door and alarms are going off. Before you can get her back inside, Ms. Little's daughter is screaming at you because her mom has on blue slacks instead of black slacks. And you're only 3 hours into your 8 hour shift. (Well, actually it'll be more like 10 hours, b/c you want be able to document on your 10 medicare patients, and 5 patients on ABT until your relief gets there and takes your keys)

I wish you luck on your geri clinicals. Truly I do. Just know the world doesn't stop when you walk in the door.

omg i almost peed :lol2:

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Specializes in LTC.

i work in LTC and trust me - there are those where i work that i would be proud to say i know - and then there are those who make our lives miserable - yes staffing is an issue - yes lack of equipment is an issue - yes lack of incentive is an issue - yes lack of the perks such as better insurance and retirement is an issue - but we are all expected to keep a smile on our faces - and the biggest issue is that we care for our patients no matter what the adversity happens to be for that day - i use this saying to keep me going from day to day " dont let anyone burst my bubble today"

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Specializes in lots of specialties.

Please dont lump all LTC nurses into one category. It was probably the person.The facility you are at probably has students all the time and sometimes it can be frustrating. Continue to be nice.Remember that we cannot all have nice, wonderfully, shining days at work. When I was a student I had tons of questions and such for the nurses, some were short with me and others were nice.....when I became a nurse I realized that our facility was under staffed, I had 25 pts to get meds to in 1 hour and a student smiling in my face with a note pad in hand.

Remember your experience and make sure that when you become a nurse and have a student or a new hire on your hands to be as nice as you can because we were all their once.

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Specializes in LTC / SNF / Geriatrics.
It's a prerequisite. They actually ask you on the application "Are you rude, b1tchy, and unwilling to help?" You even get paid extra if you walk around with a perpetual scowl on your face!:madface: ;)

Serioulsy, be careful about judging everyone based on 2 facilities. I would ask how you'd feel if you knew they were sitting around the nurses desk after you left asking why ALL nursing students were clueless and obnoxious?

But I know they weren't b/c they were too busy taking care of 40 patients. Do you know how many meds 40 patients take in an 8 hour period? They get at least 5 a piece, and I have some on 25 a piece. 2 med passes. You're talking at least 200 meds in 8 hours! Then of course they have wounds, and the tx nurse (if you have one) had to take a cart so you're doing your own. Then, Mr. Smith hits Mr. Jones with the fire extinguisher he pulled off the wall. Scared poor Ms. Harris so bad she fell and broke her hip. All this about time the state surveyors walked in and wanted to know where your MSDS manuals were. You can't answer her just yet b/c your dementia patient just walked out the back door and alarms are going off. Before you can get her back inside, Ms. Little's daughter is screaming at you because her mom has on blue slacks instead of black slacks. And you're only 3 hours into your 8 hour shift. (Well, actually it'll be more like 10 hours, b/c you want be able to document on your 10 medicare patients, and 5 patients on ABT until your relief gets there and takes your keys)

I wish you luck on your geri clinicals. Truly I do. Just know the world doesn't stop when you walk in the door.

Gee...do we work at the same place? :lol2:

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Thank you all for replying to my post! Your feedback is much appreciated. For those that had a somewhat negative response, I apologize for striking a cord in you. My purpose for posting that thread was to find out why the conditions are such that, "IN MY EXPERIENCE" LTC facilities are so understaffed. I will tell you that the place I am doing my clinicals at now is atrocious! The patients are such sweet people, and I just feel soooo sorry for them! I really hope that this facility is the exception to the rule. Furthermore, the nurses there do paperwork and are completely uncaring towards the residents. I understand that students can be annoying, I myself would get annoyed, it's more than that in this particular case. It's a deeper rooted, "I hate my job," sort of thing. Okay, let the bashing begin, but first I want to say that I am a very good student and a very considerate person, I hope that I never get to a point in my career or in my life that I stop doing what's right because it isn't convenient for me. We are all in this together and should live our lives accordingly. Peace and love.

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