Career Guides: Training and Practice for Long Term Care Nurses

One telescopic glance into the future of long-term care nursing

With severe cutbacks in nursing everywhere and decreased numbers of registered nurses in the work force, at the same time as there are increased numbers of patients in need of long-term nursing care in their homes, training and practice for long-term care nursing is increasingly complex.

The question becomes one of how and where to train registered nurses for long-term care. It is no longer a question of why. Young men and women, faced with making a career choice have more possible options for training and practice than ever before, throughout the entire course of history.

College and university schools of nursing have replaced hospital schools of nursing. With the advent of these kinds of programs, there is the high academic cost factor that prospective registered nurses must consider. Through these kinds of institutions, placement for practice would not appear to be a problem, as they are associated with hospitals, nursing homes and retirement homes, as well as other community based organizations.

Numerous on-line courses are offered for registered nurses, on many different levels and in many different areas. While the theory part of training for registered nurses appears feasible on-line, the actual practice of nursing may suffer, unless the on-line schools are able to arrange appropriate placement for the registered nurses they train.

With increasing health care costs, it would appear that long-term health care in patient's homes, is a more feasible option than institutional care in hospitals, retirement homes or nursing homes. Much of the practice part of training may be there, in the future. Registered nurses in training, may be required to find their own practice scenarios for their online courses, at some time.

Taking into consideration the huge number of baby boomers that are entering into retirement, over the next decade, magnifies the problem further. Will there be enough registered nurses to take care of them, even if the long-term nursing care by registered nurses is in patient's homes? Probably not. It appears that there will be a shortage of registered nurses, as well as many other levels of caregivers. On the other hand, the baby boomer generation is younger and healthier than ever and may need less long-term nursing care.

Both theory and practice are essential elements of training for registered nurses, as professional long-term heath care givers, whether employed in institutional settings or home care environments. It would appear that the theory aspect of training registered nurses is not an area of concern at this time, as there are more than enough options for potential registered nurses to consider with regard to obtaining basic or advanced nursing theory. Theory is only one aspect of training. Practice is the other hand of nursing.

It seems that massive numbers of registered nurses should be trained to meet the growing demands for registered nurses. At the same time, will there be sufficient numbers of men and women, who can be trained as registered nurses? Even if there are, will they be able to afford training in colleges or universities?

With an eye to the future, one must suggest that registered nurses will be trained, but many of them may choose to become nurse practitioners instead, because that horizon is continually expanding.

Others who cannot afford to train in universities and colleges may opt for training in non-professional categories. These trainees are going to be needed regardless of which level of non-professional health care they choose when making career decisions.

In long-term care situations, many families may choose to take care of their own family members, rather than employing registered nurses because of the cost factor. They may choose non-professional long-term caregivers of various levels, from different backgrounds and cultures. Other patients may go without any care at all, which may prove to be a frightening scenario for everyone. The onus may be on many elderly seniors and baby boomers to care for themselves, on a long-term basis. Will they be able to do so? Obviously, some will and others will not.

For those planning on entering into training and practice as registered nurses, there are endless possible options, at this time. It is important to take into consideration both the theory and practice side of one's training. In other words, when applying for any training as a registered nurse, find out where the practice part of training will take place. It appears that there will be less practice for long-term care nursing in health care institutions and more practice in patient's homes, in the future. Perhaps that is preferable, as that is where the patients would prefer to be, if possible. At times, they may thrive in their own homes and not thrive in institutional settings of any kind.

Regardless of where one receives training in terms of either theory or practice, basic nursing principles will apply.

Realistically one must recognize the reality that the focus is changing with regard to long- term nursing care and will continue to change. For instance, instead of professional long-term nursing care, twenty four hours a day, in a home care environment, a patient may receive a brief visit from a registered nurse, once a week. All other care may be relegated to non-professional caregivers.

In this kind of a scenario, the registered nurse may begin to function more like a community visiting nurse, than a long-term care nurse, though this kind of intermittent care may be extended over long periods of time and may still be regarded as long-term nursing care.

Is the nursing care going to be adequate?

This may take on the nature of the country-doctor-kind-of-visits by registered nurses, where registered nurses attain the theory and practice, necessary to be qualified as nurse practitioners under physicians who train them. This may elevate the status of registered nurses in general, beyond the realm of actual bedside, long-term care nurses.

It would appear that the face of long-term care nursing is changing rapidly and hopefully, for the better. But this is just one telescopic glance into the future training and practice of long-term care nurses.