Long-term care blues......disillusioned...

[JANE20-20]

Hi....to everyone!....it's nice to find a place to discuss nusing issues...and to get information......this is my first time posting....I found this site by chance....and this is a little of my story....

I have been a nurse for about 10yrs....I have worked in long term care nursing facilities and rehabs for the most of that time....what I have noticed unfortunately is that there has been a decline in ethics of the employees workplace of the facilities.....this includes the nurses as well as cenas.....the attitudes of the cenas are poor.....they can be loud, lewd, crude and profane....and some have been sexually inappropriate.....and believe it or not...this behavior...if not mirrored by the nurses in charge....this behavior is at the very least...condoned....and my thing...if this is the behavior....then the work will be affected as well...reguarding care of residents/patients......and that shouldn't be...but it is.....

This is my way: ...my beliefs...may be a bit dated or idealistic...but I believe that as nurses we should behave professionally....and provide the best care possible to the those who need it....we should be leading the cenas and not following....stay close enough to be able to communicate and available to them if a problem arises...but at the same time keeping a distance and not getting too close, becoming too familar to the point where it destroys objectivity ....and not be afraid to enforce the policies of the facility....and should always have management in place to support us.....I have found that not only does management not support the nurses....they mirror and condone alot of negative behavior.....so..if nursing supervisors are exibiting this kind of negative behavior....what kind of behavior is the rest of the staff is going to have???....I have seen this typy of behavior....more times this I care to remember......

..and what happens is....i become the enemy in these situations....simply because I don't act that way.....and I think that residents should be repositioned/changed q 2hrs....among all of the other duties that the cenas should do.....in a timely fashion....and by no means should they curse and swear at the nusres station...in the hall...etc.....but as I said before I'm asking too much of them.....and I have been told...I am the problem...because they are not going to change....and I should accept the behavior....and change my profession.....

.....Please tell me what you think......is it too much to ask?....is it too much to think that nurses/cenas shouldn't stand at the nurses stations...talking about sex...or demonstrating different sexual acts.....saying MF this or B that?....I don't think that it is....but believing in being professional.....has cost me my job....

[ZuziRN]

I would like to help you and trust me I could NOT.

And I will explain you why.

Healthcare in US is A BUSINESS, this is the lesson that I learnt here.

Beeing a bussiness,use BUSSINESS RULES, bussines means money, and are made with bussines people.

YOU like a nurse you are JUST AN INSTRUMENT in the business game. And your CNAs it seems that know BETTER than you it.

What you belive that is NORMAL (and it is for me you and few others), in the ACTUAL HEALTHCARE REALITY is NOT!

Normality means: keep my position, take my salary, everyone to like me dosen't matter why, to be fun and happy, all group to be fun and happy and live like a happy family.

As soon you will start to ask and question,trying to straight up or ask for CLEAR LOGICAL rules......you will become ARGUMENTATIVE lady, you will disturbe hapiness ever after and you will see how bad nurse you could become, lol.

My advice...take it or live it.....nothing never ever will be change...until whole system will be start to be changed.

And take a break go and relax....lower your expectations until you will have no ones, lol, IS ABOUT THE SYSTEM, think on it!

Oh and one more: Do YOUR BEST, is ALL that you can do, you could not expect others to do the same because they are NOT you and them values are NOT YOURS. And don't try to change NOTHING, alone and from your position will not work, trust me....the changes come from top down NOT from buttom up... lol!

[JANE20-20]

...@ZuziRN....thanks...and I get that....but the supervisors put me in a bind....going through my unit....checking this....and checking that.....and hiring me in saying that they need a strong nurse.....(of which I thought when I heard it...that it was a crock of s**t).....and it was....but then almost in the same breath...during my initial interview for that job....the nurse manager said that in a hypothetical situation....that she would fire me before firing a CENA.....and that a Nurse is replaceable....but that the cenas require alot of training...and that takes money.....

