Not doing what I was hired for

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Another vent again. I was hired as a hospice nurse into my company 5 months ago. I was told there would be " a little bit of palliative care". Well, its only me the supervisor and the director in the hospice division of our HH company because they can't keep. Uses ( one left after me being there for 3 weeks) and that can't find anyone. So I am stuck with all of the palliative care. I hate palliative care. I do hospice revisits, but my intention was to be a hospice nurse, as I was told, not the person to just pick up the crap no one else wants to do. Almost 6 mo ths and I haven't done a hospice admission or pronounced. My supervisor knowingly dumps the most awful patients on me that she opens up and announces " I hate this patient, you go see it". I am the dump job nurse, left busting my butt to see the patients no one else wants to see, not even what I was hired for. And my supervisor said " get ready, the palliatives are picking up and they are all yours"So, tomorrow is a progress meeting with the supervisor, director and educator. I have mentioned my desire to really the lean the hospice that I desire to do, they say " yes, we'll start doing it, and they never do. I want to say something again. I am at wits end at this Job, sick of working my butt off and charting all the time on my own time. My happiest times in this last few months I have worked here was in the last 3 weeks where I had 10 days off for a lap chole! It's the only time I have felt free and destresser. Not worrying about having to wake up at the crack of dawn to do paperwork or going to roach infested homes of dirty people who can't take care of themselves and no one else wants to see. My tolerance is gone. I feel like I'm gong to say everything I mean tomorrow and it won't be good.I'm a former icu nurse. Loved it there and had to leave because I couldn't do shift work with my family situation. It's been aMost 2 years since I've been gone and I'm friendly everyone there and they say all I have to do is ask if I want to come back. It's a great system. I wish I could figure out a way to do it. With all that ranting I lost sight of the question. Should I speak up tomorrow? I chose hospic for a reason. I did not want to be a palliative care nurse. I don't mind doing it when needed, I'm a team player, but I want to do what I was hired to do and have a passion for.

Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.

Not sure why everyone's hating on the OP...she's clearly burnt out and in a poor working environment where negativity abounds,

especially because she gets patients her supervisor clearly hates. She's also probably feeling powerless about being able to change her work environment and is venting. Sheesh.

OP, for your own sanity, I would start looking for another job with another hospice or home health organization, or go back into the hospital at your old job until you can figure something else out. Your ICU experience seems like it would open you up into home

health, and maybe from there you could jump into hospice?

Not worrying about having to wake up at the crack of dawn to do paperwork or going to roach infested homes of dirty people who can't take care of themselves and no one else wants to see.

I think the "dirty people" comment is hard to swallow.

Now to your original issue, I would think the same would apply to hospice patients? They are too ill to care for themselves and may live in squalor as well. I always thought of hospice and palliative as hand-in-hand service. When one has less than six months to live dont they receive "comfort care" as well? Not being snarky, just not understanding the key difference that is bothering you. Wouldnt your do documentation on hospice patients? Wouldnt you make home visits for hospice patients? Is there a possiblity of "pronouncing" on palliative as well? Wouldnt you visit homes that may not be the most clean whether hospice or palliatiative?

Not sure why everyone's hating on the OP...she's clearly burnt out and in a poor working environment where negativity abounds,

especially because she gets patients her supervisor clearly hates. She's also probably feeling powerless about being able to change her work environment and is venting. Sheesh.

OP, for your own sanity, I would start looking for another job with another hospice or home health organization, or go back into the hospital at your old job until you can figure something else out. Your ICU experience seems like it would open you up into home

health, and maybe from there you could jump into hospice?

No hate from this end. Just trying to understand is all. :)

Hey guys maybe I'm outta line here bt shes frustrated and venting. I'm not there yet but I can only imagine being put in a situation similar where initially this wasnt what I signed up for and people feel like they re dumping it all on you. Her attitude might be awful but I'm sure its coming off that way because shes upset and blowing off steam. I think we should give her the benifit of the doubt and remind ourself when were having crappy days or whatever that those thought pop up in our heads time to time even if genuinely in our hearts we dont actually feel that awful.

This is a site for nurses. It has the good the bad and the ugly. Sometimes people need to let it all out and it isnt pretty. :) when one of us needs to fall apart we should be there to support eachother until we can get it together. :)

Specializes in ED, Long-term care, MDS, doctor's office.

To wrench party: I hope your meeting goes well & you can find a good compromise. I am sure the patients and families for which you provide care to are appreciative & look forward to your visits in their homes. I know how difficult it is to work in a position which you dread. We spend so much time at work it is important to be happy and feel prideful of the job you do. Good luck to you & I hope you can find a happy medium!

To everyone: I, too, thought hospice nursing and palliative care was the same?? Can someone in who works in home hospice please explain the difference? I have been in LTC forever & I am one of the many who cannot land a hospital job..(I prefer to work with clinically complex and extremely ill patients, just not 20-30 or more at one time such as in LTC). I am desperate to escape LTC & I have been thinking about applying to home hospice agencies..I appreciate any details regarding caseloads, typical day scenarios, how many hours are available & how much pay to expect..I was a CNA for 6 years, LPN for 17 years and now I am a RN for over 2 years...Thank you for any information or advice!

Specializes in geriatrics.

I've read through many of the posts, as well as the OP's original post. I don't think anyone here is claiming to be super nurse, or being too judgemental with the OP. Certainly, we all need to vent, and we probably dislike our jobs at some point in time. I think what some readers are offended by though, is some of the wording in the original post. And what exactly is the difference between hospice and palliative care? I'm not sure I understand. More importantly, sometimes, for whatever reason, the job isn't working. If that's the case, then perhaps it's time to look for something more suitable. We all like different things.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

I am shocked that so many nurses don't understand the difference between palliative care and hospice care. The two are not interchangable.

Specializes in geriatrics.

They may not be interchangeable, but the two have many similarities. I work LTC, so palliative/ hospice aren't exactly foreign concepts for me.

I am shocked that so many nurses don't understand the difference between palliative care and hospice care. The two are not interchangable.

Why don't you explain it then?

Specializes in LTC.

This is one of the reasons I never vent on here.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

My understanding is that palliative care is used with patients in many different stages of illness. While it is appropriate for end of life care, it is also a part of treating chronic illness and curable diseases. As for how this applies to the OP, palliative care is simply a part of the overall hospice care. I have a hard time understanding how one is separate from the other in this case? How is what you are doing now different from what you thought you would be doing?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
I am shocked that so many nurses don't understand the difference between palliative care and hospice care. The two are not interchangable.
Ok, you're shocked. But a really helpful response would have answered the question: what IS the difference between the two?
+ Add a Comment