Is there any advice or tips you can offer to nursing students interested in pursuing a career in long-term care?

Hi. In my opinion , all nursing graduates who want to work in specialty areas, need 6 months to a year experience in Acute Care(also known as Med/Surg). All patients are Med/Surg regardless of the specialty unit they are admitted to. OB, ER, LTC, Mental Health, Oncology, etc. because patients never have just one diagnosis. VA (Veterans)hospitals around the country have programs where new grads are hired to a specific specialty, but are assigned to Acute Care initially, then after some months, they go to the specialty unit they were hired for to orient there. It makes for a much more well rounded nurse.

It's not like school. It's going to take time to adjust to a very busy schedule while coworkers and residents alike are going to test your skills and patience. Don't be afraid to ask for help or to walk away from an escalating situation. Listen to your older nurses because they know what it takes to navigate the rough shifts. They talk about nurses giving new one's a bad time? Not so much in LTC because we want the help! (And usually time off). It can be fun and rewarding, as long as you learn to not take everything super serious