I know first hand how it is in an nursing home. I worked in one for 5 years. I truly loved it when I first started but hated my job when I quit 5 years later to the day. I loved each resident I took care of in those 5 years. Many of them are gone now but not forgotten by my heart.
I worked as a CNA and saw many horrible things first hand. The nursing home I worked for is considered one of the best in our area. I saw nurses handcuffed and arrested for taking meds from dying residents; some charted they gave meds and didn't even bother to take them from the med cart because they were to lazy; treatment nurses just slap a new dressing on a bed sore without even cleaning the wound, so a tiny sore became a huge hole; food so horrible I wouldn't feed to a stray dog; linens so thread bare we were glad to see residents come back from the hospital because the EMT's left the hospital linens with the residents; being fussed at over not charting we used nail clipper and didn't document which resident it was, that .03 was a major charge!!! But it was very important that the front lobby got new furniture and decor yearly---wouldn't want someone to think this place wasn't nice!! :evil: I could go on and on! I was to afraid to speak up then, but believe me now, I certainly would if I ever went back.
Please don't get me wrong, we had some awesome nurses and cna's but they seemed few and far between. Most of our good nurses said they worked to hard to get their license and would quilt. Nursing homes are hard places to work, for all staff, being constantly understaffed. But it should never be at the expense of the residents. They deserve the best care anyone could possibly give.
After I left, I went to a hospital to work. Talk about a world of difference!!!! I can't say enough good things about the staff I work with. We consistently rate high on patient satisfaction and are quite proud of it!!