Your Work Environment

I don't know; I think my workplace is much safer to work in than my clinical site. The two places were owned by the same company, so I guess that should've been a red flag for me.

On the outside, my facility looks really upscale and fancy. It's got a really nice lobby with a grand piano and whatnot. The skilled nursing unit, where I usually work, is fine. The workload there is manageable (usually), and patients are relatively satisfied with their stay.

However, I float to the long-term side occasionally, and that is where my problems lie. I always feel so guilty because I know these people pay tons of money to stay there and sometimes I'm so overworked that I can't provide the level of care I would like to give. I feel that if I don't give them exactly what they paid for, I'm helping the administration lie to them and deceive them into coming to live here.

When I got hired, the DON had just jumped ship and left for another facility because the higher-ups at my place are really delusional. My place is going to convert to 100% skilled nursing once our current residents all pass; corporate greed truly breaks my heart.

Maybe the grass is greener, but maybe it's just turf.

When I worked for an LTC, I worked for a "bad" facility. It was a tough place, primarily due to the total care needs and acuity of the residents. However, I felt the workload was realistic, and that the residents got good care. Each facility is probably quite individual, I guess.

Have you thought about working at a hospital? I think you'll find a hospital environment a lot easier, with less pettiness and without people constantly making mountains out of molehills. Its obviously less predictable, but the workload is usually less to account for the unexpected, unlike LTC where the unexpected results in everything going to hell lol.

I worked in LTC in a top notch facility that was extremely demanding of the CNAs. I was getting burned out there when I took a hospital med/surg job and eventually worked my way into a full time position. I miss some of the residents and we did have a tight group of aides on my shift that I sometimes miss, but overall I like the hospital and Im learning a lot more. Its also a lot easier on the back. The RNs actually help out with transferring, cleaning and turning patients without bickering about it. If you are really busy they will even do total care on a patient.

I think some aides are scared a hospital will be really stressful and the other staff will continually look down on you, but that hasnt been my experience at all. Its also nice to have patients that will often make a full recovery and return to a normal life, unlike in LTC where its pretty much the end of the road for most people and you see them decline.