How did you know hospice was right for you?

Andi33 · May 19, 2005

I'm starting my prereqs this August for my ADN, and also plan to get my certification as a nurse's aide so that I can work through school, or at least the prereq portion! Hospice nursing has ALWAYS been at the top of my list as probably the most rewarding and fulfilling area of nursing. I truly feel that I am drawn to it. My biggest fear is - since you are dealing with end-of-life issues and a patient that is not ever going to get any better because they are dying - how do you make peace with this within yourself? I know it takes a very special kind of person to do this, and not all of us are cut out for it, but how did you know for sure? I've contacted the director at our local hospice and requested info. on volunteering. They also employ CNA's as well.
Any advice??

I think that's great! I worked as a home health aid for a hospice and it was one of the best jobs I ever had. I would do daily care visits in the patient's home, so I did alot of driving. When I applied for the position, I had no idea if I could do it because it's difficult to deal with death and I didn't know how I would respond. But I found that by listening to the patient and seeing them accept their impending death, I could accept it as well. These people were wonderful! The positive attiudes that they had were incredible. This put me at ease and I was able to be myself (I unleashed my sense of humor), and the patient (and their families) responded well to that. It is depressing work though. These pts. are terminal and you can get quite attached to them. When they do pass, it's hard emotionally, but you know that you did everything you could to make them comfortable during the last months of their lives. It was a wonderful experience for me.

leslie :-D · May 20, 2005

i think it was truly a calling on my part....i literally felt pulled to it.

and later, i did reflect as to why hospice.

the only answer i could justify, was that i have seen too much suffering in my own life- many unthinkable cruelties. and from my experiences, i drew the conclusion that if you couldn't have a good life, then everyone deserves a good death.

and that's what i try to provide to my patients.

and not all do accept their terminality.

but you do what you can in terms of their anguish-anything to bring them comfort.

i had one pt. that cried continually over his impending death.

he kept on saying he felt fine and could not believe he had only weeks.

he didn't believe in God.

he wanted his ex-wife, who had left him the year before. he still loved her very much.

so w/the permission and help of his dtr., i called his ex-wife. she knew about his dx.

i relayed the only thing that would bring him comfort was her presence.

at first she hesitated, but i diplomatically reminded her it would only be a temporary job.

so she came in- i discreetly supervised their interactions and it was going well.

she came in qd and would stay for hours and hours right up until the day he died.

later she thanked me ( :confused: ) for bringing them back together, as they had talked about what went wrong in their marriage- and had mutually rediscovered the tenderness and love for one another.

i'm the one who thanked her, for making has last weeks peaceful and comforting.

my point is, sometimes you have to think of everything/anything to bring comfort to your pt. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

but w/ea death, you walk away knowing you did everything humanly possible to make their transition a peaceful one.

leslie

hospicemom · Jun 12, 2005

I always felt that hospice was my "calling" as well. I guess it started when I was an aide in a nursing home watching patients die by themselves, with no family or friends by their side. I saw first hand how the dying were treated at times, where their pain wasnt managed properly and so on. I have seen families "clean out" closets of their "loved one" to get a "head start" on the moving. I saw that dying can be a bautiful and peaceful event and I knew how that could happen, but as an aide I had no say. Once I recieved my RN I made it a mission of mine to educate people on death and dying. How not to be scared of it and how to make it a peaceful time for everyone involved. I have never been in a more powerful line of work as hospice is. When you truely think about it, this is one of the only areas of nursing where you, as the nurse, will forever be remembered. Families wont forget your name and they will always look toward you with the repect that nurses these days dont get enough of. I have been involved with families from anywhere between 4 days and a full year and let me tell you....my "family" is now extended because you cant take care of someone at such a vulnerable time and not touch the heart of the family and patients as well as have your heart touched. so...hats off to all the hospice nurses out there! There is a special place in heaven for all of you!

kelkel · Jun 14, 2005

I'm starting my prereqs this August for my ADN, and also plan to get my certification as a nurse's aide so that I can work through school, or at least the prereq portion! Hospice nursing has ALWAYS been at the top of my list as probably the most rewarding and fulfilling area of nursing. I truly feel that I am drawn to it. My biggest fear is - since you are dealing with end-of-life issues and a patient that is not ever going to get any better because they are dying - how do you make peace with this within yourself? I know it takes a very special kind of person to do this, and not all of us are cut out for it, but how did you know for sure? I've contacted the director at our local hospice and requested info. on volunteering. They also employ CNA's as well.
Any advice??