...and I thought then ...that it was crazy to think that way....and also because they think that way....there was going to be alot of problems with staff....meaning that the Cenas weren't going to do their job.....because they weren't being disciplined.....and I was right....
....I really do get that it's a business....and it's all about the money/ appearances....and that they really don't give a damn.....that's evident.....because if they did....they wouldn't have had the problems that they have..........
... the thing about that is....when the nurse encountered the problems....of which I did...in which manifested itself in the form of...foul attitudes...meaning that the female cenas didn't want to take orders...and would get really loud...or walk off while your giving directives...of which I wasn't having that...at all! so when the cenas dicovered that I wasn't taking any s**t...I was really hated...because they couldn't get their way...so they started doing other little things....just like some children...and if the cena didn't do their work....the nurse would get written up....now you see there in lies the problem....

....the nurse is the fall guy....as if we already don't have 101 things to accomplish in 8hrs....and only time to do 90 of those things....really....that's how it is....and now we have to answer for the things that another adult...didn't do....

...so in order to keep from being written up....I had to enforce the policies reguarding care...that were already in place...of which they weren't doing...because they were being coddled by nurse management....so then..of course....I wasn't popular with the cenas because I made them do their work.....but I really didn't give a crap about not being liked....for this is not high school....this is real life.....and my bills have to be paid.....

....I really wasn't trying to change their behavior.....I was just trying to keep my job....I had to stomach all of the vulgar and profane conversations..... I shouldn't have had to but I did....it's really sad that the things listed about harassment/sexual harrassment...and unwarrented sexual comments or conversation....is non-existant now.....because this type of behavior is so common place....that people accept it in alot of long-term care facilities and other places of employment.....which is bad for business...and they are only going to attract certain kinds of patients but you can't tell them that....that concept is too much for them to comprehend......

...but when it's said that they have a bad reputation....or the census is low....or the State is always there.....or they are being cited...they don't understand why that is......and they contribute to it daily....help to create it....and don't even see it.....

[JANE20-20]

con't...what I do realize is that.....these facilities are in certain areas.... I am not going to change my profession.....I worked hard for my nursing license and I love what I do.....I am however, going to apply for nursing positions in areas a little bit further out....where I know that type of behavior isn't tolerated,condoned or accepted......

[markpajak2]

I don't mean to be disrespectful of long-term care employees, but I've worked in long-term care for a while, esp. during my nursing school years and I see lots of problems there. I think the main problem is finding good nursing staff. If you're having problems finding good staff, the whole system is in jeopardy.

[JANE20-20]

.....I know...I know....it is so bad....from the extremely unprofessional way that the nurses/supervisors/DON at times behave.....it can be horrible to experience.....and if the ones in charge are demonstrating this type of behavior....then the rest of the employees are going to follow suit....and this unfortunately is the general concensus of nursing staff today....in my case I was different simply because I was professional....as if that is a bad thing....I don't know why that is....but one of the problems I feel is that nurse think that this profession is some type of club...and the facilities serve as the meeting place for this group of people....

Instead of being a place to provide medical services for people that need it....(that idea is too much like right)..... in this club...so to speak...if the nurse doesn't socialize, with the other nurses...and discuss things that involve drinking, gambling,and sexual/bi- sexual activity esspecially....then that nurse thinks that she is too good....or is viewed as uppity...and is the "girl-out".....and then the games begin....any where from being rude to that paticular nurse....to telling lies, starting rumors....making a situation look like something it is not.....all to make that nurse look bad....

when I experience things like that....or witnessed things like that.....I do not send my love ones or anyone else that I know to those nursing facilities.....because of the deplorable behavior of the staff...but once again....this train of thought is beyond their understanding it seems.....there is something so wrong.....

[ZuziRN]

Jane dear, nursing IS a kind of club, but now depend where you landed, lol.

Is NOT them problem if YOU choosed WRONG and you enterd in a wrong club. GO OUT!

Choose another one, based on your own life values. Not all places are the same, are good and bad places, with good and bad people, YOU NEED TO CHOOSE!

"Personal talking" will be EVERYWHERE, is NOT YOUR PROBLE what they talk about as soon it not affect your activity. I use to go out when someone talk about somenthing that I don't like to hear.

Pointing finger on them NOW after you was there and listen, didn't discreditate them BUT YOU, because what you do right now IS PASSIVE AGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR WITH PREMEDITATED RESPONSE and...IS WRONG DEAR!

