In many cases, once you put a loved one in a nursing home, they are dead within 6 months, especially if they aren’t alert and oriented. The average staffing numbers in the U.S.are 24 patients to one RN or LPN and one STNA to 36 patients. STNAs who have taken a special medication course are allowed to dispense medications! Do you really think a State Tested Nursing Assistant is going to be proficient in side effects of medications? This is basically an unskilled worker without a college degree. I worked 10 months in a nursing home as an RN and could not stomach it any longer. I was getting chest pain from the stress. Here are just a few things I observed: 1) Food service workers placing food on dishes with bare hands-bacterial contamination, 2). Feeding chunky potato salad to a resident on a puréed diet-choking hazard, 3) a nurse always done passing medications to 24 patients in 1 hour or less. When I questioned what I was doing wrong that it took me so long, another nurse told me, “We suspect she only gives medications to the patients who are alert and oriented.” That is criminal, neglectful and inexcusable. 4) failure to do treatments because there wasn’t enough time. 5) Aides placing clean linen on top of soiled linen bins which they handled with dirty gloves.-infection risk. Of course I reported everything to the DON (Director of nursing). What steps she took, I am not sure. This was a deficiency free nursing home! I am sure she was glad to see me quit! Nursing homes charge $6000+/month. For that price I would expect better care whether self pay, private insurance or Medicaid/Medicare. The ratio of nurses to residents is inexcusable. A nurse can not possibly provide good care both physically and emotionally with those numbers. Often these are chronically ill residents: oxygen dependent, stroke victims, loss of limbs d/t poor circulation or diabetes, etc.
Thanks for telling us about this. Criminal is right. I would not want to be there. I am so glad you are not there any more. The stress would have killed you.
Yes, thank you. I felt the same way. It is sad when as a RN when you can’t take the time, do to the work load, to get to know any of the residents or to share some kindness and empathy towards them in any meaningful way. The elderly in nursing homes are lonely. I worked, on an “as needed” basis for 4 hours, but rarely got out under 5 1/2-6 1/2 hours.
In many cases, once you put a loved one in a nursing home, they are dead within 6 months, especially if they aren’t alert and oriented. The average staffing numbers in the U.S.are 24 patients to one RN or LPN and one STNA to 36 patients. STNAs who have taken a special medication course are allowed to dispense medications! Do you really think a State Tested Nursing Assistant is going to be proficient in side effects of medications? This is basically an unskilled worker without a college degree. I worked 10 months in a nursing home as an RN and could not stomach it any longer. I was getting chest pain from the stress. Here are just a few things I observed: 1) Food service workers placing food on dishes with bare hands-bacterial contamination, 2). Feeding chunky potato salad to a resident on a puréed diet-choking hazard, 3) a nurse always done passing medications to 24 patients in 1 hour or less. When I questioned what I was doing wrong that it took me so long, another nurse told me, “We suspect she only gives medications to the patients who are alert and oriented.” That is criminal, neglectful and inexcusable. 4) failure to do treatments because there wasn’t enough time. 5) Aides placing clean linen on top of soiled linen bins which they handled with dirty gloves.-infection risk. Of course I reported everything to the DON (Director of nursing). What steps she took, I am not sure. This was a deficiency free nursing home! I am sure she was glad to see me quit! Nursing homes charge $6000+/month. For that price I would expect better care whether self pay, private insurance or Medicaid/Medicare. The ratio of nurses to residents is inexcusable. A nurse can not possibly provide good care both physically and emotionally with those numbers. Often these are chronically ill residents: oxygen dependent, stroke victims, loss of limbs d/t poor circulation or diabetes, etc.
Thanks for telling us about this. Criminal is right. I would not want to be there. I am so glad you are not there any more. The stress would have killed you.
Yes, thank you. I felt the same way. It is sad when as a RN when you can’t take the time, do to the work load, to get to know any of the residents or to share some kindness and empathy towards them in any meaningful way. The elderly in nursing homes are lonely. I worked, on an “as needed” basis for 4 hours, but rarely got out under 5 1/2-6 1/2 hours.
I am hearing about this right now with a good friend of mine. She is in a rehab facility and saying the same thing.