Yay or Nay..SNF RN Reality, Need More Info

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I wrote earlier and got some awesome reality therapy on LTC. I've been somewhat burned out on acute care and got offered a PM shift position. I was I believe mislead of my duties due to what I have read your some of you nurses. I need to make a decide by this Monday and from what I've read I think I will stay right where I am. I think that there are some exceptional LTC facilities but seem far and few. My friend is a LVN and just passes meds and makes around $22.00/hr. I was told I would pass meds, do assessments, call the doctor for changes and make $25.70/hr. Much less than what I'm earning now and no one seems to know anything about the benefits. I sense the turnover is high with the exception of the DON, and the few others that have private offices and have been there a long time with expensive suits. Please enlighten me as your sister in nursing.

:kiss Kitty :paw: :paw: :paw:

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snf have both long term and subacute unit. subacute unit is like a rehab where patients stay for physical therapy and patients stay about 2 weeks. in long term care, patients stay long time. snf patients are more stable medically and you are going to have the same patients for long periods of time with same medications everyday. in a long term care, you will see alot of hospice patients

i worked in a long term care unit for 2 years and after having the same patients everyday, after losing so man hospice patients, i was starting to become depressed and start hating my job. so i changed to subacute unit where patients stay short term, they get well and go home and i love it!!!! and i was able to use more nursing skills in subacute unit. the average patient to nurse is 20 patients per nurse. since snf is so short staffed, if you want extra hours, you are going to have that easily.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Check out the Geriatric and LTC section in nursing specialties! That will give you an insite to both sides of LTC nursing and quite a bit of situations you may find yourself in one day!

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No one probably doesn't know anything about the benefits because usually there aren't any!!!:stone

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Sorry Dixiecup - beg to differ. I get to know my patients because it's not a revolving door. Our team of nurses do not float off the floor, we are not ever called off because of censes, and the stability is great. Overtime is there if we want it, but we aren't hounded to do it (ie: like it was in the hospital). Also, I get Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO (NOT HMO - like hospital), vision, dental, life insure, etc. no different. Another great thing? When someone asks to talk to me, I can actually sit down and listen instead of having this little person in the back of my head saying "hey, you have to hurry, you don't have time for this - another admit is coming, you have to discharge Rm. 342, and the med pass isn't complete. Don't forget Suzy - surgery checklist, diet changes for Mary (4th time in one week), call the doctor so he can yell at you yet ANOTHER time because you have a stupid question (his opinion), and you still have to do the baths for 7 people plus linen changes because they haven't given you a tech YET AGAIN (though they are always there in SNF's). Give me a SNF anyday - thanks. There are benefits to every kind of nursing, just depends on which niche you like.

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didn't really mean that as negative as it sounded. I currently work in LTC and I love it. But I worked for the state (prison nurse) for 13 years and you kind of get spoiled to the benefits. I'm from rural Missouri and I'm familiar with several different homes in the surrounding counties from where I live and none of the extended benefits are worth a darn.:angryfire

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Thank you. Triage, I will check the LTC site BUT my gut tells me to wait, not to take the leep until I get more info under my belt. I've been around the block a few times and know how things can play out. I used to work in a med surg unit where I'd work like a horse and the CNA's and LVN's (not all!) would find time to out for numerous smoking breaks etc. I started thinking maybe I should take up smoking, if the stress of nursing does not kill me maybe the cigarettes will be therapeutic and be better, just joking but it has crossed my mind. AND, it would be a good idea to maybe visit the SNF's in my area (like I have the time) w/ my dog and check out the vibes and study the RN role. I do not live in a large city that can hire more staff so I feel that the RN will be strapped with more duties etc. I doubt it's not the panacea the interviwer presented to me. Kit :idea:

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