Drug diversion doesn't happen in all care settings.. How does it happen in private duty cases. I took care of a wealthy lady with COPD. Inhalers aren't worth diverting really.
WR,,, three commas for Becca
She really needed a maid but opted to pay for an LPN.. Didn't hurt my feelings.. I work 1900-0700 She went to bed at 2100. And slept the nite.
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WRRN said:
I work Hemodialysis. The biggest narcs we have is lomotil and darvocet
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If you have access to controlled substances at all, drug diversion and abuse is potentially a problem isn't it?
Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com
If is a much different word than all...
WR,,, three commas for Becca
And this topic was never about diverting drugs was it? OH only until you made it one..
there are ways to tell if a nurse is taking drugs, usually in LTC the confused pts. are not on heavy duty stuf and they get routine meds. only time I saw a problem in LTC was when an agency nurse came in and everyone needed pain meds that really did need them. I am sure it does happen but I still think it is a bigger problem in hospitals and more damgerous. I think the post was referring to falsefying medical records. I am not an expert in this just what I have seen over the years.
Wow. Here I am deciding that I want to spend the ret of my life doing long term care after I complete my nursing school. It's really sad that most of the rest of the medical profession sees LTC as a horrible thing. I wish I could change all of that on my own, but I can't. What would help would be if all nurses supported all nurses, you know? I don't think it would be so bad if LTC nurses didn't feel like they were being made out to be the scum of the earth.
I am told that if I choose LTC as my profession, that it is professional suicide. I suppose that might be true if my chosen profession weren't to stay in LTC. But it is. I like it here. I like knowing my residents. It feels like another family.
No matter where I have ever worked, I have always made it a point to do the best job that I know how. LTC doesn't make me want to do any less than that.
I am not offended, just hurt, I suppose.
Going into LTC off the bat is not professional suicide, it does limit the types other types of nursing you can go into later.
One of the best things about nursing is the ability to switch to a different type after you start to get bored/burned out where you are.
I'm biased in that I started out doing Med/Surg/Telemetry. With that basic experience (2 years) you can go to home health, travel nursing, LTC, doctors offices, clinics, public health. You'll find that employers in acute care settings share that same bias to an extent.
Sorry if we painted the picture that LTC nurses cannot go anywhere career-wise, they can specialize in legal nurse consulting, wound care, case management, become nurse practitioners specializing in Gerontology, etc.
As opposed to acute care, options are greatly reduced if your experience is in LTC.
Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.malenursemagazine.com
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WRRN said:When was the last time you worked LTC????
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Today, spent the first 1/2 of the day doing an admission (among other things) in a subacute unit, the second 1/2 passing meds, etc on a long term care section.
Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.jocularity.com
You already answered my question once.. I didn't know dementia was contagious?
WR,,, three commas for Becca
And working a half day doing an admission,passing meds etc, IMHO, is hardly working in LTC.
I have worked in LTC for many years and if that is where you want to be that's fine. I like the elderly but I can't stand the other nonsence that goes on. There are also a lot of regulations put on the facilities and were much needed. It can be a great place to work if every one would work together. My ideal job would be to be a DON in a small facility where I could run things the way that it could and should be run. Thats not happening and for my own health it is time to move on. Trouble is that it is now difficult to get back into some thing else. Thats why they say it is career suicide.
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WRRN said:And working a half day doing an admission,passing meds etc, IMHO, is hardly working in LTC.
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So I guess I don't qualify for the "committing career suicide" category, huh? So sad. What pray tell would qualify me?
Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursingdiabetics.com
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