Endoscopy nursing to Hospice?

kdot2003 · May 21, 2016

I'm sad nobody posted a comment.

chopwood carrywater · May 22, 2016

Georgia, I don't think that your experience as an endoscopy nurse will ruin your chances to get a job as a hospice nurse. The issue may be that you have not had much experience giving end of life (EOL) care. That includes the psychosocial experience of dealing with patients and their families as well as the physiological and medical experience.

It may feel like it's a catch 22, but there are things you can do.

List any experiences you have r/t EOL issues. Volunteer at a local hospice - preferably at an inpatient facility bc this will provide you a lot of observations and the chance to ask questions of the staff as well. It may also provide insight about how you feel about being around people who are dying. And just as important, how you feel and deal with the families.

If the inpatient unit (IPU) is not an option, try working or volunteering at a skilled nursing facility and then offering to work with pts approaching EOL or are on hospice.

You could try working per diem at a facility but you might not get the best experience r/t EOL care. You could try working part time at a long term care/ skilled nursing facility for a few years. If you do, keep track of your EOL experiences so you can use them to offer relevant experiences when you apply for that first hospice job.

I wish you well.

I hope this helps.