The only true advice you can receive is...you will know. I am a hospice nurse and could not imagine doing anything else. As grim as it may sound, it is very rewarding. Ultimately, we are all going to die and it is a priveledge to be present in someones last step of life. Also, you are making sure they are comfortable taking that step. Hospice nursing isn't just about the patient either, it is about the entire family (friends). Personally, I love children, however, I could not do pediatrics or OB. Your will know what your calling is. I worked as a CNA on a cancer floor, and was thinking that I should just go back into sales and forget this whole "nursing" thing, when a dying patient told me "don't ever stop doing what your doing" and that's all she had to say. God spoke to me that day, and I continue on in hospice. Hospice care is definitely not for everyone, just as any other aspect of nursing, but you will know what is right for you.

rosemadder · Jun 19, 2005

My calling to Hospice came directly from God. I became a Hospice volunteer due to His voice saying "Go volunteer at Hospice". (it took me a year to give in) and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Volunteering led me to nursing school in the hopes of becoming a Hospice nurse. At every clinical setting I started in school I thought maybe this will be my area but in the back of my mind came the voice "All roads lead to Hospice" and the "knowing" that this was for me...After graduating nursing school I applied to our local Hospice and was told I had to have 2 years Med/Surg experience....after almost 2 years of Med/Surg again the voice...saying "It's time to go to Hospice"....I recently applied at a wonderful Hospice and am doing orientation there now...I am very peaceful about finally being there and in awe of how God works. Good luck to you and my advice is listen to your heart!

egarr111 · Sep 15, 2008

I feel your pain! I, too, am being pulled to hospice. Is this God's way of leading us to ours path or purpose? I was 40 years old and have always known that I wanted to be a nurse, but never did anything about it! At 40, I went back to school and got my LPN and am about to take my RN NCLEX. I have always wanted to be a L & D nurse, but in clinicals, it just did not feel right. I didnt like hospital work. In the SNF, I hated the conditions and backbreaking work, but loved working with the patients. I currently work at a transitional rehab facility in a management position, but I keep being pulled to hospice. My Dad died of cancer and hospice was my Mother's saving grace. Working in skilled nursing, in the times that I worked with the dying, I felt humbled and honored to be able to take care of and comfort this person and their families in their last days. I took great honor in being there at all. My job is okay and the pay is good, but I keep feeling like my true purpose is not being fulfilled and I keep being tugged towards hospice. Pay is an issue asI am a single Mom and school loan payments are about to start. Hours are an issue too. What are the qualifications? How is the pay and hours? I know deep in my heart that this is my purpose, but can I handle the emotions that are involved? Please! Any comments are welcome!

Humbly,

Elisa:redbeathe

mc3, ASN, RN · Sep 18, 2008

I'm starting my prereqs this August for my ADN, and also plan to get my certification as a nurse's aide so that I can work through school, or at least the prereq portion! Hospice nursing has ALWAYS been at the top of my list as probably the most rewarding and fulfilling area of nursing. I truly feel that I am drawn to it. My biggest fear is - since you are dealing with end-of-life issues and a patient that is not ever going to get any better because they are dying - how do you make peace with this within yourself? I know it takes a very special kind of person to do this, and not all of us are cut out for it, but how did you know for sure? I've contacted the director at our local hospice and requested info. on volunteering. They also employ CNA's as well.
Any advice??

Re: How did you know hospice was right for you? I felt like I was coming home when I walked in the door for my interview! :nurse:

mc3

finn11707 · Sep 22, 2008

I was given the gift of working Hospice. I had been hired into an agency to do Home Care day visits, night advice call and 'occasionally fill in at Hospice. The agency had quite a large team of Home Care nurses who managed inhome chemotherapy. The concept was to have 'familiar faces' in Home Care to transition more easily into Hospice. I would see a patient here and there when they began to fail chemo at home. I attended all the Hospice inservices, workshops and conferences I could find along the way. I learned a lot about how my mom's last year of life could have been more bearable. About 6 months into the agency, I was seeing only Hospice patients. I am not sure I felt the gift yet as we all know it takes 12 months or so to learn the work and find where to put the grief of the work. This is where I want to spend the last years of my career, though I would like to find an agency more committed to supporting the real work of Hospice.