Nursing is a divers field and we need to accept one each other and work with one each other and be TOLERANTS.

Untolerance ANY TYPE OF HATE AND UNTOLERANCE create MONSTERS, stop your own self until you will become one of them.

[JANE20-20]

Hi @ZuziRN.....I have gone somewhere else to work....where hopefully that type of behavior is not acceptable. I shouldn't have to do that....but I did. There are almost no words to describe what I'm thinking...but I'll start here, the objectives for all healthcare facilities are basically the same. I know that it is unpopular to believe that grown people who are parents themselves, shouldn't be so overtly concerned about sex that they are discussing it in detail at the freakin nurses station...or how much there were drinking at the bar,all very loudly and in the most vulgar and explicit terms...now I don't pull no punches with you or anyone else in with this issue....THAT IS UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR!! and henders the overall image of the staff and business/and other nursing facilities in the city that it serves and the mere fact that you are seemingly condoning it...makes you part of the problem!...and like I said before....I don't pull any punches....passive aggressive my a**!.....I disgussed this with nursing mangement as well....unfortunately they were also displaying some of the same behavior....

I can express whatever I like and choose on this site about my nursing experiences,that is just what this forum is for,...I didn't create this problem and nor do I contribute to the behavior....and you sound like you are not apart of this group of people that I am speaking of....and you have absolutely no idea of the magnitude of this situation....how wide spread it actually is...and how it affects the surrounding view of the community/peoples it serves or employs...it would take too long to explain...and even then....you still wouldn't know.....I can see that by your last line in your post...referring to intolerance...really??...how about common decency on the job?...repect for other employees?...respect for self?...respect for the residents/patients??...why should we be subjected to that?....why?....oh I know this is a dated and somewhat foreign concept??...right??

But news freakin flash!...dear!... there are other healthcare facilities...in which nursing staff do not display crude,lewd,profane and flat out nasty behavior...now I wonder just why that is???hmmmm...could it be that they don't go out, have a drink or two?...that they don't curse or get upset?....or have sexual relations with spouse or significant other?....or are they better people??....or could it simply be that to discuss private interludes of a sexual nature so openly while at work, is considered to be in poor taste, and that it is seen as unprofessional to behave in such a manner... and that it is also bad for business....could that be it???.....WOW!...what a concept....

You have absolutely no clue about what you speak.....
...and I don't have the time to tell you.......

[brightaspen]

Yes, I know, I am having a hard time getting motivated to start a new job I have just accepted. I was terminated, from a job that I felt was under my abilities over very minor c/o. The real issue I feel was a personality conflict with a staff Dr. What the Dr wants, the Dr gets. I feel that my manager didn't stand up for me. i should have fought back a little more. I feel that I was terminated over politics. So I havefound another job, even slightly under my abilities again. I borrowed 40 k to complete my nursing degree. I have been terminated from my two nursing jobs now. The first position was due to relationships with some staff nurses and aids, at a facility that another friend said she had been called ratial slurs at. Is this what I got myself into? I am having days where I am so depressed I start crying. The behavior that I am seeing in coworkers, nurses, is really morally questionable. The conversations would raise your hair if you were a patient, and you heard what kinds of nasty things they say about the patients coming in the door. I am experiencing nursing situations that are so far away from the theoretical ideals we were taught in my BSN program. I am beginning to think I will be more guarded like everyone else, and not say or do too much to extend myself. I will need to really watch myself with regard to politics.

[JANE20-20]

Hi Brightaspen.....I haven't been on this site in months,I also started a new job as well. I've been there for a few months now. I read your post...I'm sorry about our job loss, it happens to the best of us. I've had some trials in the last few years related to nursing,staff and facilities. It hasn't been easy...but things are looking a bit brighter....the job I love....it's the people/co-wokers and other staff, that can make it a little difficult at times....I hope things have gotten better for you....

[scotttyna]

It is really sad that you had loose your job. I know it is very heart broking but don't feel bad. Things gonna be better soon. And may be it had been happen for something good Just think like that. Sometime we feel bad as we don't realize that the things may be better next time. It happens So don't worry.