Why I love LTC

[MouseMichelle]

When I graduated I did not want to work acute care, during my semesters on acute care I just found it ho hum. I felt very ashamed of going to LTC when I graduated and so spoke to one of my profs that I respected and she said it's your calling do it.

So I've done LTC, home health, adult day health care. Been in LTC for about 7 years during my 13 year nursing career.

First I love LTC because it's a HUGE challenge. When I was working AM's you really had to learn how to manage your time. It would be fun for me when during the middle of my 3 hour med pass I would have emergencies to deal with and still make my med pass be on time.

I love LTC because since I was a child I used to LOVE old people. I used to go with my mom and grandma to visit my great grandma at a nursing home and I would ask my mom if I could go speak to the people and I loved it.

I love LTC because I get to know my patients very very well. So well that now I can look at a patient and tell immedietely if his/her blood sugar is low. I know when something is up right away because I do know them so well.

I love the challenges such as directing my 2 NOC CNA's as to what needs to be done when people are tryign to crawl oob etc. I don't know I just love LTC.

Now there are many things I can gripe about LTC however, it's mainly due to administration and DON issues. If we had excellent administrators and DON's LTC would be that much sweeter.

Michelle

:heartbeat:redbeathe

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

While acute care and med surg provide great experiences, I can say that I appreciated my experiences on these units when I was a student. And those nurses work hard. We all do. That said, I love LTC (among other areas), and I have no intention of working a med surg floor again, if I can help it. I like the residents and the sense of community you have in LTC. I am hoping to eventually go to psych or palliative before I'll return to acute. That's the great aspect of nursing. So much diversity, and something for everyone.

[MouseMichelle]

Yes there is a sense of community in LTC, you get to know your CNA's and other nurses very well, and it becomes a family, in fact some of my LTC patients I do consider family. However at times it's rough, especially when we have patients I've known for three years pass, but then you have to learn to separate and be okay with their death and let them go. Yes the nursing field is so diverse, it's wonderful.

Michelle

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Death is never easy, and we do sometimes become attached. I firmly believe in QOL, so when someone is suffering, they're often better off to go. I have always viewed death as part of the cycle. And in LTC, as with nursing in general, its inevitable. All we can do is to try to promote comfort for the patients and their families :)

[grahajas]

Yes there is a sense of community in LTC, you get to know your CNA's and other nurses very well, and it becomes a family, in fact some of my LTC patients I do consider family. However at times it's rough, especially when we have patients I've known for three years pass, but then you have to learn to separate and be okay with their death and let them go. Yes the nursing field is so diverse, it's wonderful.

Michelle

This is a very good description of sub acute nursing. Maybe it's just that you actually have time to be a person rather than a robot. I had it in my mind to always go for working in acute care. So thats where am at now and I think back to those personal situations I had at a CCRC and cant even imagine having those on the medsurg floors I work on. I miss the ones with the residents not so much the employees. I find the residents just appreciate the conversation. The employees can always use it politically against you.

[mangopeach]

Wow, refreshing reading this after so many posts I've read not to go LTC when you start out. This is my first semester of nursing school so I'm still not sure of the direction I want to go when I'm finished with school. But I must say that, thus far in clinicals, I've really enjoyed working with the older patients that I have been assigned to.

[agldragonRN]

thanks for the post mousemichelle! if only we can have great don and administrator, i won't leave ltc.

[MouseMichelle]

thanks for the post mousemichelle! if only we can have great don and administrator, i won't leave ltc.

it's so so rare to have a ltc with both a good don and administrator, but hey i've worked in several ltc and there's always drama drama drama and usually bad bosses.