Feeling Guilty- Desperately Need Opinions

I'm a relocated Staten Islander and whenever I visit I load up on things I can't get here. Just brought back Medaglia D'Oro espresso and black and white cookies. And real bagels.

Salumerias and pastosas and good bakeries with cannoli - drool.

I think I would burn out quickly in hospice.

Get a backbone and stop being a martyr. This client could benefit from some serious boundaries. I work with boarderline personality disorder client and believe me... boundaries!!!

Sorry for your loss, you did an excellent job caring for her. Some of our nurses give out their cell and home phone numbers to patients which is not my practice. There was one patient I gave my number to, but her caregiver did not call me after hours. She went through the call system, but I knew she would not abuse the trust I gave her. We can get so caught up in our patients and them in us and burnout occurs. So glad you took care of yourself and never feel bad about taking a break. Take care and good luck.

I think one of the most challenging aspects of hospice nursing for me, is realizing it is not my responsibility as a nurse to 'fix' everything. You are feeling responsible for her feelings. You can be compassionate and understanding, w/out taking responsibility for everything she feels or wants...I think sometimes we actually provide a disservice when we try to do that, because we may be hindering possible growth, processing, or learning by trying to alleviate all discomfort. This is her life journey, we are there to walk the path with them, not for them. This has been a hard lesson for me. a possible solution would be sharing this pt with another RN. I did that with one of my patients...it made all the difference in the world.