Any nurses out there that can tell me what its like to work in a nursing home?

I have a job offer at a nursing home its full time. 8 hr shift days. 136 beds, 4 units, 2 skilled units. I have never worked in a nursing home. I hear its a different world. my background is a step down critical care unit, which i hated. dialysis, chronic and acute, which I did enjoy. i loved getting to know the patients. and an adult daycare center which I loved working with those clients. I'd like to know the good, the bad and the ugly about it. I have to choose between this job and another one, which is at a pain center working for a doctor, assisting him with procedures and monitoring patients during recovery. But its just part time, so I would have to keep my part time job at the day center and work this one too. But with the 2 part time jobs I wouldn't have to work weekends or holidays. so i'd be more available for my 2 kids, I am divorcing, but I wouldn't have benefits. choices, choices. so any advice would be appreciated.Thanks

Nursing homes are highly dependent on management style.

Check on the turnover on the nursing assistants and the ratio of patients to nurse (including nursing assistants).

You must like routine and getting to know patients and family. Lots of patient care and med passes are involved. The job isn't hard..it actually is relatively easy if you like who you work with. If you have lazy assistants or a very hard patient load (or you are uncomfortable with death) it can be stressful...but most the time nursing in a nursing home is not too bad.

It can also slow down your marketability. (the skill set is lower).

Hope that helps.

my wife is a CNA and has worked at a home for about a year before she quit. i guess it all depends on how much money the home makes hat makes the conditions tolerable. they had 4 bathing areas for a 120 bed facility. the pay sucked and there was always people that would come in late or not show up. most of these problems were caused by the management. eventually the management got worse and she left. my wife has kept in touch with some of the residents. management was so bad and so many people quit the home had to go to the state to get help.

my wife did this job because it was only a mile from the house and she could be there for our kids if needed and not be an hour or more away working in Dallas.

however, after she left she got a job at a vet, and was paid more to walk, feed and pick up after pets than she was to do the same thing with humans at the nursing home

It all depends on your passion.Because that is what is gonna make or break you.The good outweighs the bad,but ONLY the strong survive.There is always uneccsary drama that steals your energy,but the work as a CNA will definately feed your soul,it is a definate experience that will leave a lasting impression,I say do it!!!!!But I am warning you,be there for the patients not to make friends with coworkers,and you will be fine.