Many illnesses and injuries require short-term treatment. However, many patients suffer from more serious illnesses or injuries that require care for an extended period of time. Medical care for these types of medical problems may be required for months or even years in rare cases. Long-Term Care Nurses often provide extended care.
What Is a Long-Term Care Nurse?
A long-term care nurse is a nursing professional dedicated to caring for patients who require extended care. This includes patients with severe illnesses, injuries, and other disabilities.
Long-Term Care Nursing is a growing field. The number of positions for long-term care nurses is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade. By becoming a long-term care nurse, you will become a part of a growing band of nursing professionals with a career that is both steady and rewarding.
As a long-term care nurse, you will care for the same group of patients every day for an extended period of time. As a result, you will often wind up developing close relationships with your patients due to people’s natural tendency to form bonds with people who show them compassion and care. It is important to keep in mind that patients in long-term care experience high mortality rates due to the serious nature of their illness or injuries, so you must be emotionally mature and cope with the death of patients with who you form bonds.
What Does a Long-Term Care Nurse Do?
Long-term care nurses focus on providing care to patients in need of extended care. This may include patients suffering from debilitating injuries and illnesses such as AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. These nursing professionals also care for elderly patients who need frequent medical care or cannot care for themselves any longer.
These types of nurses primarily focus on medical care for their patients. They may be responsible for monitoring and recording vital signs regularly as well as administering medications. Long-term nurses will also perform other therapeutic and treatment procedures, such as massages and range of motion exercises.
Besides administering medical care, long-term care nurses may also be required to attend to some of their patients’ daily needs. This often involves assisting patients with eating, bathing, using the toilet, and dressing.
Long-term care nurses are frequently sources of support, guidance, and comfort for patients and their loved ones. They may offer advice on dealing with a disability or provide a shoulder to cry on during difficult times.
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Where Do Long-Term Care Nurses Work?
Long-term care facilities employ most long-term care nurses. This includes assisted living facilities, nursing homes, retirement communities, and home care agencies. Some hospitals also employ long-term care nurses as well.
How to Become a Long-Term Care Nurse
Long-term care nurses generally start their careers by becoming licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or registered nurses (RNs). This involves earning a nursing degree or diploma and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Once you become licensed, you can start working as a registered nurse in either a short-term or long-term care position. You can also choose to continue your education by enrolling in continuing education programs that focus on long-term medical care or gerontology.
Certification in long-term care nursing is offered by the American Association for Long-Term Care Nursing (AALTCN). To sit for the certification exam, you will need to complete one of their certification programs, including study materials and a certification examination.
