Money for new graduate nursing positions welcome ‘if we can woo new grads’: Burr
Thursday, December 16, 2004 - Natalie Miller
Nursing in long-term care isn’t solely about filling out paperwork and handing out pills anymore. It’s a creative, rewarding and innovative occupation that challenges nurses to use all of their skill sets, says a registered practical nurse (RPN) in the sector for 17 years.

Linda Burr, who’s also administrator of Frost Manor, says the face of long-term care has changed and she’s hopeful more new graduates will choose careers in long-term care.

The sector is “an exciting and innovative place to work,” says Linda.

“Sometimes registered nurses (RNs) don’t see that.” However, Linda says, “Nurses are finding there are more critical care situations and there are more challenging patient needs.”

Linda says OMNI and the long-term care sector needs to spread the word about opportunities in long-term care and how the sector has changed to meet the growing and more complex medical needs of its cross section of residents.

The administrator is responding to a recent provincial government announcement of $17.7 million for new graduate nursing positions in hospitals or long-term care homes. According to the Province, $1.4 million will also go towards the creation of mentoring relationships between experienced and less-experienced staff and students in long-term care, public health and home health care.

Linda says this investment could have a positive impact on long-term care. “I think there will be an impact on long-term care if we can woo new nurses to this sector.”

Linda has 30 students a week in the Lindsay long-term care home and says it’s important to reach people when they are starting to make their career choices. “One of the best ways is to visit high school and college job fairs,” she says. Linda says welcoming people into the homes is also crucial. “The more we open our homes to students to get practical experience within our walls, the better chance we have of recruiting them.”

She says nurses who work in long-term care as opposed to a hospital setting are able to develop relationships with residents and their families. “You see the resident as a whole person and not a disease. Every day you spend with the resident is a learning experience.”

Sharen Nera, a RN at Forest Hill in Kanata, has been in the long-term care sector for 11 years. She has also worked in a variety of hospital departments from emergency to obstetrics to chronic care.

Sharen enjoys working with the age group of residents in long-term care and teaches care of the elderly at Algonquin College near Ottawa.

“Through my experience, a lot of people going into long-term care think they are going there to die,” she says.

“My belief is that they come here to live until they die. My personal mandate is to ensure they do just that.”

Sharen says in the long-term care setting she is able to use all of her expertise and draw on her background. She says in an acute-care setting, nurses are focused on particular area of care. In long-term care, “we’re dealing with them holistically,” she says. “I get to use all of my skills here. We get to deal with every (area of care). I find that a real challenge.”

Sharen says nurses attracted to long-term care realize there aren’t enough resources for the elderly and take on improving the quality of residents’ lives as a mission. “We have to be their best advocates,” she says.